Joe Biden may be winning the polling battle, but President Trump is winning the voter registration war.
National and swing state polls continue to give the Democratic nominee a slight advantage in the 2020 race, with leads in the critical states of Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, and North Carolina. But new voter registration in those states isn't looking so good for Biden, as more and more voters continue to register as Republicans than as Democrats, NBC News reports.
Trump won those four states in 2016, and they're also states where voters can register with a party, revealing how the parties are appealing to new voters. For example, while polls have pointed to Biden locking up Pennsylvania once again this year, and Democrats have overall registered more voters than Republicans in the state since 2016, recent registrations point the other direction. Pennsylvania gained 135,619 Republican voters between its June primary and the last week of September, while Democrats only gained 57,985.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In North Carolina, a state that typically leans Republican but has narrowly polled for Biden this year, Republicans added 83,785 voters between their presidential primary and the end of September, while Democrats added 38,137. Republicans also registered 31,139 more voters in Arizona than Democrats, and more than 100,000 more in Florida.
In all of these states, though, tens of thousands of voters did register without choosing a party. Given that Florida went to Trump by just 112,911 votes in 2016, those voters could easily make all the difference.
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashionIn the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Kim Jong Un’s triumph: the rise and rise of North Korea’s dictatorIn the Spotlight North Korean leader has strengthened ties with Russia and China, and recently revealed his ‘respected child’ to the world
-
Crossword: September 13, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Russia slams Kyiv, hits government buildingSpeed Read This was Moscow's largest aerial assault since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022
-
China's Xi hosts Modi, Putin, Kim in challenge to USSpeed Read Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Asian leaders at an SCO summit
-
Russian strike on Kyiv kills 23, hits EU officesSpeed Read The strike was the second-largest since Russia invaded in 2022
-
UN votes to end Lebanon peacekeeping missionSpeed Read The Trump administration considers the UN's Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be a 'waste of money'
-
Israeli double strike on Gaza hospital kills 20Speed Read The dead include five journalists who worked for The Associated Press, Reuters and Al Jazeera
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
Kyiv marks independence as Russia downplays peaceSpeed Read President Vladimir Putin has no plans to meet with Zelenskyy for peace talks pushed by President Donald Trump
-
Trump halts Gaza visas as Israelis protest warSpeed Read Laura Loomer voiced her concerns over injured Palestinian kids being brought to the US for treatment and a potential 'Islamic invasion'
