GOP Leads Early Vote Returns 8 of Last 9 Days in NC After NEVER Leading a Single Day of Early Voting Before 2020

RALEIGH – What early vote advantage? It looks like the historical election head start for Democrats is evaporating in North Carolina as Republican voters outpace Democrat voters in eight of the last nine days.

That’s notable, but more remarkable still is the fact that, until this year, the Republicans have NEVER lead a SINGLE DAY of early vote returns in an election.

From the insightful Mike Rusher:

Yesterday, Oct. 29th, GOP (71,537) & Unaffiliateds (67,188) outvoted Democratic (56,493) voters (by mail+in-person)

That’s 8 of last 9 days GOP has led daily Early Vote returns in NC

1st election in NC history that GOP has led a single day in Early Voting, now 8#ncpol #ncga

— ???????????????? ???????????????????????? (@mjrusher) October 30, 2020

That’s really encouraging if you’re a Republican holding their breath about the outcome of this election. Moreover, Republican vote returns exceeding unaffiliated voters, the largest registration block, is quite remarkable as well.

This takes into account absentee ballots that were officially accepted across the state, but nearly a million people requested an absentee ballot for the 2020 in North Carolina. How many of those who requested absentee ballots, though, have, instead, voted early in-person?

Rusher wondered the same thing, and got an answer.

As of 10/29 – There are more than 550k outstanding AB mail ballots in #NCPOL

45.8% Democratic
19.2% GOP
34.3% Unaffiliated

The state board has not released (or is not tracking?) how many AB mail voters decided to vote in person.

And we’re counting ballots until Nov. 12th.

— ???????????????? ???????????????????????? (@mjrusher) October 30, 2020

Well, that answers that question as of Oct 28th and before an additional 500k more ballots have been cast https://t.co/Wr42jBBMSp

— ???????????????? ???????????????????????? (@mjrusher) October 30, 2020

Much has been made of the early voting dynamics of this final stretch into election day, with a common refrain being that Democrats dominate the early vote, so record numbers didn’t bode well for Republicans. Yet the actual numbers by voter registration paint a very different picture, at least for eight of the last nine early voting days in North Carolina.

The worries about mail-in ballots, with documented incidents postal workers dumping ballots, and Republicans’ ballots being found in a dumpster, have also pointed to an emphasis on in-person voting by Republicans.

It loos as if Republican voters were chomping at the bit here in the Old North State, not content to wait until election day to cast their votes.

That speaks to voter enthusiasm, but also to the level of certainty Pandemic Panic has created. With every new day bringing new headlines about a resurgence in coronavirus cases, and all the lessons we’ve learned about elected officials affinity for authoritarianism, the possibility of election day voting being restricted — a.k.a. suppressed — cannot be ruled out.

Just in case that still sounds unbelievable to you, it’s already being discussed in other swing states citing limited polling staff.

So, with that in mind, the GOP leading Democrats in North Carolina over the eight of nine days of voting is even more significant.

On that note, Saturday is the last day to vote early before the official election day on Tuesday. Go vote!