Key Takeaways:
– Kansas GOP chairman, Mike Brown, notes a significant surge in advance voting by their supporters.
– The count of advance votes for the 2024 election currently stands at 516,776.
– In contrast to 2020, Republicans are now embracing advance voting following a plea from President Donald Trump.
– The GOP is keen on preserving two-thirds majorities in both the state Senate and House.
Kansas Republicans Turning to Advance Voting
In a departure from the last election cycle, Kansas GOP chairman Mike Brown has noticed an upswing in advance voting among Republican voters. This shift from the party’s previous stance can be credited to ex-President Donald Trump’s insistence on casting votes ahead of Election Day.
Seeing the effects of this call to action, Mike Brown expressed satisfaction. According to him, the high voter turnout demonstrated the party’s resolve and willingness to invest time, money, and resources to ensure voters heeded this advice.
The Changing Attitudes to Advance Voting
Previously, during the 2020 election cycle, Trump discouraged Republicans from advance voting, citing doubts over election security. Fast forward to the current year, and the strategy has reversed, undoubtedly due to the appeal from the former president himself. Trump is banking on Kansas, a state he won comfortably in 2016 and in his unsuccessful re-election bid in 2020.
Securing More Votes
As per Secretary of State Scott Schwab, thus far, 516,776 ballots have been cast through advance voting. The number is lower compared to the 642,724 advance ballots recorded at this stage in the 2020 elections, influenced significantly by the pandemic. However, this figure surpasses the 375,857 advance ballots counted at a similar juncture in 2016. Schwab believes that they are headed towards breaking records and encourages everyone eligible to cast their vote.
The Power Shifts
The importance of these numbers can be gauged from the views expressed by state Senate President Ty Masterson. His priorities lie in re-electing Trump, securing GOP control in Congress, and retaining supermajorities in both the state Senate and House. Masterson used the comparison of gas prices under Trump and the current regime as an example to illustrate their stark choices.
Every Vote Counts
The importance of every vote cannot be underestimated. Republicans are aware that a supermajority on either side while failing to capture the other would be a hollow victory. Therefore, the focus is on ensuring that all advance votes are counted, which means advance mail-in ballots must reach county election offices latest by November 8.
The Road Ahead
On Election Day, contests for four U.S. House seats, all 165 seats in the Kansas House and Senate, and a mixture of local government offices and ballot issues are underway. Although none of the statewide executive branch offices are up for grabs this time, their outcomes will significantly shape the political landscape.
In conclusion, the large turnout among advance voters in Kansas points to a remarkable shift within the state’s Republican party. It serves as a symbol of the growing political maturity of Kansas’ voters and the GOP’s adaptive strategies. Whether this trend results in the preservation of the Republicans’ supermajorities, only time will tell.