Republicans once shunned early voting; in 2024 they increased their numbers in NYS

ALBANY — New York Republicans swelled the ranks of early voters in the general election this month to as much as three times their number four years ago, when party leaders shunned the alternative as a dangerous gateway to fraud.

Overall, nearly 500,000 more voters statewide took advantage of the nine days of early voting this year compared with the prior presidential election in 2020. Back then, early voting was used as a precaution against spreading COVID-19 at crowded polls on Election Day.

The increase to nearly 3 million early votes this year accounted for 36% of all votes, compared with 28% four years ago. The popular option is altering the tradition of in-person voting only on Election Day that held for nearly 230 years.

The state doesn’t keep a breakdown by party of early voters, saying it may be available at county boards of election. Some county boards didn't have 2020 statistics to compare. However, a Newsday survey of five counties that did have the data showed Republicans significantly boosted the use of the option since 2020.

In Nassau County, 103,454 Republicans voted early this year compared with 64,439 in 2020. The Democratic gain was smaller: 106,680 this year compared with 104,266 in 2020. Overall, 284,742 Nassau County residents voted early compared with 223,275 four years ago.

In Suffolk County, 96,089 Republicans — 65,315 more than in 2020 — voted early this year. County figures show 76,987 Democrats voted early this year compared with 59,721 in 2020. Overall, 289,427 county residents voted early this year compared with 122,102 four years ago.

Similar reports of more Republicans voting early this year are part of unofficial results still being tabulated. Not all counties have comparable figures for analysis, but among Newsday’s findings are:

In Westchester County, 60% more Republicans voted early this compared with 2020, In Onondaga County, 66% more Republicans voted early this year than in 2020, In Ulster County, 70% more Republicans voted early this year than in 2020,.

Voters also took advantage of mail-in ballots. New Yorkers requested more than 1 million absentee ballots and no-excuse mail-in ballots in this year’s election. But mailed ballots, including those sent from military voters stationed overseas, are still being counted and tabulated. All had to be postmarked no later than the traditional Election Day on Nov. 5 to be counted, but the law allows several days to make sure such votes arrive.

In 2020, 1.8 million ballots were mailed under a temporary pandemic measure to allow no-excuse mail voting along with traditional absentee voting, which is for when a voter was ill or out of the county on Election Day.

That was a year Democratic-led governments such as New York state relaxed several election laws to encourage voters to cast ballots despite the raging pandemic. In Albany and in other states, however, Republicans opposed many of the measures.

"Mail-in ballots will lead to massive electoral fraud and a rigged 2020 election," President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee, said then during his failed reelection bid. "Republicans, in particular, cannot let this happened."

No widespread corruption was ever proven in what was one of the most analyzed presidential votes in modern history.

This fall, however, when polls showed a close race against Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Republicans reversed course on early voting. Robocalls, including from Lara Trump, the former president’s daughter-in-law and cochair of the Republican National Committee, urged Republicans to vote early and by mail.

The effort was underscored by Trump on the campaign trail: "Whether it’s mail-in ballots, early voting, voting on the (traditional election) day, you gotta get out and vote."

Republicans wouldn’t say what changed their view of early and mail-in voting.

New York Republicans, however, said their effort this year to encourage early and mail-in voting "was the largest and most comprehensive of its kind ever in New York state involving a massive outreach campaign," according to David Laska, spokesman for the state Republican Committee. He said the effort included "millions of texts, emails, mailed materials, live phone calls, robocalls, digital ads, and social media engagement.

"This unprecedented investment reflects Republicans' commitment to empowering New Yorkers to make their voices heard early and effectively," Laska said.

He said the effort was led by upstate New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, now Trump’s choice for ambassador to the United Nations.

Stefanik was also the lead in a lawsuit that claimed the 2023 state law allowing voting by mail without a health or other excuse required for absentee ballots was unconstitutional. The state’s highest court rejected that argument in August.

"I think the Republican position was dumb from the start," state Democratic Committee Chairman Jay Jacobs said. "I think they finally figured that out and so they changed their position and all of a sudden early voting and voting by mail isn’t about rigging an election."

"It’s been terrific and we’re continuing it," Jacobs said.

The League of Women Voters of New York State was among the good-government groups that lobbied for the 2019 early voting law and the 2023 no-excuse voting by mail.

"This is the second presidential election with early voting in New York state and we saw New Yorkers take advantage of the opportunity," said Erica Smitka, executive director of the league.

"Expanded methods to access the ballot mean that New Yorkers don’t have to make tough decisions on Election Day and can instead vote at a time that works best for them," Smitka said. "By empowering and informing voters, we are making it easier and more accessible for people to participate in our elections."