Republican leaders are encouraging their supporters to vote by mail in this year’s presidential election while simultaneously pursuing lawsuits and legislation to make it harder for those votes to count. The party is challenging absentee ballot deadlines, missing dates on absentee envelopes, and restrictions on ballot drop boxes in various states. Despite these legal efforts, the GOP is launching a campaign called “Bank Your Vote” to convince Republicans to submit their ballots early, either in person or by mail.
This dual strategy reflects the challenge of catching up with the Democrats’ advantage in mail-in voting while appeasing President Trump’s baseless claims that voting by mail leads to election corruption. Trump has advocated for restricting voting to a single day, while the GOP is focused on challenging election rules and taking advantage of existing laws. The party is actively engaged in election litigation efforts, not only related to mail voting but also ID requirements, voter roll updates, and noncitizen voting.
The surge in election law cases in recent years, driven in part by the Covid-19 pandemic and post-election disputes, has prompted both parties to invest more resources in legal fights. Republicans are targeting a wide range of election rules through litigation, aiming to address concerns about voter fraud and show their base that they are taking action. The party has engaged in over 80 election-related cases this cycle and is working with law firms in key states to monitor voting procedures and recruit poll watchers.
The GOP’s legal challenges against mail voting extend beyond traditional battleground states, with cases in Mississippi and New York among others. While the practice of mail-in voting is becoming more common, polls show a decline in Republican support for this method. The party is still grappling with the partisan divide on mail voting, exacerbated by the pandemic and Trump’s claims of fraud. Legal battles also focus on pre-pandemic issues like voter ID requirements and noncitizen voting.
In addition to mail voting disputes, the GOP is targeting voter registration rolls in states like Nevada and Michigan, alleging inflated numbers and seeking to cancel registrations. Critics question the methodology used in these cases, and Democratic officials in these states have dismissed the claims as groundless. Republican lawsuits may be part of a strategy to eventually reach the conservative US Supreme Court and challenge federal voter list maintenance laws, but major changes are unlikely before the upcoming elections.
Overall, the Republican Party’s approach to election litigation showcases a proactive and aggressive strategy aimed at addressing perceived issues with voting procedures and reassuring their base of efforts to combat fraud. The party’s legal efforts span a range of issues, from mail voting to voter registration rolls, reflecting a broader push to ensure election integrity and support for President Trump’s claims of election irregularities. As the 2024 election approaches, the role of litigation in shaping voting policies and procedures is likely to continue to play a significant role in the political landscape.
