{"id":2074967,"date":"2023-10-21T09:52:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-21T13:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginias-general-assembly-elections-drawing-intense-national-interest-money\/"},"modified":"2023-10-21T09:55:35","modified_gmt":"2023-10-21T13:55:35","slug":"virginias-general-assembly-elections-drawing-intense-national-interest-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginias-general-assembly-elections-drawing-intense-national-interest-money\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia&#8217;s General Assembly elections are attracting significant national attention and funding."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fvirginias-general-assembly-elections-drawing-intense-national-interest-money%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2074967&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Record Turnout \u2063in\u200d Virginia Elections Signals High\u200c Stakes for 2024<\/h2>\n<p>Over 320,000 Virginians have\u2062 already cast their\u2062 ballots in the upcoming local and state elections on November 7th.\u2062 This election is being closely watched nationwide as it \u200bis being hailed as &#8220;the first election of\u2063 the 2024 campaign cycle.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>According to\u200b data from the Virginia Department of Elections and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vpap.org\/elections\/early-voting\/2023-november-general-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">published by \u200dthe\u2064 Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP)<\/a>, a \u2064total of 320,817 early\u200d ballots have been cast as of October 19th. This includes nearly 180,000 in-person votes and over 140,000 \u2063mail-in ballots.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The early voting period, which began on September 22nd, will continue until\u200b November 4th, the Saturday before the &#8220;off-year&#8221; election in Virginia. Virginia is one of\u200b four <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/virginias-general-assembly-elections-drawing-intense-national-interest-money\/\" title=\"Virginia's General Assembly elections are attracting significant national attention and funding.\">states holding odd-year elections<\/a> this \u2062fall, with Louisiana already having held its elections on October 14th. However, Virginia is the only\u2064 state where control of both state house chambers is up for grabs, making it a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dems-in-tough-elections-ignore-pelosis-push-to-tout-bbb\/\" title=\"Dems In Tough Elections Ignore Pelosi\u2019s Push To Tout BBB\">highly competitive race<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<li class=\"grow\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/democrats-continue-to-prioritize-virginia-state-elections-giving-millions-5511781?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">Democrats Continue to Prioritize\u2063 Virginia State Elections With More Funding<\/h3>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/18\/2023<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/democrats-continue-to-prioritize-virginia-state-elections-giving-millions-5511781?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">\n<picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/*\" https:><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<li class=\"grow\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/gop-governor-asked-about-potential-presidential-run-says-hes-focused-on-virginia-elections-5500512?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">GOP Governor Asked About Potential Presidential Run Says He&#8217;s &#8216;Focused on Virginia Elections&#8217;<\/h3>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/28\/2023<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/gop-governor-asked-about-potential-presidential-run-says-hes-focused-on-virginia-elections-5500512?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">\n<picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/*\" https:><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Virginia&#8217;s elections have gained national attention as it is the only \u200cstate\u200b with a highly competitive state legislature. Political analysts\u2063 predict that Virginia will be the center of attention \u200bin\u200b the 2023 elections.<\/p>\n<p>The November 7th ballot in Virginia includes all 100 seats in the House of Delegates, where the \u200bGOP currently holds a \u2063slim 52-48 majority, and all 40 seats in the state Senate, \u2064where Democrats have\u200d a 22-18 advantage.<\/p>\n<p>Virginia&#8217;s elections are seen as \u200ba\u2063 bellwether for national trends, with politicians across\u2062 the\u2064 country closely observing the outcomes for any\u2062 indications of future political shifts.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Several patterns are emerging in Virginia that could signal \u200bbroader movements in the 2024 elections. These include record-breaking campaign spending, abortion as a top issue, and a lack of voter enthusiasm compared to previous elections.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>An abortion advocate flies a &#8220;Black Lives Matter&#8221; flag during a May 11, \u20642023, protest\u200d outside \u2063Justice \u200dClarence Thomas&#8217;s Virginia home. (Joseph Lord\/The Epoch\u2064 Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>Big Money, Big Issues<\/h2>\n<p>According to VPAP, OpenSecrets, and\u2063 the Virginia \u2062Center for Investigative Journalism (VCIJ), the candidates for the General Assembly\u200c and state-registered PACs have raised over $54.5 million as of September 12th. This\u200b figure does not include \u200bthe millions pouring in from national organizations to state PACs and\u200d issue-oriented entities, as they \u2064are not required to disclose donors\u200b under Virginia\u200c law.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>It is estimated that the total spending by campaigns, PACs, and interest\u200b groups will exceed $100 million, more than double the amount spent in the 2019 General Assembly elections.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats are focusing their campaigns\u2062 on the issue of abortion, with Republican Governor \u200bGlenn Youngkin&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stacey-abrams-calls-proposed-15-week-abortion-ban-deeply-problematic\/\" title=\"Stacey Abrams Calls Proposed 15-Week Abortion Ban \u201cDeeply Problematic\u201d\">proposed 15-week abortion ban<\/a> being heavily criticized. Republicans, on the other hand, are emphasizing Youngkin&#8217;s &#8220;common sense&#8221; and\u200c &#8220;moderate&#8221; abortion proposal while highlighting parental rights in education.<\/p>\n<p>However, polls indicate that Virginians are more concerned about the economy than any\u2063 other issue. A recent\u2064 survey of likely voters showed that 27 percent consider the economy and inflation as the top \u2062issue, followed \u200dby abortion at 17 percent\u200d and K-12 education at 12 percent.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans and Independents prioritize the economy,\u2062 with\u2063 41 percent and 30 \u2062percent respectively, while Democrats focus \u2063on abortion, with 25 percent \u2063considering it the top issue.<\/p>\n<p>Notably, only 39\u2062 percent of respondents in the survey support Youngkin&#8217;s 15-week abortion ban, raising concerns for candidates campaigning \u200bon this issue.<\/p>\n<p>With less than two weeks until the election, \u200cthe poll results indicate a highly uncertain outcome.\u2062 Currently, 42 percent of respondents plan \u2062to vote\u200b for Democrats, 41 percent for Republicans, and 17 \u200dpercent \u200dremain undecided.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Juan Pablo Segura, \u200bthe Republican candidate for\u2062 Virginia&#8217;s 31st Senate District\u2062 seat, speaks with voters in Leesburg, Va., \u200don Sept.\u200c 12,\u2063 2023. (Terri Wu\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>Voter Enthusiasm &#8230; Uncertain<\/h2>\n<p>The recent elections in Louisiana \u2063on October \u206214th saw the lowest turnout in\u200d a dozen years, with Democrats showing particularly low engagement.\u200c There are indications that Virginia&#8217;s General Assembly elections could\u2062 follow a similar pattern, albeit to a lesser extent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>If current trends continue, voter turnout in Virginia may fall around or\u2064 even below the 42.4 percent seen in the 2019 General Assembly elections. It is unlikely to reach the high levels of turnout seen in the 2020 presidential election or the 2022 midterms.<\/p>\n<p>The deadline for voter registration\u2062 in Virginia was October 16th, and over 6.1 million eligible voters have registered for the November 7th election, \u200caccording to VPAP. However, the introduction of same-day in-person registration during early voting \u2064and on Election Day has added complexity to turnout predictions.<\/p>\n<p>In 2022, the first election with same-day registration, over 25,000 Virginians voted using provisional \u2062ballots, with 96 percent of them being\u2063 accepted. While this factor makes it difficult\u2064 to predict turnout, there \u2062are \u200dindications\u200b that \u2062voter enthusiasm is not as high as in previous elections.<\/p>\n<p>In September 2019, before the last statewide\u200c General\u200b Assembly election, 31,000 new voters registered. This year, only 19,000 \u2063new voters registered in September. The total number of registered voters has also decreased by 25,000 compared \u2064to 2022.<\/p>\n<p>As of October 19th, 4.7 percent of registered voters have already cast their ballots through early in-person and mail-in voting. Additionally, over 218,316 mail-in ballots \u2063have been requested and can be requested until October 27th.<\/p>\n<p>While current trends suggest a turnout similar to 2019, the availability of same-day registration and voting\u2063 could lead to\u2064 a late surge in\u200c voter participation. One thing is certain: the\u200d people of Virginia are well aware of the \u200bupcoming election, with campaign advertising dominating the airwaves.<\/p>\n<p> The level of voter enthusiasm in Virginia is also an important factor to consider in this election. According\u200b to data from the Virginia \u200dDepartment of Elections, early voting numbers have been high, with over 320,000 ballots already cast. This suggests that Virginians are<\/p>\n<h2> How does the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stacey-abrams-claims-that-increased-voting-turnout-has-nothing-to-do-with-voter-suppression\/\" title=\"Stacey Abrams Claims That Increased Voting Turnout \u2018Has Nothing To Do With\u2019 Voter Suppression\">high early voting turnout<\/a> in Virginia impact the overall voter enthusiasm for the upcoming election?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  The high early \u200bvoting turnout in Virginia \u200bindicates a strong level\u2063 of voter enthusiasm for the \u2064upcoming election. It suggests that individuals are motivated and eager to cast their\u200c votes and have their voices heard. This increased participation in the early voting process shows a heightened level of interest and\u200c engagement in the election, which\u2064 is \u2063likely to impact the\u2064 overall voter enthusiasm in Virginia positively. It indicates that voters are taking the election\u200b seriously and are determined to\u200c exercise their\u200d democratic right to vote. This high early voting turnout could also encourage others who\u2063 have not yet \u200dvoted to follow suit, \u200dfurther boosting the overall voter enthusiasm in the state.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over 320,000 Virginians have voted in the state&#8217;s local and state elections on November 7. These elections are gaining national attention as they are considered the first of the 2024 campaign cycle. The Virginia Department of Elections, as reported by the Virginia Public Access Project, provided the data.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":509,"featured_media":2074968,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2074967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2074967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/509"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2074967"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2074967\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2074968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2074967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2074967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2074967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}