President Joe Biden's reelection campaign has called on top Republicans to cease litigation aimed at restricting aspects of mail balloting now that former President Donald Trump has shown support for the method. Trump, who previously made baseless claims about mail voting fraud, has now initiated a program to encourage mail voting for his 2024 campaign, aligning with Republicans' efforts to boost mail voting among their supporters.
Despite Trump's shift, the Republican National Committee (RNC), now under his leadership, has pursued legal action to limit certain mail voting practices. This includes challenging laws in states like Nevada that permit the counting of mailed ballots received after Election Day if postmarked by the deadline.
Biden's campaign manager criticized this stance, urging Trump to urge the RNC and his supporters to drop these lawsuits. In response, Republicans argue that they support mail voting but seek to enhance its security through legal challenges. They maintain that safeguards are necessary to prevent potential fraud associated with late-arriving mail ballots.
The Biden campaign highlighted the RNC's recent lawsuits in Nevada targeting mail voting procedures, despite Trump's newfound endorsement of the practice. These legal actions, along with similar cases in other states, underscore the ongoing debate within the Republican Party regarding mail balloting.
Trump's unfounded claims about mail ballot fraud have been a focal point of his post-election narrative, contributing to the events of January 6, 2021. Subsequently, Republicans have implemented stricter regulations on mail voting in various states.
Trump's influence on the RNC, including the appointment of key figures echoing his election fraud allegations, has further shaped the party's stance on mail balloting. Prior to Trump's criticisms, Republican voters utilized mail ballots at similar rates to Democrats, but a decline has been observed since 2020.
Despite internal divisions, many Republican strategists acknowledge the importance of early voting and express frustration over Trump's contradictory messaging on mail balloting. While Trump now endorses mail voting, he continues to propagate falsehoods about its role in the 2020 election outcome.
