Whatley ‘very encouraged’ by the early voter turnout nationwide – Washington Examiner

Jenny GoldsberryNovember 4, 2024

In the‍ lead-up to⁢ the November 5 election, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley expressed optimism regarding early ⁢voter turnout, highlighting a significant engagement from Republican voters. ⁤As of the day‍ before ⁢the election, nearly half of registered voters had cast their ballots. In the closely contested race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, polls indicated a tight race, with results showing they were virtually tied.

Whatley noted that the early and absentee voting trends,⁣ combined with polling data, suggest ⁢a⁢ favorable position for the Republican Party on Election Day. He‍ emphasized the importance of turnout, urging Trump⁢ supporters to ‌ensure they vote to capitalize on the early voting momentum. Whatley specifically pointed to ⁣North Carolina, Arizona, and Georgia as key states where the party expects strong performance ‍due to the engaged voter base.

Whatley ‘very encouraged’ by the early voter turnout nationwide

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley predicted the higher-than-usual early voter turnout will result in wins for the party.

Nearly half of the country’s registered voters have submitted their ballots as of Monday, the day before the Nov. 5 election. While the contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump could not be closer, with a RealClearPolitics polling average from Monday afternoon showing a dead tie, Whatley appeared confident in the candidates he has backed.

“We are very, very encouraged by what we saw during the absentee voting period,” Whatley said on Fox News’s Fox and Friends on Monday. “When we look at the early vote, we look at the absentee vote, and we look at the polling, all three of them tell us that we are in a great position to win it on Election Day. Our message to every voter has been very consistent: We are in a great position to win, but we have to win on Election Day, and we need everybody who supports Donald Trump to go vote, vote, vote.”

Whatley went on to predict that North Carolina, Arizona, and Georgia will all go for Trump, citing a “good feeling.” Those are three of the swing states he said the committee has focused on, which include Nevada, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

When it came to the Senate races, Whatley anticipated Sen. John Tester (D-MT) to lose his seat to Tim Sheehy. He predicted Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV) would win the seat left vacant by Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), Dave McCormick would win in Pennsylvania, Mike Rogers in Michigan, and Eric Hovde in Wisconsin.

Two weeks after early voting began and one day before Election Day, Georgia reported 55% of its registered voters cast their ballots already. In North Carolina, 4,465,548 voters had cast their ballots already, according to the State Election Board. This turnout of over half of the state’s registered voters obliterated the previous 2020 record of 3.6 million.