Plus: 50 million early votes | Tuesday, October 29, 2024
 
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By Mike Allen · Oct 29, 2024

Good Tuesday afternoon. Today's newsletter, edited by Sam Baker, is 355 words, a 1½-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing.

 
 
1 big thing: Local TV's political windfall
 
A stacked column chart shows local tv digital and over-the-air ad revenue from 2005 to 2025. Revenue hit a high in 2006 with $22.8b, all over-the-air. Digital revenue began appearing in 2010. 2024 is projected at $18.7b over-the-air and $2b digital.
Data: BIA/Pew Research Center; Chart: Axios Visuals

Record spending on political ads this year is translating into a windfall for local TV stations, Axios Media Trends author Sara Fischer reports.

  • Despite an influx of new ways to reach voters online, local broadcast is still the top place campaigns spend their ad dollars.

By the numbers: This year, around $11.7 billion in political ad dollars are expected to be spent locally, according to BIA Advisory Services.

  • Local broadcast stations are expected to bring in a record $2.2 billion in "TV digital" political advertising this year — advertising sold by local broadcast stations on digital properties, like websites and streaming apps.

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2. ⏱️ 50 million early votes
 
Cartogram of U.S. states showing early vote totals as of Oct. 29, 2024, 1:59pm EDT. There are 50.3m total early votes. Texas leads with 6m votes.
Data: University of Florida Election Lab. (States in gray have no reported data.) Chart: Axios Visuals

More than 50 million Americans have already voted (either in person or by mail) a week ahead of Election Day, according to the University of Florida's early-vote tracker.

  • Roughly 39% of those voters are registered Democrats. About 36% are registered Republicans.
  • A plurality — 41% — are older than 65.