Late last month, the Democratic data firm TargetSmart found that while new voter registrations had plummeted amid the coronavirus pandemic, those who were registering in competitive states tended to be whiter, older and less Democratic than before.
Democratic groups are nervous as the report seemed to confirm what state elections officials and voter registration groups had seen in the field, that registration was down in both groups but disproportionately for Democrats.
For months last year and in early 2020, Democrats had been registering voters at a faster clip than Republicans in many competitive states that register by party, including Iowa, Florida, Maine, New Hampshire, Arizona and Nevada. That was in part a function of the Democratic Party’s competitive presidential primary, and in part a reflection of animosity toward Trump.
Now in some states the advantage has shrunk substantially, as the pandemic has taken a toll on voter registrations.
With stay-at-home orders, Department of Motor Vehicle closures, restrictions on large gatherings and campus closures, opportunities for new registrations have been a sizable obstacle to what had looked like a record-setting election turnout.
The pandemic also has Republicans worried as a lack of Trump rallies have deprived them of opportunities for new registrants as well.
See the TargetSmart reports here.
Complete story at Politico.
