LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Volunteers were on site to collect mail-in ballots for the thousands of attendees at Thursday’s Trump rally in Las Vegas.

The strategy marks a major shift for the Nevada Republican Party. opposed of legalization of the ballot paper harvest Now, conservative activists and Republican operatives are leaning toward the new rules, asking voters to bring their ballots to meetings and doing everything they can to make it easier for Republicans to get early votes.

“We don’t like early voting, but this is the way the game is,” Shaiden Goray, local representative for Turning Point USA Las Vegas, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Rules,” he explained.

Early voting numbers were strong for Republicans. lead As of Friday morning, Democrats had a lead of about 24,000 votes between in-person and mail-in voting. If Democrats can’t change their current support, which is strong in mail-in voting but trailing Republicans by 25 percentage points in in-person early voting, longtime Nevada political reporter and Nevada Independent newspaper John Ralston, editor of I wrote Thursday night, the party is in “big trouble.”

Let’s take a closer look at Nevada and what it means for the rest of the country.

D is not displayed @KamalaHarris. If this happens across the country, the red wave that disappears in 2022 could emerge as a tsunami in 2024.

These are the stats for in-person early voting in 2024… https://t.co/S5gf6hYUzb pic.twitter.com/tQfR19c2oE

— Victor Joecks (@VictorJoecks) October 25, 2024

Former President Donald Trump and Vivek Ramaswamy, Charlie Kirk, Tulsi Gabbard and others who spoke at Thursday’s Turning Point sponsored rally asked supporters in the crowd to leave the venue early and ask others to leave the venue early. He called for someone to be brought with him.

Prior to the rally, a text message was sent to attendees informing them of their ballot return options. flyer Messages like this also urged supporters to bring their ballots.

republican party launched A new approach from President Trump when he spoke in Reno earlier this month. Now that more people know about this option, campaign officials say it’s gaining some traction.

“We had a whole envelope of ballots dropped off today. It’s really exciting to see,” Haley Dobbins, the Republican communications director for Nevada and Arizona, said during the rally. Ta. “It’s always a close margin, but I don’t want to leave a single vote behind.” (Related: Tailgates, apps, and Marylanders: Conservative strategy to win southern Pennsylvania)

Although many voters maintain reservations about voting by mail, the message is getting through to some voters.

Jennifer McGrath, a second-year Las Vegas resident and volunteer for the Trump campaign, said she appreciates the convenience of having her ballot delivered while already attending a rally. She said it will help avoid the risk of problems that could prevent you from voting on Election Day.

“I also received a receipt with instructions on how to check the status of my ballot,” she said. “Then, within about 48 hours, I will know that my ballot has been delivered to the voting center and counted.”

Fundraising at the rally is just one part of a broader strategy TPUSA calls “ballot tracking.”

“We have hired full-time staff to help us get votes here, especially in the 3rd Congressional District, in low-propensity target constituencies and precincts,” Gorai said.

At about 20 “Super Chase” events last month, volunteers and staff worked together to go door-knocking and make sure voters got what they needed.

“That could be taking them to the polling place, helping them get their ballot in the mail, helping them get it to the ballot box, whatever that may be,” Goray said. said. “What’s easier for voters is how we approach voting.”

As I was assisting voters and knocking on doors in Summerlin, I asked, “What do you think? @lexiebb To help those who reached out from across town to pick up their ballots!

She secured +2 Republican ballots. @realDonaldTrump and @captainsambrown!

use. @TPAction_ Look on the app… pic.twitter.com/1D4AhgJfnQ

— Schayden Gourai🇺🇸 (@schaykg) October 22, 2024

While more aggressive efforts are being made to secure ballots, those working with the Trump campaign believe that the Republican’s sincere election efforts have given voters the confidence to cast more ballots. .

The state party pushed for polls. watcher We contacted locations in Clark and Washoe counties and started hotlines in southern and northern Nevada.

“Just knowing that Republican voters have volunteer poll watchers in these locations monitoring the process really helps,” Alex Watson, political director for the Nevada Republican Party, told DCNF. I think it will be.” “Just knowing that there are people out there with the best minds going into the election and making sure it’s safe for everyone.”

Nicole Kelly, a political and election law attorney who served as Nevada political director for the Republican National Bar Association in 2022, told DCNF that by highlighting how Republican lawyers are involved in this process, He said it gave voters confidence that election issues were not just issues, but would be dealt with in a timely manner. after election day.

In a statement to the DCNF, Nevada Democratic Party spokesman Carlos Perez criticized Republicans for “participating in the same legal process they have been lying about for years.” (Related: Election lawsuits could swing races in battleground states; we won’t know until votes are counted.)

“As we have said all along, this is a close election and the Nevada Democratic Party will continue to use every tool at our disposal to ensure we elect Democrats up and down the ballot,” Perez said. Ta.

A former Democrat attended a Trump rally in Las Vegas. (Credit: Katelynn Richardson/Daily Caller News Foundation)

Watson believes the main driving force behind Republicans voting early is genuine enthusiasm.

“People want to go out and vote for the president,” Watson said. “We found that the message about the economy and inflation and things like that really resonated, and I think that was a winning message for us, especially in this state. We’re a tourism-based economy, so we’re seeing high inflation. If the economy worsens, we will be hit hard.”

Trump supporters who spoke to DCNF at rallies and early voting sites consistently cited the economy and immigration as their top concerns. Several people who voted early said they simply wanted to get out of the way.

One woman, voting for the first time, said she had long supported President Trump but decided to vote because the situation over the past three years had been “so bad.” “We need to make a change,” she said.

The 32-year Democrat, who has lived in Las Vegas for nearly 40 years, told DCNF that he switched his registration this year to vote for Trump in the caucuses.

The Republican message is aimed at motivating voters by assuring them that their votes will make a difference and making them understand how important their votes are in battleground states like Nevada.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, told voters in Las Vegas on Thursday: “You are at the heart and center of this election.” “I truly believe that what happens in this state will determine how the election goes.”

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