With less than a week until the Nov. 5 general election, a significant chunk of the electorate has already voted.
Newly released data from the University of Florida Election Lab determined that more than 32 million early votes had already been cast as of Oct. 31. More than 28 mail-in ballots have also been submitted so far. All told at least 66 million mail ballots were requested.
Only 24 states report their figures by party affiliation. However, the statistics so far show more GOP voters are showing up early than Democratic Party voters. Conversely, Democrats are more likely to mail their votes in than Republicans.
The number of early and mail-in ballots is likely to surpass the totals in 2020. That year, 65 million ballots were mailed in, while 35 million voters showed up early.
With Republicans, led by former President Donald Trump, encouraging voters to get to the polls or mail in a ballot before Election Day rather than discouraging it as they did in 2020, early voting is blowing past previous highs in multiple states. Georgia and North Carolina are already seeing record turnout.
In the battleground states, Georgia is leading the way in early voting. There, about 3.4 million people have already voted ahead of Halloween. In Michigan, about 2.1 million have voted. In Wisconsin, 1.1 million have already voted. None of those states report party affiliation.
However, Arizona does list party affiliation, and the figures look good for Republicans.
According to the Election Lab’s data, the GOP has an 8-point advantage over the Democrats. When last reported, 1.8 million mail-in ballots were submitted in the Grand Canyon State.
In the very early returns, Republicans lead by 5 points in Nevada, too. In North Carolina, more Republicans are participating in early voting than Democrats.
Democrats are in the lead in Pennsylvania in terms of mail-in ballots. The Keystone State, with 19 electoral votes to cast, is the biggest prize among the battleground states in terms of overall impact on the Electoral College.
VANCE’S EXPERIENCE WITH JOE ROGAN
Following his running mate into the studio, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) traveled to Austin, Texas, for a three-hour-plus interview with massively popular podcaster Joe Rogan.
In the latest episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” on Oct. 31, Vance spoke about current election issues as well as details of Vance’s personal life.
When former President Donald Trump called Vance to inform him he was picked as his 2024 running mate, Vance initially didn’t answer. Trump joked over the phone he would be forced to choose someone else, Vance told Rogan.
However, best-selling-author Vance said his elevation to the presidential campaign trail removed any anonymity he had left in his life and made him a target for both praise and scorn.
Speaking of targeting, Vance confirmed to Rogan that both his phone and his running mate’s phone had been hacked by malicious actors possibly linked to the Chinese Communist Party. The Epoch Times could not independently confirm the veracity of Vance’s comments.
On policy matters, Trump said Vance is pushing the GOP away from being the party of American corporations. Now, Republicans ask if the desires of big business are right for America as a whole.
Vance and Rogan spent a significant portion of the conversation on the critical election season topic of abortion. Vance affirmed that Trump and his administration, if elected, view abortion as an issue that should be passed to the states and their citizens.
Vice President Kamala Harris is campaigning, in part, on the premise that Trump will pass a national ban on abortion. The issue is a significant motivator for progressives and women voters.
Rogan told Vance he was concerned about how strict bans in certain states put women at risk if they cross a border to get a procedure. Vance replied he was not aware of any laws that would penalize a woman for crossing state lines to seek an abortion, but he nevertheless thinks it’s wrong to arrest women for seeking an abortion.
BOOKMARKS
New national polling gives former President Donald Trump a slight edge over Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential contest. But the race remains tight, with most recent surveys’ results falling within the margin of error.
Popular podcaster Joe Rogan says his “open invitation” for a sit-down interview with Harris still stands. Rogan released separate interviews with Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), in the last week.
Fraudulent voter registration and mail ballot request forms were discovered in Pennsylvania’s Monroe County, officials announced on Tuesday. The forms were reportedly linked to the Arizona-based Field and Media Corps, a consulting firm at the center of similar allegations in Pennsylvania’s York and Lancaster counties.
A lawsuit challenging Tesla owner Elon Musk’s $1 million giveaways to registered voters is on hold after his lawyers removed the case to federal court. The lawsuit was filed by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.
