The US presidential election’s early voting turnout has sparked concern for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, according to Jim Messina, former campaign manager for Barack Obama. During an interview with MSNBC’s Jen Psaki, Messina described the early vote numbers as “a little scary,” noting that supporters of Republican candidate Donald Trump appear significantly more active compared to previous years. Unlike in the last election, when Trump discouraged early voting, Republicans have embraced it this time, giving them an apparent edge in early numbers, Messina explained.

Messina highlighted that while Democratic supporters are showing up in large numbers, Republican turnout in early voting is unusually high, with early ballots showing a notable GOP advantage in several battleground states, especially Arizona, where Republicans outnumber Democrats by a margin of 42% to 33%. The overall data from NBC News shows 76.2 million Americans have already cast early or mail-in votes, with Democrats leading slightly at 41% and Republicans close behind at 39%.

Despite the anxiety over Republican numbers, Messina urged optimism for Harris’s campaign. He pointed out that two crucial demographics for Democrats—women and young voters—are turning out in significant numbers. Women make up more than half of the early voters, and in recent days, young voters across battleground states have reportedly cast ballots at historic levels, which Messina called a promising sign for the Democratic campaign.

With Election Day looming, these early voting patterns reveal a fiercely contested race that may ultimately hinge on these key demographics.