Youngkin, McAuliffe in last-minute scramble to rally voters

RICHMOND, Va. – Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin were making last-minute pushes Sunday to energize voters crossed Virginia successful the last days of the competitory and intimately watched contention for governor.

With the state's lengthy aboriginal voting play finished, the campaigns turned their attraction to Tuesday's finale, each trying to occurrence up his party's basal to thrust up turnout for an predetermination that volition beryllium scrutinized arsenic a bellwether up of adjacent year's midterms.

McAuliffe, who served arsenic politician from 2014 to 2018, and Democrats are scrambling to stave disconnected disaster aft nationalist polling has shifted successful Youngkin’s absorption successful caller weeks. Republicans are optimistic astir their chances successful the commonwealth, wherever they haven't won a statewide contention since 2009.

After campaigning crossed bluish Virginia connected Saturday, Youngkin departed for the acold southwest extremity of the state, a Republican stronghold. Stops on his autobus circuit included a supplication breakfast, a worship service, a barbecue astatine the location of a almighty authorities lawmaker, a meet-and-greet successful the state's farthest-flung country and an evening get-out-the-vote rally.

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McAuliffe, who preceded Democrat Ralph Northam arsenic politician successful the lone authorities that doesn't let its enforcement to service consecutive terms, spent Saturday the state's southeastern country earlier readying stops Sunday successful suburban Richmond and bluish Virginia.

In the backyard of a location successful a well-to-do pouch of Henrico County, McAuliffe told an energetic assemblage of supporters that “the stakes are huge" arsenic helium touted his grounds from his archetypal term.

“I’ve done this occupation before. I was the astir pro-business pro-progressive. I made this authorities unfastened and welcoming, created a batch of jobs. We bash not privation to spell back,” helium said.

McAuliffe has brought successful a bid of high-profile surrogates including President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama and personage musicians Pharrell Williams and Dave Matthews successful the last stretch. Youngkin, meanwhile, has eschewed virtually each nationalist run visits from well-known enactment allies who would typically flock to a blistery race.

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That includes erstwhile President Donald Trump, who is holding a telerally for Youngkin connected Monday. Youngkin has said helium volition not beryllium participating. Youngkin much afloat embraced Trump during the Republican nominating contest, but since becoming the nominee, helium has walked a good line arsenic helium tries to tribunal mean voters successful a authorities that Trump mislaid by 10 percent points to Biden successful 2020.

Saturday marked the last time for aboriginal voting successful Virginia, which has been dramatically expanded during the past 2 years of unified Democratic power of authorities government.

Legislation passed successful 2020 eliminated the request to supply 1 of a definite fig of constricted excuses successful bid to ballot absentee. Now immoderate qualified elector tin formed a ballot starting 45 days earlier the election.

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Over 1.1 cardinal retired of the state’s astir 5.9 cardinal registered voters formed a ballot aboriginal this year, according to authorities information published by the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. That's down sharply from the 2.8 cardinal aboriginal votes successful past year's statesmanlike predetermination but marks a melodramatic summation compared with the specified 195,634 aboriginal votes during the past gubernatorial cycle, earlier the voting reforms were instituted.

McAuliffe spokeswoman Christina Freundlich said the run expects galore Democrats to revert to their prepandemic voting habits this year, favoring in-person voting connected Election Day.

Still, astatine the Henrico rally, McAuliffe claimed Democrats had a “big pb connected the aboriginal vote.”

Voters don't registry by enactment successful Virginia, truthful the partisan divided of the aboriginal ballot wasn't instantly clear. But McAuliffe's run pointed to what they considered “strong” numbers successful blue-leaning localities successful bluish Virginia arsenic a motion momentum was connected their side.

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Republicans, contempt mostly opposing the Democrats’ predetermination reforms, person besides encouraged their supporters to ballot aboriginal this year.

In southwest Virginia, wherever Youngkin spent Sunday, the complaint of aboriginal voting was good beneath the authorities arsenic a whole, according to a VPAP analysis.

Strong turnout determination connected Election Day could assistance boost Youngkin arsenic helium looks to flooded the structural vantage of bluish Virginia's bluish tilt.

The hectic gait of campaigning was acceptable to proceed Monday. Both candidates volition beryllium crisscrossing the state, each with stops successful Roanoke, Virginia Beach, the Richmond country and bluish Virginia.

Polls volition beryllium unfastened Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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