Florida GOP narrows voter registration gap with Democrats to historic low
Republicans now trail Democrats by just 134,242 registered voters
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Florida Republicans have cut the voter registration gap with Democrats to a historic low, giving the GOP a boost during early voting.
Politico reported Thursday night that the difference in registration numbers for voters in the battleground state is the lowest in at least three decades.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Republicans now trail Democrats by just 134,242 registered voters, down from 327,483 in 2016.
Four years ago, President Trump won the Sunshine State by fewer than 113,000 votes.
The gain is purportedly the result of the Trump campaign's in-person canvassing and voter registration operation. The campaign went door-to-door in Florida despite health restrictions and the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Orlando Sanford International Airport, Monday, Oct. 12, 2020, in Sanford, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Politico noted that the two parties are statistically almost evenly matched when it comes to raw numbers. Democrats hold a narrow 1% lead, and final voter registration data released by Florida election officials on Thursday show 5.3 million Democrats, 5.1 million Republicans and 3.7 million people with no major party affiliation.
In recent weeks, Democrats in Florida have focused on increasing vote-by-mail turnout, assisting them in clinching 430,000 more votes than Republicans.
Alternatively, President Trump has warned American voters against voting by mail, citing the potential of widespread fraud -- which experts say is unlikely.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Republicans are expected to turn out mainly on Election Day -- something the president is banking on to counter Democrats' massive early voting numbers.
Although Democrat Joe Biden's campaign has said it has no regrets about going virtual, others in the Democratic Party remain worried about the shift.
While face-to-face registration activities are limited for the Florida Democratic Party, outside groups like Forward Florida Action have continued to register voters.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Democrats have also zeroed in on low-propensity voters and of the 2 million votes cast in Florida so far, the party has banked 113,000 more ballots than Republicans from residents who didn't vote four years ago.
In the days before the state's Oct. 5 registration deadline, Florida Republicans whittled down the Democratic advantage by more than 50,000.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Democrats have held voter registration advantages in Florida for years in part because of North Florida Dixiecrats.
Recent national polling has shown the former vice president's lead in Florida has narrowed to less than one percentage point.