Tomorrow, the voters of Pennsylvania will answer Ben Franklin’s famous demand of the American people: “A republic, if you can keep it.”
My organization, Citizens Alliance, launched the “Pennsylvania Chase” initiative to make sure we answer Franklin’s question with a bold “yes.”
We deployed 120 full time ballot chasers on-the-ground in Pennsylvania to knock on 500,000 doors and solve one problem: in 2020, Joe Biden won Pennsylvania by 80,000 votes, but 141,000 Republicans requested a mail-in ballot and left it sitting on their kitchen table.
Now, within the final hours of this wild election year, Democrats are down 403,000 mail-in returns compared to four years ago, while Republicans are up by 114,000 returns. This isn’t just a small shift; it’s an historic swing in the Keystone State.
For the first time in years, early voting and mail-in ballot numbers are seeing a real competition between Republicans and Democrats, signaling an opportunity for a strong Trump showing in Pennsylvania. But here’s the critical point: we can’t let these numbers lull us into a false sense of security. To secure victory, we need every last Republican voter to show up on Election Day.
Supporters of former President Donald Trump gather along William Penn Highway to wave pro-Trump and American flags during rush hour in Easton, Pennsylvania, on November 1, 2024. (SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images)
In 2020, Democrats held a massive advantage with mail-in ballots, creating what many called a “Democrat firewall.” Joe Biden won the mail-in vote by an astonishing 1.4 million ballots, giving him a lead that Trump nearly overcame on Election Day with an overwhelming in-person turnout. This year, the gap is dramatically smaller, with Democrats likely holding a lead of only 400,000 to 600,000 when all mail-in votes are counted, including those from independents and other parties. This reduction means that our path to victory is more achievable than ever—if we show up.
Turning out the vote on Election Day is the linchpin of our strategy. In 2020, President Trump won Election Day voting in Pennsylvania by 1.3 million votes, falling just short of the early vote margin Democrats built. But we can’t rely on history alone. The stakes are too high to assume past patterns will hold.
The momentum we’re seeing in early votes is unprecedented, and it shows the impact of targeted grassroots activism. Groups like America First Works, Turning Point Action, and Early Vote Action have joined with us to shift the landscape in Pennsylvania by knocking on hundreds of thousands of doors, registering new GOP voters, and ensuring that their mail-in ballots get returned. The data proves it: this is working. But all of this effort is a prelude to the main event.
We can’t stop now.
Kenny Laureno, 24, seals his official election ballot while voting “On Demand” using an absentee or mail-in ballot on October 15, 2024, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. (Hannah Beier/Getty Images)
The Democrats know they’re working with a narrower margin this year. They’ve been relentless, using every resource and every strategy to drive up their numbers before Election Day. Make no mistake, they are counting on Republicans to underestimate the importance of Election Day turnout. They want us to believe that the work is done and that early vote gains are enough. That’s simply not the case.
This election is bigger than any single candidate; it’s about the future of our country. The issues we’re facing today—rising inflation, a fentanyl crisis, and weaponization of government—are at a boiling point. If we want to steer America back toward prosperity, safety, and freedom, it starts with showing up at the polls.
This isn’t just another election. It’s a decision point for the direction of our republic.
The path to victory is clear, but it’s not guaranteed. Early vote returns are promising, yes, but they are only part of the equation. Republicans must dominate Election Day the same way we did in 2020.
If we match or exceed 2020 turnout, the data tells us we can secure a win in Pennsylvania. But that outcome hinges on every Republican, every Trump supporter, and everyone who wants to end this nightmare showing up to cast their ballot tomorrow.
This is our moment to make history. Don’t sit this one out. The stakes have never been higher, and we need you to be there.
No sleep until November 6.
Cliff Maloney is the CEO of Citizens Alliance and the Founder of “The Pennsylvania Chase” initiative.
