Republicans are beating out their Democratic counterparts in New Jersey early in-person voting as of Tuesday, according to data analyzed by Associated Press election researcher Ryan Dubicki.
GOP voters who have already cast their ballots in person in the state total 144,105, compared to 139,524 votes from Democrats, according to the data analysis. Democrats have historically dominated early voting, with many party leaders pushing for supporters to vote early in previous elections.
“What we’re seeing is phenomenal,” New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli said Wednesday on “Fox & Friends First,” Fox News reported. “Republicans are finally embracing the opportunity to vote early. The return rate on vote-by-mail ballots has been fantastic. Local Republican organizations are doing a great job in getting the word out.”
The last time New Jersey voted for a GOP presidential candidate was in 1988, when Republican Vice President George H. W. Bush beat Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, according to Fox News.
Despite the strong showing, New Jersey Democrats are still leading Republicans in mail-in ballots as of Saturday, with 357,924 cast by Democrats, 121,003 by Republicans and 108,270 by unaffiliated voters, according to the New Jersey Globe. New Jersey voters cast a total of 589,353 ballots by mail as of Saturday morning, according to the Globe.
Former President Donald Trump drew nearly 100,000 attendees to a New Jersey campaign rally in May. Several GOP leaders in swing states have adopted a strategy often used by Democrats of encouraging voters to cast their ballots early.
Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have been locked in a tight presidential race with just six days remaining until Election Day. Trump is leading nationally by 0.4 percentage points at 48.4% to Harris’ 48.0%, according to polling averages from RealClear Polling.
Of registered voters in New Jersey, 55% said they plan to vote or have already voted for Harris, while 35% said they would vote or already have voted for Trump, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton Poll published on Oct. 30.
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