California's Early Voting Trends: Are Republicans Turning the Golden State Red?
Is California turning red? Early voters in the state have returned over 900,000 ballots ahead of the June 2 Primary, with a significant increase in Republican votes compared to four years ago. According to data from Political Data (PDI), 37% of the returned ballots were from Republicans, up 11% from the 2022 midterms. In contrast, only 41% of Democrats have returned their ballots, down 13 points from four years ago.
The data shows a clear shift in voter turnout, with Republicans showing a strong presence in the early voting process. Vice President of PDI, Paul Mitchell, suggested that Republicans may be returning their ballots at a pre-2020 rate, while some Democrats are holding onto their ballots to ensure their vote counts for a candidate who makes it to the top two.
Central Valley Politics highlighted the early voting results, indicating a strong Republican turnout across various counties in California. The data also revealed that the 65 and older age group had the highest turnout, while the 18-34 age group had a lower participation rate, typical of a low-voter turnout election year.
The Democratic primary features candidates like Xavier Becerra, Tom Steyer, and Katie Porter, while the Republican primary sees Steve Hilton leading over Chad Bianco. With the early voting trends favoring Republicans, the upcoming primary in California could potentially see a shift towards the red side.