By Free Republic | Created at 2024-10-31 01:16:24 | Updated at 2024-10-31 03:29:12
2 hours ago
Black turnout is lagging in North Carolina, a warning sign for Harris
Politico ^ | Oct 30, 2024 | By ELENA SCHNEIDER 10/30/2024 08:08 PM EDT
Posted on 10/30/2024 6:14:53 PM PDT by 11th_VA
GOLDSBORO, North Carolina — Early vote numbers in North Carolina show the electorate skewing older and whiter, compared to the state’s voter registration, a red flag for Democrats who need Black voters to turn out in heavy numbers if Kamala Harris is going to flip this state.
As of Wednesday, Black voters make up 18 percent of the electorate in early voting, and some Democratic operatives said they must bump that up to about 20 percent for Harris to be competitive statewide. In 2020, Black voters were 19 percent of the electorate, when Donald Trump narrowly won the state. And Democrats acknowledge that without a swing in their favor in the last days of early voting or on Election Day, it may not be good enough.
About 36,000 more African Americans had voted in-person by this point in 2020 than in 2024, and “that gap has to be closed among African Americans for Democrats to win,” said Thomas Mills, a Democratic strategist in the state. While acknowledging the Black vote is “lagging,” former Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), who retired from his rural, eastern North Carolina seat in 2022, said he believes Democrats will close the gap, predicting “this week is going to be impressive” for African American turnout.
“Black voters know the consequences of another Trump presidency,” he said. “And so I believe, at the end of the day, we will have an Obama-like turnout.”
…
… Harris, it’s not just a turnout problem. There are also signs of erosion in her support in North Carolina among Black men, especially young Black men, according to public polling. Harris is expected to win a majority of African American voters in North Carolina, and nationally, but any slippage with this group would be a blow to the vice president.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
TOPICS: Extended News; Politics/Elections; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS:
Dear FRiends, Our FReepathon Status:
For the time being, we will not be able to accept credit card donations, but our PayPal system still works, and of course mail-in donations still work fine.
By the way, it seems you don't need to have a PayPal account to use this feature. You can also donate by debit or credit card on the PayPal page.
Click here to donate by PayPal or credit/debit card
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you all very much, and God Bless you.
Jim and Chris
1 posted on 10/30/2024 6:14:53 PM PDT by 11th_VA
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson
