Less than two weeks from the presidential election, Republicans are breaking turnout records for early voting and mail-in ballots across several key states.In previous election cycles, Democrats have overwhelmingly outperformed Republicans when it comes to voting early. In 2020, over 22 million Democrats voted early, while just 15 million Republicans and nearly 12 million independents did the same. Although more Democrats have voted early, Republicans are actually outperforming them in some crucial swing states.Early voting was notably higher in 2020 due to the pandemic, but the trend remains true for previous election cycles. In 2016, just eight million Republicans voted in advance, as well as nearly 10 million Democrats and five million independents. This time around, Republicans are narrowing the gap. With over 26 million early votes counted, 11 million have been from Democrats, over 10 million have been from Republicans, and nearly five million have been from independents. Historically, the Republican Party has been averse to the idea of early voting. This time around, Trump has made the change to embrace it, and Democrats are beginning to panic. "A few more days like this, though, and the Democratic bedwetting will reach epic proportions," Jon Ralston, CEO of the Nevada Independent, told The Hill about early voting in Clark County, home of Las Vegas. "I think it comes solely down to the fact that last cycle, Donald Trump told Republicans not to vote early, and this time, the party is telling them to vote early," Jon McHenry, a GOP polling analyst and vice president at North Star Opinion Research, told Blaze News. "Pretty simple."Although more Democrats have voted early, Republicans are actually outperforming them in some crucial swing states. In Georgia, 48% of the early votes have been cast by Republicans, while 46% have been from Democrats. Similarly, in Arizona, Republicans are outperforming Democrats 42% to 36%, as well as 40% to 36% in Nevada.The two parties are nearly tied in North Carolina, with 35% of early votes coming from Democrats and 34% from Republicans. “The large mail ballot lead enjoyed by Dems has been erased and more by the GOP lead in in-person early voting,” Ralston told The Hill. While Republicans are making strides in the Sun Belt, Democrats have held onto their lead in the Rust Belt states. In Michigan, 52% of early votes were cast by Democrats, while just 38% came from Republicans. In Pennsylvania, the swing state with the highest electoral vote count, 62% of early votes came from Democrats and 29% came from Republicans. In Wisconsin, 37% of early votes were cast by Democrats and 21% of Republicans did the same. "It doesn't matter a whole lot, whether you get them early or you get them late, as long as they get there," McHenry told Blaze News. "The advantage of getting them early is that you know that they're already banked. You won't have to sweat Election Day quite as much."Notably, nearly half of early votes in Wisconsin and a third of votes in North Carolina came from independents. Roughly a quarter of early votes in Nevada and Arizona also came from independents. Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia have had the lowest independent turnout, bringing in 10%, 9%, and 6%, respectively. "Just because you're registered as a Democrat doesn't mean you voted for Kamala Harris," McHenry told Blaze News. "You might be registered as a Democrat, but you've gotten sick to death of the Democrats over the last four years and just didn't bother to change your registration. You might just vote for Trump." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/dems-panic-as-republicans-bank-record-breaking-early-votes-in-key-states-2669472463