MIDTERMS: Early Voting Data Suggests Trends Which May Favour GOP

Early voting data from the US midterm elections are pointing to several trends which may work in favour of the Republican Party.

• Jessica Piper at Politico writes that while turnout has been high, voting rates among young people have “collapsed” since 2020.
  • “They could still show up to the polls on Election Day. But their disappearance from the ranks of early voters so far puts Democrats at a disadvantage...”
• Andrew Tobias at Cleveland.com: "Sluggish mail-voting returns in Ohio’s largest urban areas are worrying some Democrats who fear that disappointing turnout in Ohio’s biggest cities, particularly among Black voters who form a core part of their political coalition, could sink the campaign of U.S. Senate candidate Tim Ryan and other state Democrats."
• The Tallahasse Democrat claims that early voting data in Florida shows a “major shift from previous voting patterns."
  • "Democrats have built up leads in pre-Election Day voting each of the last two cycles, only to be swamped by Republicans on Election Day. Now it appears that Republicans will actually have the lead in votes cast heading into Election Day, a potentially ominous sign for Democrats.”