Donald Trump is lagging behind in early votes from seniors in Pennsylvania, which could be cause for concern for his campaign, a new report reveals.
In Pennsylvania, one of seven key swing states this election, nearly half the early voters who have cast their ballots so far are over 65, Politico reports. Out of all votes cast by Pennsylvania seniors, registered Democrats account for 58 percent, while registered Republicans account for 35 percent.
This could be good news for Democrats. A Fox News poll released this week indicates Harris has a 5-point lead among voters 65-and-older in the state. Further, Pennsylvania has more senior citizens than the average state, Politico reports.
Democratic strategist Tom Bonier said the early voting numbers so far are a surprise for Kamala Harris’s camp.
“Our expectation going into the early vote was that it would, in general, skew substantially more Republican than in 2020,” Bonier told Politico. “There is no more pandemic, Democrats were more Covid conscious … and Republicans have been pushing early voting.”
However, Republicans disagree they’re in trouble.
“Americans of all ages and backgrounds are unifying behind President Trump’s agenda to Make America Safe, Strong, Wealthy, and Great Again, and this reality is playing out in record Republican voter registrations and turnout across battleground states, including Pennsylvania,” Pennsylvania Trump campaign spokesperson Kush Desai told Politico.
Republican strategist Charlie Gerow also told Politico that older Republicans are more likely vote on Election Day.
In all seven swing states, Harris and Trump are neck-and-neck, the latest Washington Post/Schar School poll shows.
The two candidates are tied in Nevada, while Trump leads in Arizona and North Carolina by three points each. Harris is ahead by four points in Georgia, three points in Wisconsin and two points in Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Both are still courting voters in the Keystone State, each holding campaign events up until Election Day.