Even though Election Day remains 13 days off, a record number of Americans have already voted, and that could wind up being a big problem for Donald Trump as he seeks to win a second term in office.
The Washington Post reports that early voting numbers are the highest they’ve ever been, and Democrats are outvoting Republicans by a large margin:
“Registered Democrats are outvoting Republicans by a large margin in states that provide partisan breakdowns of early ballots. Republicans, however, are more likely to tell pollsters they intend to vote in person, and the GOP is counting on an overwhelming share of the Election Day vote going to Trump.”
Trump’s campaign should be especially worried since their candidate continues to trail in national and state polls, meaning the number of undecided voters or those who might change their mind is dwindling. The president desperately needs to gain ground, but with so many votes already being cast, there are fewer and fewer possible scenarios by which Trump can win, even with a large turnout on November 3.
Battleground states such as Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are essential to Trump, and they also show dramatically increased early balloting, which could prove to be devastating for the president.
The number of voters who didn’t vote four years ago is also at record levels:
“For states where early ballots can be matched against a voter file, roughly 1 in 5 votes have come from someone who did not cast a ballot four years ago in the same state.
“These new voters — who may have moved to a new state, turned 18 or just sat out the last presidential election — will probably play a pivotal role in choosing the next president.”
Clearly, the electorate is motivated, and that too is bad for Trump, because all of the energy and excitement is on the side of those opposed to the incumbent and his Republican Party.
Americans are voting like their lives depend on it. And with 221,000 already dead from COVID-19 in the U.S., all of us have a motive to make sure Donald Trump is defeated. Our lives and the life of this republic may not survive if he isn’t.