Virginia's Gov. Glenn Youngkin is encouraging Republicans to vote absentee by mail or early in-person ahead of his state's pivotal legislative elections this year.
Youngkin on Tuesday launched a new program, "Secure Your Vote Virginia," aimed at cutting into Democrats' mail-in voting advantage as Republican voters' confidence in the voting method are low in part from former President Donald Trump's claims that it's rife with fraud.
"Republicans got to stop sitting on the sidelines and allowing the Democrats to do a better job of voting early. I'm tired of us going into elections down thousands of votes," Youngkin said on Fox News Tuesday morning.
"And so, secureyourvotevirginia.com provides an easy way to make a plan, to make a plan to vote early, to get on the permanent absentee ballot, to vote early by mail or just make a plan to vote early. We got to get out the vote. These elections are critical."
The program is a partnership with Virginia's state party, the Republican State Leadership Committee, the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus and the House Republican Campaign Committee.
In a press release, Rich Anderson, the chair of the Republican Party of Virginia, said that "this data-driven effort to get Republicans to vote early is how we win in November."
"We have a clear mission: get in front of as many voters as we can to assure them voting absentee by mail or early in person is easy, secure, and necessary," Anderson said in a statement.
Virginia holds off-cycle elections that are sometimes viewed as a bellwether for the following year's contests. All of Virginia's House of Delegates and Senate seats are up for grabs this November and Republicans hope to hold the House and flip the Senate, which has stalled parts of Youngkin's legislative agenda.
The governor has repeatedly said in interviews that he's focused on Virginia when asked if he's considering a 2024 presidential bid.
Asked at an event back in May if he'd be "getting out on the presidential campaign trail later this year," Youngkin had said, "No. I'm going to be working in Virginia this year."
