(The Center Square) — Despite Virginia Republicans appearing to have cast more early in-person votes than Democrats this year, early voting statistics haven’t changed much from a month ago, when the nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project first reported them.
Early votes continue to pour in but ultimately lag 2020 numbers. Fourteen days out from the election in 2020, close to 1.6 million ballots had come in, and about 1.3 million more would continue to trickle in for a total tally of more than 2.8 million early votes as of five days post-election. This year, it’s about 1.2 million.
If 2020 is any indication, 2024 could see close to 1 million more early votes ahead of election day.
Consistent with results from late September, the two districts where the most voting has happened so far lean Republican.
District 1, where Republican Rep. Rob Wittman has held the office since 2007, still has the most votes so far – though less than half of 2020’s – at 141,425. District 5, which leans even further right than District 1 and previously elected House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good, isn’t far behind, with 121,149 early votes cast. This year, state senator and Trump endorsee John McGuire will square off against Democrat Gloria Witt.