With the 2024 election just around the corner, both parties are gearing up for an intense race, but one state remains a critical battleground—Pennsylvania. The GOP, learning from previous losses, is implementing a strategy to meet the challenges of modern elections head-on: The Pennsylvania Chase, a project designed to revolutionize how Republicans approach mail-in voting and ballot chasing. At the forefront of this effort is Cliff Maloney, a political strategist and founder of PA Chase, who is committed to flipping Pennsylvania red in 2024.

The Problem: Mail-In Ballots and GOP Strategy

In past elections, one of the significant challenges for Republicans has been the disparity in mail-in voting numbers between Democrats and Republicans. During the 2020 election, Donald Trump lost Pennsylvania by 80,000 votes, with a substantial gap in mail-in ballots: Democrats submitted 1.4 million to the Republicans’ 600,000. Cliff Maloney pointed out that the GOP left tens of thousands of votes on the table due to a lack of full-time ballot chasers and an ineffective mail-in voting strategy.

The GOP has traditionally viewed mail-in voting with skepticism, fearing potential fraud and system flaws. This attitude led to a culture of hesitancy among Republican voters regarding voting by mail. As Maloney explains, the Republican response post-2020 was to push for changes through the courts or legislative actions. However, when neither provided the desired outcomes, the GOP had to shift gears and recognize the necessity of adapting to the current electoral rules.

The Pennsylvania Chase: A New Approach

The Pennsylvania Chase is the GOP’s counteroffensive, aiming to outmatch the Democrats’ long-established ballot-chasing operations. Launching with a mission to knock on over 500,000 doors across the Commonwealth, the Chase deploys a team of 120 full-time ballot chasers, with a focus on gathering mail-in ballots from low-propensity GOP voters. The team operates out of strategically placed Airbnbs in key districts, including areas like Scott Perry’s district, a crucial swing district targeted heavily by Democrats in an effort to flip it.

Maloney outlined the Chase’s two-phase approach: Phase one, running through September 2024, focuses on pushing Republicans to request mail-in ballots. Once ballots are mailed out, Phase two begins, targeting every GOP or conservative-leaning independent voter who has a ballot sitting on their kitchen table. The aim is not to persuade voters on issues, but to ensure they return their ballots.

“This is like taking candy from a baby,” Maloney said. “We’re going to someone with a ballot and just asking them to send it back.”

A Changing Voter Landscape

What makes this 2024 strategy different is how the GOP has started to mirror the Democrats in terms of voter mobilization. Republicans are matching the Democrats’ ground game with similar techniques, focusing on securing early votes and making voting as accessible as possible for every GOP voter.

Maloney is optimistic about the early numbers. As of September 2024, Democrats in Pennsylvania are down 303,000 mail-in ballot requests compared to 2020, while Republicans are only down by 50,000. The GOP’s voter registration efforts have also cut the Democrats’ registration advantage in half, further improving the party’s prospects in this pivotal swing state.

Looking Ahead: Challenges and Successes

Despite the promising numbers, Maloney acknowledges that there are still obstacles ahead. The Democrats are likely to ramp up their mail-in voting efforts as the election draws near, and the GOP will need to stay ahead in the race for ballots.

Legal battles over mail-in voting procedures, such as requirements for signatures and dates on ballots, also loom large. Maloney is wary of relying on the courts to uphold these rules, emphasizing the need for a “too big to rig” strategy where the GOP secures enough votes to make any potential legal disputes irrelevant.

Maloney encourages Republicans to focus on the task at hand, regardless of personal feelings about the current electoral system. “I hate mail-in ballots. People should vote on Election Day. But those aren’t the rules. We have to play by the rules to win.”

Conclusion

The Pennsylvania Chase represents a pivotal moment for Republicans as they seek to regain control of this crucial battleground state. Through their renewed focus on voter mobilization and adapting to mail-in voting strategies, the GOP hopes to flip Pennsylvania and secure its 19 Electoral College votes. As ballots start to hit mailboxes in Pennsylvania, the Chase will be a critical test of the Republicans’ ability to embrace new electoral strategies and outmaneuver the Democrats in the fight for the White House.