Early votes boost Dems to sweep

Published 6:00 am Friday, November 6, 2020

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The surge of Democrat strength in early in-person and absentee voting seen across the country played out in Prince Edward County Tuesday night, Nov. 3, when 4,930 votes came in at the very end of the night and flipped three races Republicans were winning to the Democrat victory column.

After all 10 of the Election Day Prince Edward County polling locations reported, President Donald Trump was leading Joe Biden in Prince Edward County by 723 votes, Daniel Gade was up by 511 over incumbent Democrat Sen. Mark Warner and Republican candidate for the 5th District House of Representatives seat Robert Good was leading Democrat Cameron Webb by 609 votes.

But when the early votes and absentee ballots that made up 51.5% of all ballots cast were entered at around 10:30 p.m., Prince Edward quickly turned from red to blue with Biden winning 4,937 to 4,428. Warner defeated Gade 5,158 to 4,285, and Webb had 5,029 votes to Good’s 4,345.

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Biden and Warner were victorious statewide. Good defeated Webb 53% to 46% in the 5th District to represent the area in Congress.

More than 71% of all registered voters cast a ballot in the 2020 election compared to 68% of registered voters in 2016.

In Buckingham County, Trump won the county 56% to 43% over Biden. Gade received 55% of the vote to Warner’s 45% and Good defeated Webb 55% to 45%.

Cumberland County was also red on the state map with Trump beating Biden 57% to 42%. Gade had 57% of the vote to Warner’s 43% and Good garnered 56% of votes to 44% for Webb.

The two constitutional amendments on the ballots were widely approved in each county.