AUSTIN, Texas – Gov. Greg Abbott is urging Republicans to avoid the temptation to do split ticket voting this Election Day.
A split ticket is defined at a ballot on which not all votes have been cast for candidates of the same party.
In a video message to GOP supporters on the eve of Election Day, Abbott said he wanted to see Republicans vote straight ticket.
“This is Governor Greg Abbott here at our campaign headquarters, the night before the election. We are about to dial out to 300,000 Republican voters who have not yet cast their vote. We are going to urge them to be sure to go to the polls tomorrow and when they do, vote from the top of the ballot all the way to the bottom of the ballot. Keep Texas Red and re-elect President Donald Trump,” Abbott said.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund said participation by Latinos during the early voting period set a new record.
NALEO CEO Arturo Vargas said:
“Like the population overall, Latinos are turning out to vote early in record numbers, with more than 8.6 million Latinos already having cast their ballots nationally.
“Although we are not ideologically monolithic, we have always been deeply invested in the future of our communities and that of the country as a whole. While it is hopeful to see so much participation at this point, that enthusiasm can not let up. Eligible Latinos who have yet to cast their ballots should still make a plan to vote so that their voices will be heard by the time the polls close tomorrow.
“This election, with all its unprecedented dynamics, seems to have sparked a distinct urgency to participate in our democracy. Latino voters, particularly young Latinos, are proving that to be true. Our data look at two days out from Election Day – and we already saw more than twice as many Latino voters having cast their ballots than they did at the same time in 2016. Currently, 18-29-year-old Latino voters are showing up and serving as a driving force of this increased participation, accounting for over 20 percent of our community’s early vote share. This figure close to doubled what it was at this point four years ago.
“We have known 2020 was going to be pivotal for our community – this is our moment. Given these circumstances, we fully expect Latino voter participation to surpass our initial projections of 14.6 million voters. The energy and enthusiasm we are seeing represent a momentum that we must keep up today so that no matter the outcome, we will once again renew our place in America as one of the most engaged electorates.”
And a new UnidosUS/Univision poll showed 66 percent of Latinos in Texas have already voted, or are planning to vote for Democrat Joe Biden.
That’s just below the national Latino average of 67 percent.
Gilberto Hinojosa, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, liked the findings of the poll. He noted that a majority of Latinos in Texas disapprove of Trump’s job as president, his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and the economy.
“Latinos in Texas are sick tired of this president who sows division and hatred among the population. Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and the Democrats will restore decency to our state and country by uniting our country, standing up to abuses of power, and fighting for racial justice,” Hinojosa said.
“Trump has failed Latinos across the country, but nowhere has that failure been more massive than in Texas. Come Tuesday evening, Texas will have elected new leaders that will represent the true values, morals, and faces of this state and move toward a better future for both our current residents and generations to come.”
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