Early voting off to a robust start nationally

[Craig]

EARLY VOTING IS UNDERWAY IN MANY STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AS THE 2024 ELECTION IS NOW IN ITS FINAL TWO WEEKS.
BOTH PARTIES ARE WATCHING THE TRENDS CLOSELY.  LET’S TAKE A LOOK.
ACCORDING TO THE TRACKER, TARGETSMART,  AS OF THIS RECORDING, 18,809,567 (18-MILLION-EIGHT-HUNDRED-NINE-THOUSAND-FIVE-HUNDRED-SIXTY-SEVEN) VOTERS, NATIONWIDE,  HAVE ALREADY CAST THEIR BALLOT, EITHER EARLY OR ABSENTEE, DEPENDING ON THEIR HOME STATE’S RULES.
OF THOSE, 9.3 MILLION ARE REGISTERED DEMOCRATS, 7.9 MILLION ARE REPUBLICANS WITH ABOUT ONE-AND-A-HALF MILLION IDENTIFYING AS SOMETHING ELSE.
THE GENDER BREAKDOWN IS ABOUT 10-MILLION WOMEN TO 8-MILLION MEN,  OR 53% TO 45 %.
PUNDITS ON BOTH SIDES ARE WATCHING THE NUMBERS CLOSELY ESPECIALLY IN THE SEVEN BATTLEGROUND OR SWING STATES WHERE THE ELECTION IS LIKELY TO BE DECIDED.  FOR INSTANCE IN NEVADA, WHERE SIX ELECTORAL VOTES ARE IN PLAY,  AS OF LATE MONDAY, registered Republicans had cast about 38 percent of early votes to Democrats, 36 percent. DEMOCRATS HAVE OUTPACED REPUBLICANS IN EARLY VOTING IN EVERY ELECTION IN THE STATE DATING BACK TO 2008.   SO THIS PARTICULAR TREND BEARS WORTH WATCHING.
THE 18.8 MILLION VOTES SO FAR THIS YEAR ARE LAGGING BEHIND 2020 NUMBERS WHEN,  DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC,  MORE THAN 94-MILLION AMERICANS VOTED EARLY OR BY-MAIL.
STILL, EARLY VOTING SAW RECORD NUMBERS FOR DAY ONE IN KEY STATES NORTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA.  FOR MORE UNBIASED UPDATES, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP