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Early Voting Numbers Suggest Strong Start For Hillary Clinton And Democrats, Women Voting In ‘Disproportionate Numbers’

By Christine Beswick
Published on: 03:11 PST, Oct 22, 2016

Early voting in many swing states has begun, and early numbers show a strong start for Hillary Clinton and all Democrats on the ballot in swing states due to Democratic turnout. Politico reported that Donald Trump’s campaign where he “has done more to repel voting women than win them over” is showing up at the ballot box. Politico also said that women in key swing states, specifically Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina, are voting early in “disproportionate numbers,” and so far, those numbers lean Democrat.

Politico says that Democratic women appear to be particularly motivated to vote this year. It’s not just women though, Democrats as a whole have outnumbered Republicans in the early ballot according to CNN. CNN said that Democrat voting is up at this stage of the early ballot, and Republican early voting is down when compared to the early vote at this stage of the 2012 election.

CNN stated that 3.3 million Americans have already cast a ballot in early voting, and that Democrats have “improved their position” in Utah, North Carolina, Nevada, and Arizona. Comparing these early results to 2012 results, CNN stated that Democrat turnout in North Carolina has stayed consistent, while Republicans have dropped by approximately 14,500 votes.

Politico reported that more women than men have voted early in North Carolina, and that more Democratic women have voted as well. Politico said that 87,000 Democratic women have voted in North Carolina, compared to 60,000 Republican women. J. Michael Bitzer, an expert in early voting in North Carolina, told Politico,

“That’s certainly an energy and mobilization indicator this early for the Clinton campaign and Democrats down ballot.”

One woman in North Carolina was definitely energetic going to the early polls. In North Carolina, one woman who recently became a U.S. citizen was so excited to vote for Hillary Clinton, she danced when casting her vote.

Democrats are also ahead in Arizona in the early voting according to CNN‘s data analyst from a bipartisan separate data analysing group.

What is most surprising at this stage of the game is an improvement for Democrats in Utah, reported CNN. Until now, polling has shown both candidates are in a tight race. At this stage in 2012, Republicans outnumbered Democrat votes by 22,000 votes. As of today, Republicans are only ahead in Utah by approximately 3,509 votes.

Donald Trump is doing a little bit better in Iowa, but still lagging Hillary Clinton as 38,280 more votes for Democrats have been cast than for Republicans. At this stage in 2012, Democrats led by over 50,000 votes. President Obama won Iowa in 2012, and Mitt Romney won Utah in 2012.

CNN reported that in Ohio, only 179,162 early ballots have been cast, with Democrats taking a slight lead. This is a drop from early voting in 2012 for both parties. CNN also noted that in Ohio this year, the Republican led legislature dropped the number of early voting days from 35 to 28, suggesting this could be the cause of the drop in early ballots in Ohio this year.

Even so, the voters are definitely turning out and many are voting blue. One young lad took the term “early voting” literally, and showed up at 5:30 a.m. on the first day of early voting to make sure he cast his ballot for Hillary Clinton in Ohio. Many women have been tweeting from Ohio as well, their love for Hillary Clinton.

CNN noted, however, that although early Iowa and Ohio numbers “bode well” for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton still has an easier path to the 270 electoral college numbers needed to win, and could win without Iowa or Ohio. CNN also noted that their electoral college math shows Hillary Clinton is favored in New Hampshire, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

Democrat Senator Cory Booker of Nevada has released a video on Twitter, calling on his constituents to get out the early vote.

Wisconsin is seeing a different trend in early voting than at this stage in 2012, according to CNN. Their early voting has more than tripled, and is currently leaning blue with more than 142, 190 votes cast. This is a sharp rise from the 46,389 early votes cast in 2012.

Hillary Clinton has a strong ground strategy in key swing states, especially Florida, when working to get more women to the early polls reported Politico. A very strong message from the Democrats in their campaign strategy now is, get out the vote. In Florida, Hillary Clinton has TV star Star Jones working to persuade women to get to the vote, Tim Kaine’s wife Anne Holton is also working the trails as has the First Lady Michelle Obama.

The First Lady has also signed mailers to voters, asking them to vote early. Politico has obtained a copy of one, and in the mailer the First Lady wrote, “One vote – your vote – can determine how history remembers Barack’s Presidency. Stand up for Barack by voting early.”

President Obama has also done his part to help the Democrats and has released his own video on how important the early vote is. He showed his sense of humor, and his idiosyncratic trait of needing to be early for everything, on this ad for early voting. Watch this video to see how the White House staff feels about President Obama’s need to be early for everything.

Official early voting does not begin until Monday in Florida. Hillary Clinton has hit the campaign trail herself, speaking in a radio address this past Friday, asking Florida for the vote. Politico reported that she said the following.

“We are seeing already high turnout across Florida because so many people understand it’s the most consequential election of our lifetimes.”

Donald Trump’s campaign does not appear to have a focus on an early vote strategy or a ground campaign, as has been typical of his entire campaign. He is focusing on rallies as his campaign strategy, and is in Pennsylvania this morning. He will be in Ohio later today with Mike Pence and in Florida tomorrow.

NOTE: The numbers in this report reflect data analysis per CNN and Politico reports that was conducted on return ballots that assessed voter demographics such as gender and age, as well as party registration. No voting results, including those from early voting, will be available until November 8, at 8 p.m. when the polls close.

[Feature Image by John Minchillo/AP Images]

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