Posted on 10/20/2010 3:49:48 PM PDT by freespirited
While Rep. Joe Sestak (D) appears to have seized the momentum in Pennsylvania’s Senate contest, Keystone State Republicans are far more active than Democrats in early voting activity, according to absentee balloting figures released by the state Wednesday at Roll Call’s request.
Pennsylvania voters have requested nearly 127,000 absentee ballots so far. Of that total, Republican voters made up 50 percent and Democrats made up 42 percent, according to figures collected Tuesday afternoon.
The state records show Republicans are returning their absentee ballots in greater numbers as well. The state has received about 40 percent of requested ballots, and Republican registrations outpace Democrats by 19 points, 56 percent to 37 percent, according to the state data. Absentee ballots made up 5 percent of total turnout in 2008.
There are few states that offer more competitive Congressional contests than Pennsylvania, a swing state where Democrats enjoy a 14-point voter registration advantage. That’s thanks in part to massive registration efforts during the 2008 presidential primary. But that advantage doesn’t show up in the absentee ballots.
“It’s a small sample, but it is a good sign that people are engaged on our side,” said Mike Barley, spokesman for the state Republican Party. “Still, we have a lot of work to do.”
Democrats note that absentee ballot totals have favored Republicans in each of the past two cycles, although the edge was smaller than it appears to be this year.
State Democratic Party spokesman Mark Nicastre said it’s still all about Election Day. “[M]ore and more people are becoming engaged in the race and supporting Joe Sestak over Pat Toomey, and that’s a reflection of the momentum we’ve been able to build with our field strategy that will culminate on Nov. 2.”
Indeed, the absentee figures were released the same day that an independent poll showed Sestak leading the Republican candidate, former Rep. Pat Toomey, for the first time since May. Including leaners, Muhlenberg College found that Sestak has a 3-point edge over his Republican rival. Other polls have shown that Sestak is making up ground with independents and that Toomey’s strong lead seems to have vanished as the race has tightened.
The two are set to square off Wednesday for the first of two debates. Wednesday’s debate will be broadcast at 7 p.m. by ABC News.
Toomey spokeswoman Nachama Soloveichik dismissed the significance of the polling but said the absentee balloting figures are a telling sign.
“Obviously, Pennsylvania has a Democratic registration advantage,” she said. “But I think it’s a sign of what we’ve been seeing on the campaign trail. The enthusiasm is on the Republican side.”
Fabulous!
Laying the Ground for Widespread Vote Fraud (Axelrod Suggests Dem Upset- so Stay Up Late)
Please, Pennsylvania.... don`t let us down again..
Dear God, Please let PA and the House and the Senate go to the Conservatives. To the Republicans & Tea Party people. Send Your Angels ahead of the conservative debaters and fill them with spot on answers, exact references and pearls of wisdom to all who hear them.
Please turn Your Wrath from America. We repent.
In the Name of Jesus, I humbly ask this,
Amen.
So how has Sestak seized the momentum? Nothing in the story justifies that statement.
Absentee voting is bad. Vote fraud is too easy. Also say there are 20000 absentee votes of which 15001 are for the pubs. If the dem is up 10000 votes at the end of the main count, the dem will be proclaimed the winner, and won’t even bother counting the absentee (assuming they aren’t at the bottom of the river already).
because the dems say so, they would’nt lie.......sarc.
Toomey is way ahead. Rasmussen will either confirm or blow it out of the water in the next day or two.
You can produce momentum by gerrymandering your sample to have more RATS than the expected electorate.
Absolutely true. Incidence of vote fraud has increased as absentee balloting has steadily grown in recent elections. Unfortunately there's no prospect of that changing.
Where do the Democrats find such people who have no shame or decency. Sestak was making me sick. The only thing the guy cares about his getting his sorry ass elected.
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