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As Republican voters embraced a practice that Donald J. Trump railed against for years, softening his tone only slightly in 2024, the party eroded a key Democratic advantage across the country.

By Nick Corasaniti

Republicans made near-universal gains in mail voting in the 2024 elections, eroding a key Democratic advantage in nearly every state that tracks party registration, according to a New York Times data investigation.

Republicans’ increased use of mail-in voting has nearly been accompanied by a decline in the number of registered Democrats voting by mail, allowing Republicans to make significant gains in battleground states like red-state Pennsylvania. like Florida and blue states like Connecticut.

The turnaround was remarkable given Republicans’ yearslong skepticism toward mail voting, fueled by President-elect Donald J. Trump’s false claims about fraud. The method was once widely embraced by Republicans in Southern and rural states but fell out of favor during and after the 2020 election as Mr. Trump and his allies argued that the only safe way to vote was in person on Election Day.

Making up ground in mail voting was a critical goal for Republicans heading into last year’s election, as G.O.P. strategists worried that the party had created an opening for Democrats. Election experts in both parties have long believed that it is best to bank votes early, shrinking the universe of voters to target on Election Day and limiting the effects of bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances on turnout.

Mr. Trump, apparently cognizant of the Republican warnings, softened his stance in the final months of the 2024 election but still declared that he wanted “single-day voting.”

Along with the Republican push for early in-person voting, the shift to mail-in voting has particularly diminished what was a major strategic merit for Democrats. The move is another sign of caution for the Democratic Party as it debates its mistakes. and looks forward to the 2026 midterm elections. Faced with declining structural merits and a frayed coalition, Democrats will want to work to get out the vote on Election Day, especially among low-frequency voters.

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