In a significant shift, Arizona Republicans are embracing early and mail-in voting, a trend that could potentially boost their chances in the 2024 election. After years of expressing skepticism about these voting methods, the GOP has launched a concerted effort to encourage its voters to take advantage of early voting options.
The Republican National Committee’s “Bank Your Vote” initiative, launched in June 2023, aims to reassure voters that early voting is secure and safe. The program appears to be paying off, with recent data showing an increase in the number of Republicans using early voting methods.
In the 2024 Republican Senate primary, 83.67% of voters cast their ballots early, compared to 79.82% in the 2022 gubernatorial primary. Notably, supporters of Kari Lake, a candidate who has echoed Trump’s views on voter fraud and early voting, showed a significant increase in early voting participation. In 2022, 73.38% of Lake’s voters cast their ballots early, compared to 81.14% in the 2024 primary.
The GOP’s efforts to promote early voting are a departure from their previous stance. Former President Donald Trump, who has long expressed concerns about early voting, has largely endorsed the party’s new approach. The RNC and Trump have encouraged Republican voters to “swamp the vote” and make it “too big to rig,” a reference to Trump’s allegations of voter fraud in previous elections.
While the uptick in early voting is encouraging for Arizona Republicans, the true test will come in the November 5 general election. The party’s success in promoting early voting will be closely watched, particularly in light of their narrow loss in the 2023 Virginia state legislative elections.
