Early Voting Gains Traction Among Republicans As Trump Warms To The Idea
Early voting is gaining traction among Republicans as prominent figures like former President Donald Trump and his former adviser Kellyanne Conway warm to the idea. Trump who had previously criticized mail-in ballots and claimed they led to crooked elections recently encouraged his supporters to make a plan, register and vote using various options including absentee and early voting.
Conway appeared on “Real Time with Bill Maher” on Friday and expressed her support for early voting stating that Republicans must adapt or risk dying politically. She emphasized the importance of securing votes from elderly voters who may rely on mail-in systems.
Kellyanne Conway backs early voting: ‘You adapt or you die politically’https://t.co/yacY3hyGTx pic.twitter.com/TtsLAYEn3H
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) May 5, 2024
“I hope President Trump and Mrs. Trump will go and vote early in Florida on the first day they’re eligible to vote early because when the lion roars the others will follow,” Conway said. “His voters will say ‘oh well now President Trump went early I can too.'”
The shift in attitudes towards early voting among Republicans reflects the changing voting patterns of the American electorate. In the 2020 Presidential Election mail-in balloting and early voting saw significant increases while Election Day in-person voting decreased.
Kellyanne Conway endorses early mail-in voting: ‘You adapt or you die’ https://t.co/ByQ3mas3I5
🚫❌Couldn’t disagree more. D🐀 want you to vote early so they’ll know ahead of time how many mail ins they’ll need to come up with to cheat.
— ChrisTX🇺🇸🗽 (@ctruey) May 6, 2024
Many Republicans have voiced concerns over the security of mail-in voting since 2020 but are now coming around to understanding the popularity of the method. The majority of mail-in voters 55% come from those over the age of 65.
Trump’s campaign managers have also acknowledged the significance of early voting. They noted that by the time the first presidential debate is held on September 16, 2024, over 1 million Americans will have likely voted.