Florida Democrats are outvoting Republicans in early ballots

Democrats are leading by a wide margin in vote-by-mail totals in Florida, though Republicans are optimistic they can catch up on Election Day.

Data first reported by The Associated Press from Florida’s Division of Elections indicate that registered Democrats lead registered GOP voters by more than 320,000 ballots among the roughly 1.7 million mail-in votes cast so far in the key battleground state, a margin that analysts from both parties suggest could indicate that Republicans largely plan to vote in person on Nov. 3.

Florida’s mail-in totals have already surpassed 60 percent of the total for such ballots in 2016. There are 10 days remaining to request a mail-in ballot in the Sunshine State.

The new figures support findings of an Axios survey last month that indicated as many as 75 percent of Americans who strongly disapprove of the president’s job performance are likely to vote early by mail, while the president’s supporters were more likely to vote in person.

“Voting in Florida is a marathon. And what you’re seeing is a bit of a sprint from the Democrats,” added the director of President Trump’s campaign in Florida, Susie Wiles, in a statement to Politico. “But we have far more high-propensity voters on our side. That should be noted in all the hype about the Democrats’ lead. We’re not finished. We’re turning our sights to early in-person voting and to Election Day.”

The president has frequently disparaged the accuracy of mail-in voting and alleged without evidence that it is rife with fraud. He reiterated those claims last month when he urged his supporters to vote in person: “go to your Polling Place to see if it was COUNTED. IF NOT, VOTE!”

NORTH CAROLINA: To make sure your Ballot COUNTS, sign & send it in EARLY. When Polls open, go to your Polling Place to see if it was COUNTED. IF NOT, VOTE! Your signed Ballot will not count because your vote has been posted. Don’t let them illegally take your vote away from you!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 12, 2020