OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Pennsylvania has been a trending purple battleground state for several election cycles, but it could be trending red again thanks to a new automatic voter registration policy in the Keystone State.
The latest data from automatic voter registration at Pennsylvania driver’s license centers indicates a growth in sign-ups, with registrations almost evenly split between the political parties and no significant advantage for one party over the other in this presidential battleground state, The Associated Press reported last week.
The most recent data, which was published on Wednesday by Pennsylvania’s elections office, covers slightly more than four months of new voter registrations. The change was initiated by Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) in September, aiming to simplify the voter registration process and enhance the management of voter rolls by counties, the AP added.
The outlet noted further:
It shows about a 45% increase in sign-ups at driver’s license centers compared with those during a similar period two years ago.
It also shows little change in the partisan mix of those registering under the new system, despite accusations by Donald Trump that Democrats would use it to “steal Pennsylvania.”
If anything, the new automatic voter registration system, which is currently facing a lawsuit from Republican lawmakers, has shown some favorability towards the GOP.
Out of approximately 47,300 new voter registrations, 35% selected independent or a third party, 34% chose Republican, and 31% went for Democratic, as per the data. In contrast, during a similar period two years ago, there were around 32,500 new voter registrations, with a distribution of 35.5% Democratic, 34% independent or a third party, and 30.5% Republican, the AP noted.
“Democrats have a slight registration advantage overall in Pennsylvania, with about 45% of voters to 40% for Republicans, according to state statistics. However, the party’s margin has been shrinking steadily over the past decade,” the report said.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is in a tough situation as Iran proxies have continued to attack United States interests in the Middle East, which reached its height when three Americans were killed in an attack last week.
But The Washington Examiner’s Democratic report card grader, pollster John Zogby, said that the president is facing polls that say Americans do not want another war, the news organization reported.
“As of this writing, the U.S. has launched 125 bombing strikes on 85 targets of Iran-backed militant bases in Iraq and Syria — and the White House promises that this is ‘just the beginning,’” he said.
“I am sure it feels good for now, but this looks like a major escalation and a widening of a regional war that the American people have said they don’t want,” he said as he gave the president a weekly grade of “C plus.”
There are more poll numbers not working in the president’s favor. Trump appears to have taken a substantial lead over President Joe Biden in a newly designated swing state following the 2020 election.
According to a Fox News survey, Trump receives 51 percent support in Georgia, while Biden’s support has fallen to just 43 percent.
Among the subset of Georgians who express a high level of interest in the race, 78 percent are either extremely or very interested. The voting preferences within this group are closely divided, with 52 percent favoring Trump and 43 percent supporting Biden, Fox News noted, citing the survey’s results.
Trump garners robust backing from his core constituencies, such as White evangelicals (85 percent), conservatives (76 percent), White voters lacking a college degree (74 percent), and rural voters (67 percent). Meanwhile, Biden’s support comes primarily from liberals (87 percent), Black voters (71 percent), college-educated voters (52 percent), and suburban women (52 percent), the survey said.
While Trump’s loss of suburban women to a Democratic presidential incumbent is cause for concern, other political analysts pointed to Trump’s commanding lead over Biden with voters under the age of 35 as significant.
