The Republican National Committee (RNC) is filing a nationwide lawsuit to prevent several states from counting mail-in ballots after Election Day after California took nearly a month to certify some races. announced that it had happened.
“It is unreasonable for California to accept mail-in ballots until seven days after Election Day and then take almost a month to count,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley wrote on X. .
Whatley said the RNC, along with the California Republican Party, “will continue to aggressively fight to force all states to stop accepting ballots after Election Day.”
He added that Republicans on the ground in California are working with lawyers and observers “throughout the voting, treatment and counting process.” The RNC also launched a new statewide ballot repair operation in partnership with the National Republican Congressional Committee and Elon Musk's PAC.
“RNC, NRCC, and CAGOP election integrity efforts began locally in California before and on Election Day and have been active since November 5th. Our attorneys and trained volunteers , are in place to ensure transparency throughout the election process,” Whatley Senior Counsel Gates McGavik told Fox News Digital in a statement.
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Voters vote during the Super Tuesday primary election at a polling place at the American Legion Post in Hawthorne, California, on March 5, 2024. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
California's vote-counting process has been prolonged due to the large number of mail-in ballots, as the majority of Californians choose to vote by mail. In the state's 2022 election, nearly 90% of votes were cast by mail.
State law also allows mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive within up to a week. Mail-in ballots typically go through a verification process, which can take longer to count. The deadline for election certification is December 16th.
As of Wednesday, several races remained undecided in the Golden State, including the 13th Congressional District, where Republican Rep. John Duarte is being challenged by Democrat Adam Gray. Also included.
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California State Capitol, July 17, 2022, Sacramento (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“Every vote counts in every state, and the RNC will work with state parties and candidates to ensure election integrity across the country,” Whatley said. “It's clear that real election reform is needed to protect California's votes.”
Liberal Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several laws during his term to expand voting by mail. In 2021, Newsom signs AB 37, making California one of the first states to require all active registered voters to automatically receive an absentee ballot, a law passed in 2020 during the coronavirus era. codified temporary emergency measures. Two laws were signed into law in 2023: AB 626 and AB 545. , requiring curbside voting options at all polling places and allowing voters to drop off their mail-in ballots at polling places to be counted immediately.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom greets people in Hooksett, New Hampshire, on July 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
California is one of 14 states that does not require voters to present their voter ID at the polls. In March 2024, Huntington Beach, a conservative battleground on the southern coast, passed a local bill requiring voter ID to vote in elections; It immediately passed a state law prohibiting enforcement of the requested law.
“The right to vote freely is a cornerstone of our democracy, and Huntington Beach's voter ID policy violates this principle,” state Attorney General Bob Bonta said in a statement at the time.
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Republican criticism of extended vote-counting periods has intensified this election cycle, including in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Ahead of Sen. Bob Casey's concession to Republican opponent Dave McCormick in Pennsylvania's Senate race last week, the state and the state Republican Party announced that counties would be counting mail-in ballots that voters did not date. He went to court arguing that he shouldn't have done it. Either he sent the wrong return envelope or wrote the wrong envelope, the Associated Press reported.
President-elect Trump also took note of California's voter ID law, writing on his Truth Social account that elections will require proof of citizenship and voter ID. Meanwhile, Newsom is preparing the state to “stand up to President Trump,” calling an emergency special session of Congress on Dec. 2.
“California is ready to fight,” Newsom wrote to X after the election. “Whether it's fundamental civil rights, reproductive freedom or climate action, we refuse to turn back the clock or allow our values and laws to be attacked. ”
