Top Republican Says GOP Needs to 'Stop' Criticizing Early Voting, Mail-In Ballots
Jack Phillips, The Epoch Times | Dec 8, 2022 | News | 13
FILE - In this Nov. 9, 2020 file photo, Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel speaks during a news conference at the Republican National Committee in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Tuesday called on GOP officials to stop discouraging early voting and mail-in balloting as the party took a loss in Georgia's runoff election.
"Our voters need to vote early," McDaniel told Fox News during an interview. "I have said this over and over again. There were many in 2020 saying, 'Don't vote by mail, don't vote early.' And we have to stop that and understand that if Democrats are getting ballots in for a month, we can't expect to get it all done in one day."
After the 2020 election, there have been an increasing number of Republicans who say that voters should turn up at the polls on Election Day, while eschewing vote-by-mail. Among them is former President Donald Trump, who since 2020, has alleged that mail-in balloting is fraught with fraud.
A spokesperson for the RNC later told NBC News that McDaniel was not making reference to Trump when she made her remarks during the Fox interview. The official noted that Trump has, at times, told supporters to vote early and via mail.
"The discussion was about Democrats having a month to bank votes while Republicans expect to get it done in one day," RNC spokesperson Nathan Brand told the corporate news outlet. "We were not talking about the former president, who has encouraged his base to vote early and has himself voted by mail."
When Trump announced last month he would run for president in 2024, he called for "same-day" voting and a ban on early voting. A number of countries, including France and Brazil, do not allow mail-in voting or early voting; voters are required by law to show up in person to cast their ballots.
In September 2005, former President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James A. Baker released a lengthy report on elections saying that vote-by-mail "raises concerns about privacy, as citizens voting at home may come under pressure to vote for certain candidates, and it increases the risk of fraud."
And, mail-in-ballots are "likely to increase the risks of fraud and of contested elections in other states, where the population is more mobile, where there is some history of troubled elections, or where the safeguards for ballot integrity are weaker.
McDaniel, meanwhile, is seeking a fourth term chair of the RNC as some GOP voters and officials called for her ouster after poorer-than-expected results during the Nov. 8 midterms. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), who lost his New York gubernatorial bid last month, signaled that he won't seek the RNC chair position but suggested someone else other than McDaniel take over.
In 2020, Trump had endorsed McDaniel's RNC reelection bid via his Twitter account. It's not clear whether he will support McDaniel, who is the niece of Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and granddaughter of former Michigan Gov. George Romney, during this election cycle.
Other possible challengers include MyPillow CEO and Trump supporter Mike Lindell as well as Harmeet Dhillon, an RNC member from California and longtime lawyer for the Republican Party.
In a statement on Wednesday, Zeldin said McDaniel's "reelection appears to already be pre-baked, as if the disappointing results of every election during her tenure, including yesterday in Georgia, do not and should not even matter."
"As for the Republican Party, it must become more successful at fundraising, more efficient with spending, sharper with ballot collection and election integrity efforts, smarter with messaging, more present in Democrat strongholds, and more connected to the grassroots," Zeldin continued.
The outgoing House lawmaker also panned his party's performance during the midterms after forecasters had predicted Republicans would net significantly more seats in the House and possibly recapture the Senate. The GOP failed to do both, especially as Sen. Raphael Warnock's (D-Ga.) win cemented the Democrats' 51-seat majority in the Senate.
Zeldin said Republicans need to do a "far better job communicating not just what we are against related to the terrible policies of Joe Biden and the Democratic Party, but specifically what we are for as Republicans."
Last month, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) faced a longshot challenge from Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) before prevailing during the Senate GOP's internal elections. Incoming House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) also faces a challenge from Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Calif.) for House speaker.
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11:30 am March 12, 2020
ltuser on 1:41 am December 8, 2022 at 1:41 am
YET another rino….
Delaine Dee Meyers Vandekamp on 2:03 pm December 8, 2022 at 2:03 pm
Mail in voting should be for elderly and people who are physically unable to go to the voting place and should not be counted if not post marked by a certain day and time. Everyone else should show up in person. A smaller time line to vote. NOT 3 WEEKS. No drop off boxes…!!!
ltuser on 4:12 pm December 8, 2022 at 4:12 pm
I know plenty of ellderly who CAN still physically go to the voting booth.. IMO just being old isn't enough of a reason..
And since we've got the ADA, many disabilities should also not be a blocker…
boomer55 on 3:10 pm December 8, 2022 at 3:10 pm
Mail in ballots should go back to the way it used to be , only for military overseas , and the disabled elderly!!!!! all mail in ballots must no exceptions in a week and half before election day and be counted and displayed before election day!!!!!! You want to continue using dominion voting machines fine just the day after the election do a phorensic on all machines !!!! and publish all results!!!! If there is no fraud why would you be against this?????
MAKE every overseas (hell ever military base period), their own voting precinct…
Leonidas on 3:37 pm December 8, 2022 at 3:37 pm
This woman needs to be gone!! The last thing we need is Mitt Romney's niece running the RNC!
blt209 on 4:00 pm December 8, 2022 at 4:00 pm
I agree that early voting and mail-in ballots are prone to fraudulent behaviors, and should be outlawed. HOWEVER… In the times and at the places where these practices ARE legal, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Democrats will take full advantage of them. Republicans MUST change their attitudes and practices to play this game. I'm not advocating cheating, but we'd all be much better off if Republicans would vote early and use the mail-in ballots to get EVERY legal vote counted. We don't stand a chance otherwise.
bruelhounds on 6:42 pm December 8, 2022 at 6:42 pm
I like early ballots. We missed voting in the 2012 election because of a family emergency kept us from going to the polls. We get the ballot in the mail addressed to us individually. We can vote, sign our ballot, and drop it off at the county clerk's office. The clerk checks our signature on the ballot envelope and compares it to the signature on file in the voter records. Easy, simple, and there is no threat of missing the election.
FAUXCIFRAUD on 7:43 pm December 8, 2022 at 7:43 pm
Why is everybody here avoiding the real issue, VOTER I.D.???
ltuser on 12:41 am December 9, 2022 at 12:41 am
I don't avoid it.. I WANT IT EVERYWHERE.. Period.
William G Munson on 8:45 am December 9, 2022 at 8:45 am
We use todo it in one day what happen?? when they Vote Early and then they know how many Votes they need to win got them already so they just count them then it easy to win that way illegal too
MadeinAmerica33 on 11:32 am December 9, 2022 at 11:32 am
McDaniel, meanwhile, is seeking a fourth term chair of the RNC as some GOP voters and officials called for her ouster
She needs to go, along with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
Right now, it may be easier to list the # of so-called republicans, WORTH KEEPING.. IT IMO Would be a lot shorter of a list, compared to those we need to Kick the hell out…