Virginia’s in-person early voting begins as election season picks up steam

The election season is in full swing Friday as Virginia becomes the first state to allow in-person early voting in the 2024 cycle and six other states – Arkansas, Idaho, Minnesota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming – make absentee ballots available, some with restrictions. 

Minnesota and Virginia lean blue, but have deep red pockets

Two competitive states begin voting today, beginning with Minnesota. 

The midwestern state has voted for Democrats in every election since 1972, but with a higher proportion of White working class voters and deep red rural pockets, the result has remained within competitive margins every cycle. Biden won by about 7 points in 2020.

The president’s weaknesses put this state a touch more in play through the middle of the year; the same time the Trump campaign announced they were opening more field offices there. But with Harris reenergizing Democrats and Minnesota’s Tim Walz as her running mate, this state is likely to stay in Democratic hands.

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It’s a similar story in Virginia, which is home to heavily populated blue areas in the northeast near DC, and ruby red vote in the southwest. That leaves places like Virginia Beach and Chesterfield

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