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Early voting in Virginia — another potential warning sign for Democrats?
Washington Post ^ | 22 Oct 2021 | Lenny Bronner

Posted on 10/22/2021 1:12:38 PM PDT by Drew68

There’s both some tough history and some warnings signs for Democrats involved. In the past, the party that won the presidency has often lost the Virginia governor’s election (though importantly, this didn’t happen the last time the Democrats won the White House in 2013). This is particularly worrisome for Democrats because President Biden’s approval rating has been falling significantly, including in Virginia. Also, while former governor Terry McAuliffe (D) is leading in the polling averages, the numbers have been too close for Democrats’ comfort — including the most recent Monmouth University poll, which put McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin dead-even.

Another data point that should raise at least some concerns for Democrats is the early vote in the commonwealth.

When looking at absentee and early in-person voting this year, it’s important to remember that last year’s presidential election was unusual — in that it was held during the peak of the pandemic, with more than 100 million Americans deciding to vote early because of that and the expanded access to mail balloting that came along with it. In Virginia, 2.7 million voters chose that option instead of going to the polls on Election Day.

This year, the numbers look quite different. As of Wednesday, 497,000 Virginians have cast their ballot, with 323,000 doing so in-person and 174,000 by mail according to L2, a national voter roll vendor. Another 183,000 early ballots have been sent out but not yet returned.

By contrast, on Oct. 22, 2020, 12 days before the presidential election, more than 1.5 million Virginians had already voted, and another 1.1 million ballots were outstanding. While this nearly 70 percent drop in early voting may seem large, it is expected.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: 2021; glennyoungkin; mcauliffe; terrymcauliffe; youngkin
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Bottom line, most Virginians have not voted.

McAuliffe's strategy of tying Youngkin to Trump has failed in an election that will largely be decided by state, not national, issues with schools and Covid at the top. Furthermore McAuliffe was hoping to ride Biden's coattails to victory in a state that Biden won by ten points. With Biden's support cratering, McAuliffe has had to distance himself from an increasingly unpopular president.

I still think McAuliffe squeak by in the end but I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

1 posted on 10/22/2021 1:12:38 PM PDT by Drew68
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To: Drew68

Bring out your dead. Bring out your dead voters.


2 posted on 10/22/2021 1:15:13 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: Drew68

Some guys have all the luck.


3 posted on 10/22/2021 1:15:50 PM PDT by JonPreston (Q: Never have so many, been so wrong, so often)
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To: Drew68

He will win by a hair following how ever many recounts necessary to find the misplaced votes.


4 posted on 10/22/2021 1:16:04 PM PDT by Newbomb Turk
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To: Drew68

Guess they will need to bring in the illegal alien and dead voters like they did in 2020


5 posted on 10/22/2021 1:16:05 PM PDT by Sarah Barracuda
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To: Drew68

Most democrats vote after the final tallies are in.


6 posted on 10/22/2021 1:16:08 PM PDT by cotton1706
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To: Drew68

i JUST this minute returned from early voting in Northern Virginia (I will be out of hte country on election day.) Place was fairly busy but happy to report... scanning the crowd it was at least 50/50 republic sample ballots in hand vs. dems. Remember: I am in Fairfax County where we get walloped routinely. Immigrant Hispanic couple in front of me... voting for Youngkin! The grouchy old biddies all had dem ballots in hand. They probably won’t live long enough to witness the clean up effort that will be requried if dems continue to hold power.


7 posted on 10/22/2021 1:16:22 PM PDT by clarissaexplainsitall
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To: Drew68

election that will largely be decided by state, not national, issues

************

Agree, and some of those issues (children being indoctrinated and parents being bullied by schools) are becoming increasingly important to voters.

Going to be a very tight race, which usually goes to the Dems but like you, I’m hoping to be pleasantly surprised.


8 posted on 10/22/2021 1:17:58 PM PDT by Starboard
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To: Drew68

All Youngkin has to do is promote a Trump Rally the last of October near Loudoun County, Va. and he would blow McAuliffe away.


9 posted on 10/22/2021 1:18:32 PM PDT by chopperk
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Please Support FR
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10 posted on 10/22/2021 1:19:38 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (The Fed Gov is not one ring to rule them all)
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To: Drew68

McAwful will “squeak by” because he will be carried over the finish line by fraud. I’ve seen this play before. It sucked the last 12 times, too.


11 posted on 10/22/2021 1:21:25 PM PDT by Antoninus (Republicans are all honorable men.)
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To: chopperk
All Youngkin has to do is promote a Trump Rally the last of October near Loudoun County, Va. and he would blow McAuliffe away.

Actually, I think keeping Trump out of the Virginia gubernatorial elections has been a help to Youngkin.

Keep in mind. Youngkin doesn't need Trump's base to win. He already has their votes. He needs the squishy middle to win, and many of these are suburban parents with moderate to liberal views who are increasingly outraged over what's happening in the schools.

A Trump rally at the tail-end would change the focus from failing Democrats to Donald Trump and send the squishy middle running back to McAuliffe.

12 posted on 10/22/2021 1:24:35 PM PDT by Drew68 (Ron DeSantis for President 2024.)
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To: chopperk

Disagree, trump is uniquely not a good fit for that part of Virginia


13 posted on 10/22/2021 1:25:03 PM PDT by Hman528
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To: Drew68

Furthermore McAuliffe was hoping to ride Biden’s coattails to victory in a state that Biden won by ten points.

BS! More than 1.5 million Virginians mail-in voters had already voted is a fabricated lie. Likely half of that number of Virginians actually voted. There was of course massive voter fraud. Any precinct that voter over 85% Biden involved fraud.

Why do people say Biden won the election with a straight face? The basement dwelling demented President who had trouble getting a crowd over 10 people did not massively outperform Obama in the black communities during his prime.

Only a fool would think that. Massive voter fraud has occurred for decades with a wink and nod from Republicans. Nixon knew he won, he just didn’t protest for the good of the country (this cave-in almost caused a nuclear war).

Republicans cave-in to 2020 voter fraud is now destroying the country.

If McAuliffe wins, it will be voter fraud and weak-kneed republicans allowing it.


14 posted on 10/22/2021 1:28:32 PM PDT by BushCountry (Fun Fact: Goods made in America do not get stuck on cargo ships.)
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To: Drew68

HA!!!! Early voting a bad indicator?

Do they have mail in voting? If so, they will just look at who hasn’t voted. Come Election Day, they will be happy to use that list of names to generate pallets full of ballots and vote on behalf of those who have not voted.


15 posted on 10/22/2021 1:28:34 PM PDT by FlipWilson
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To: Drew68
Does Terry McAuliffe even have a platform besides "mention Donald Trump's name every sentence"? Even online, like the official DNC and Virginia Democratic Twitter accounts, it's all Trump, all the time with the Virginia gubernatorial race. This is a pathetic campaign, and it's sad that McAuliffe has a legit shot at winning with a campaign so thoroughly bankrupt of ideas.


16 posted on 10/22/2021 1:32:00 PM PDT by Trump20162020
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To: Drew68

Bottom line...Virginians would be crazy to put a crook back in office...Terry McAuliffe is a clintonite and that is really dirty politics. The remark that Terry was hoping to ride Biden’s coattails to victory and is now trying to walk that back and his remarks about “...parents should not be telling schools what to teach their children.” Vote for the businessman, what have you got to lose? Terry McAwful, is a known political crook, totally insincere...why add him back?


17 posted on 10/22/2021 1:35:54 PM PDT by yoe
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To: Drew68

My dear wife and I did our patriotic duty for Virginia today. And God us if McAwful prevails.


18 posted on 10/22/2021 1:38:40 PM PDT by ReleaseTheHounds ("The problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." M. Thatcher )
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To: Newbomb Turk

There will be a month of counting, with bags of thousands of votes, all for McAwful, being “found” in odd places all over the state.


19 posted on 10/22/2021 1:41:29 PM PDT by Wilhelm Tell (True or False? This is not a tag line.)
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To: Trump20162020
Even online, like the official DNC and Virginia Democratic Twitter accounts, it's all Trump, all the time with the Virginia gubernatorial race.

I saw that tweet as well.

They're desperately trying to make the race about Trump to take the focus off failing Democrat policies.

They're trying to get Youngkin to either fully endorse Trumpism or say something bad about Trump and piss off his base of voters.

Youngkin has shrewdly deflected this and Donald Trump, to his credit, has so far given Glenn Youngkin the latitude he needs to thread this needle.

Though you can bet if Youngkin loses, Donald Trump will say something along the lines of, "See! He should've asked for my help!"

20 posted on 10/22/2021 1:41:48 PM PDT by Drew68 (Ron DeSantis for President 2024.)
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