Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) announced an initiative to get Republican voters in Virginia to utilize early voting and vote-by-mail for the commonwealth’s upcoming elections.
Youngkin, in a video promoting the new online portal titled “Secure Your Vote Virginia,” implored GOP voters to use the various voting methods to avoid going into elections “down thousands of votes.”
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“We’re making Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family, and to take us to the next level, I need your early vote this year. We can’t go into the elections down thousands of votes. And you can secure your vote before Election Day,” Youngkin said.
The online portal shows Republican voters how to sign up for the absentee ballot list and when and where to vote early, along with other relevant dates and information.
“Republicans got to stop sitting on the sidelines and allowing the Democrats to do a better job of voting early. I’m tired of us going into elections down thousands of votes. And so SecureYourVoteVirginia.com provides an easy way to make a plan to vote early, to get on the permanent absentee ballot, to vote early by mail or make a plan to vote early,” Youngkin said on Fox News’s America’s Newsroom on Tuesday.
“We’ve got to get out the vote. These elections are critical. And through SecureYourVoteVirginia.com you can make a plan to do exactly that. It is time for us to stand up and make sure our votes with counted,” he added.
After several GOP leaders, including former President Donald Trump, discouraged Republican voters from using early voting or mail-in ballots in the 2020 and 2022 elections, the GOP has shifted to embracing alternative forms of casting a ballot. Last month, the Republican National Committee unveiled the “Bank Your Vote” campaign, aimed at raising awareness of early voting options.
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The 2023 elections in Virginia will see seats in both the state House of Delegates and state Senate up for a vote. Republicans currently hold a 52-48 majority in the House of Delegates and Democrats hold a 22-18 majority in the Virginia Senate. Powered by Youngkin’s focus on education, Republicans won back control of the House of Delegates in 2021. During that election, the GOP also won the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the attorney general races.
Youngkin saw all 19 of the candidates he endorsed in the GOP primaries last month win, and is hoping to ride that wave into the general election in November.