{"id":2286896,"date":"2024-07-01T08:22:02","date_gmt":"2024-07-01T12:22:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mailing-it-in-swing-state-ballot-lawsuits-could-shape-2024-presidential-race-washington-examiner-5\/"},"modified":"2024-07-01T08:25:50","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T12:25:50","slug":"mailing-it-in-swing-state-ballot-lawsuits-could-shape-2024-presidential-race-washington-examiner-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mailing-it-in-swing-state-ballot-lawsuits-could-shape-2024-presidential-race-washington-examiner-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Swing State Ballot Lawsuits May Impact 2024 Presidential Race &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmailing-it-in-swing-state-ballot-lawsuits-could-shape-2024-presidential-race-washington-examiner-5%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2286896&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>As the 2024 presidential\u2062 election approaches, activists are vigorously contesting the rules\u200c governing voter ballots, \u2062particularly methodological debates\u200b centering on \u200bmail-in \u2064voting \u2063across several key states. The series \u200cby Washington\u2064 Examiner delves into \u200bthese legal\u2063 struggles, focusing initially on absentee voting.<\/p>\n<p>In \u200dnotable swing states, both \u2062partisan and legal battles aim to either modify or uphold state rules facilitating mail-in voting\u2014a\u200b method that was\u200c expanded during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic \u200bto \u200dsupport \u200dvoter access. \u2064Former President Donald Trump has\u200c shifted his \u2062stance from criticizing mail-in voting for alleged fraud, to encouraging his supporters to utilize this and other non-traditional voting methods robustly. \u2064This pivot\u2019s essence is captured in his\u200c campaign\u2019s mantra, urging overwhelming voter participation to \u2063avoid potential \u200b&#8221;cheating.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The article also touches on specific ongoing \u2062legal cases:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; \u200cIn Arizona, a judge upheld the state&#8217;s signature matching\u200d and drop \u2062box procedures, \u200cdismissing challenges against them.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Georgia faces a lawsuit from a union challenging\u200d the timing \u200crestrictions on \u200babsentee ballot applications, claiming it violates the Voting Rights Act.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Michigan\u2019s \u200drecent court ruling adjusted some \u2062signature verification procedures for absentee \u2062ballots.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; In Nevada,\u200d Republicans are pushing to invalidate ballots received after Election Day.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; North Carolina&#8217;s new election law, particularly\u200c the ruling blocking same-day voter registration\u2064 verification at early voting sites, has \u2063stirred legal confrontations.<\/p>\n<p>Different cases\u2062 and legal interpretations \u2063across these \u200cstates exemplify the divisive \u200byet decisive nature\u200c of absentee \u2062voting rights and practices, which could significantly influence the electoral outcome depending on\u200c their resolution ahead of \u2063the election. Trump is shown \u200bto \u200cbe leading\u200b in several \u200bkey polls,\u2064 affirming the high stakes of these battles in the electoral landscape.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><em>Four months out from Election Day, activists are still fighting over the rules that will dictate how voters cast their ballots, including in key swing states. The parties are preparing for legal battles if the results are close, as they were four years ago. In this series, the <\/em>Washington Examiner<em> will look at the battles over election rules. Part one will look at absentee voting.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2024-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>2024 presidential election<\/a> will likely be decided by a handful of swing states, where judicial activists on both sides of the political aisle have been busy in court trying to alter the rules for a key method of casting ballots: mail-in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/voting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">voting<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, states across the partisan spectrum altered their voting policies to provide more options at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many states relaxed the rules for voting by mail, and some sent absentee ballot or ballot applications to all registered voters. Ballot drop boxes were installed in nearly 40 states, others established curbside voting options, and some counted ballots received after Election Day so long as they were postmarked by the date.<\/p>\n<p>Former President&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Donald Trump<\/a>, who is heading into a rematch against President&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Joe Biden<\/a>, blamed much of his failure to win a second term on the sweeping changes to voting procedures across the country. He accused mail-in voting of contributing to election fraud, which conditioned his supporters to distrust those methods.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>This combination of photos shows Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, and President Joe Biden during a presidential debate hosted by CNN, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo\/Gerald Herbert)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Yet Trump and other ranking Republican officials this cycle have encouraged his supporters more than ever to take full advantage of any and all alternatives to voting in-person, including early voting and casting ballots by mail.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If we swamp them with votes they can&rsquo;t cheat,&rdquo; the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3028163\/trump-180-mail-in-voting-swamp-the-vote\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>campaign said<\/a> in a press release in early June. &ldquo;You need to make a plan, register, and vote any way possible. We have got to get your vote.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>With nearly every possible voting method now endorsed by the Trump campaign, lawsuits backed by conservative voter integrity groups are still underway in key swing states. But rather than filing lawsuits to block alternative voting methods, these suits take aim at what these groups consider dubious rules, such as relaxed instructions for verifying ballot signatures and outdoor ballot drop boxes.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>FILE &ndash; Chester County, Pa. election workers process mail-in and absentee ballots at West Chester University in West Chester on Nov. 4, 2020. (AP Photo\/Matt Slocum, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Here&rsquo;s a look at where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mailing-it-in-swing-state-ballot-lawsuits-could-shape-2024-presidential-race-washington-examiner-3\/\" title=\"Swing State Ballot Lawsuits May Impact 2024 Presidential Race - Washington Examiner\">absentee ballot legal challenges stand<\/a> in seven key swing states:<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Arizona <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>11 Electoral Votes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In late April, a state court judge <a href=\"https:\/\/www.democracydocket.com\/news-alerts\/arizona-court-rejects-right-wing-challenge-to-drop-boxes-and-signature-matching-rules\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>upheld<\/a> Arizona&rsquo;s signature matching and drop box procedures for mail-in voting, rejecting two lawsuits from the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cbs-sued-by-seal-team-writer-who-claims-heterosexual-white-men-need-extra-qualifications\/\" title=\"CBS faces lawsuit by &#039;SEAL Team&#039; writer alleging bias against heterosexual, white men\">conservative legal group founded<\/a> by Bill Barr, the former attorney general under Trump.<\/p>\n<p>One <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mailing-it-in-swing-state-ballot-lawsuits-could-shape-2024-presidential-race-washington-examiner-4\/\" title=\"Swing State Ballot Lawsuits May Impact 2024 Presidential Race - Washington Examiner\">lawsuit contested signature verification methods<\/a>, which the judge found compliant with state law following a recent clarification from the secretary of state. Signature verification is the process of matching the signature on a voter&rsquo;s ballot with his or signature on voter registration records. The other lawsuit challenged the use of unmonitored drop boxes, which the judge also ruled as lawful.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the setback for Republican-backed efforts to make the Grand Canyon state&rsquo;s elections more secure, Trump recently had a 5-point lead above Biden, <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.fivethirtyeight.com\/polls\/president-general\/2024\/arizona\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>according<\/a> to a June 30 poll from <em>538<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Georgia <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>16 Electoral Votes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In late February, the U.S. Department of Justice intervened in a lawsuit challenging the Georgia State Election Board&rsquo;s deadline for absentee ballot applications under the Voting Rights Act.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit, filed by the International Alliance of Theater Stage Employees&nbsp;union, argued that Georgia&rsquo;s deadline violates the VRA&rsquo;s mandate for absentee ballots in presidential elections if applied seven days before the election.<\/p>\n<p>The Peach State&rsquo;s law requires applications 11 days before, which the union says is unlawful under Section 202(d) of the VRA.<\/p>\n<p>Georgia Attorney General Christopher Carr (R) contended that Section 202&rsquo;s provisions are not privately enforceable and that only the U.S. attorney general can sue under the VRA. The DOJ asserts that the VRA&rsquo;s provisions are privately enforceable.<\/p>\n<p>On June 13, a federal judge found that the union should not have sued the state election board and dismissed them from the case, though the case has been permitted to continue against Fulton County defendants. The county is also where Trump is facing criminal charges over an alleged election subversion plot, and it is the state&rsquo;s most populous county.<\/p>\n<p>As of June 30, Trump&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/projects.fivethirtyeight.com\/polls\/president-general\/2024\/georgia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">held<\/a>&nbsp;6.4-point lead over Biden in Georgia, according to <em>538<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Michigan<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>15 Electoral Votes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A Michigan judge on June 12 partially sided with a Republican National Committee bid to tighten signature verification rules for absentee ballots. The judge <a href=\"https:\/\/michiganadvance.com\/2024\/06\/14\/michigan-judge-rejects-bensons-guidance-on-absentee-ballot-signatures\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>ruled<\/a> that election officials can continue using most current signature matching guidelines but cannot apply a &ldquo;presumption of validity&rdquo; standard.<\/p>\n<p>The ruling was applauded by&nbsp;RNC Chairman Michael Whatley, who said it confirms that safeguards are required for absentee ballots.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Secretary of State&rsquo;s covert attempts to sidestep these rules were rightfully rejected by the court, exposing that her attacks on election integrity have no substance. This win is just the latest development in our ongoing fight to promote fair and transparent elections in the Great Lakes State,&rdquo;&nbsp;Whatley wrote in a <a href=\"https:\/\/gop.com\/press-release\/election-integrity-win-in-michigan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But the ruling does still allow most of Michigan&rsquo;s current mail-in voting procedures to remain largely intact for the 2024 election. The judge acknowledged that a voter&rsquo;s signature can change one time due to age or disability, or if it was made in haste, or was written on an uneven surface.<\/p>\n<p>Trump held a narrow 1.8-point lead <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.fivethirtyeight.com\/polls\/president-general\/2024\/michigan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>above<\/a> Biden in Michigan as of June 30, according to <em>538<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Nevada <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>6 Electoral Votes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Trump campaign, with the RNC and Nevada GOP, filed a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/06\/06\/nx-s1-4973736\/mail-ballot-return-lawsuits-nevada\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>lawsuit<\/a> in early May to challenge Nevada&rsquo;s mail-in ballot receipt deadline, arguing it violates federal law. <\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit seeks to invalidate ballots received after Election Day, claiming this dilutes votes and harms Republican candidates. In the 2022 midterm elections, Clark County officials say about 40,000 ballots came in after Election Day.<\/p>\n<p>Trump lost the state against Biden by about 33,500 votes in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>While no ruling has been made in the Silver State case, the Biden campaign <a href=\"https:\/\/thenevadaindependent.com\/article\/biden-campaign-asks-court-to-dismiss-gop-lawsuit-challenging-nevada-mail-ballot-deadline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>has filed a motion to dismiss<\/a> the lawsuit and is also seeking to become a party to the case. The motion argues that the receipt deadline law would disenfranchise Nevadans.<\/p>\n<p>Trump sported a close 3.7-point <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.fivethirtyeight.com\/polls\/president-general\/2024\/nevada\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>polling advantage<\/a> above Biden in Nevada as of June 30, according to the <em>538<\/em> average.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>North Carolina <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>16 Electoral Votes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A federal judge in January <a href=\"https:\/\/spectrumlocalnews.com\/nc\/charlotte\/news\/2024\/01\/22\/nc-election-law-court-block\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>blocked<\/a> part of North Carolina&rsquo;s new election law concerning same-day voter registration at early voting sites. <\/p>\n<p>The ruling affects the procedure of verifying voter addresses, which critics argue could disenfranchise voters due to potential errors in address verification.<\/p>\n<p>The decision comes amid litigation filed by progressive groups and the Democratic Party against the law, which overall remains largely in effect. Republican backers of the suit plan to appeal the ruling, asserting their commitment to election integrity.<\/p>\n<p>Trump held a 7.2-point <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.fivethirtyeight.com\/polls\/president-general\/2024\/north-carolina\/\">advantage<\/a> over Biden in North Carolina according to a June 30 poll.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Pennsylvania <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>  19 Electoral Votes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A coalition of grassroots organizations <a href=\"https:\/\/penncapital-star.com\/voting\/voting-rights-groups-file-lawsuit-to-challenge-pennsylvania-mail-in-ballot-date-requirement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>sued<\/a> Pennsylvania officials in late May to end the disqualification of mail-in ballots lacking a handwritten date on the envelope.<\/p>\n<p>The 3rd Circuit Court ruled that such ballots should not be counted, conflicting with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mailing-it-in-swing-state-ballot-lawsuits-could-shape-2024-presidential-race-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Swing State Ballot Lawsuits May Impact 2024 Presidential Race - Washington Examiner\">previous rulings favoring ballot inclusion<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit argues the date requirement is arbitrary and disenfranchises voters. This case follows another federal suit by the NAACP challenging the date requirement as a violation of the Civil Rights Act.<\/p>\n<p>Trump held a narrow 1.9-point average <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.fivethirtyeight.com\/polls\/president-general\/2024\/pennsylvania\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>lead<\/a> over Biden in Pennsylvania as of June 30.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Wisconsin <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>10 Electoral Votes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court in early May <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/wisconsin-ballot-drop-boxes-supreme-court-acd79fb616528d168c96ee62efaaff3f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>signaled<\/a> a willingness to overturn a 2022 ruling that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mailing-it-in-swing-state-ballot-lawsuits-could-shape-2024-presidential-race-washington-examiner-2\/\" title=\"Swing State Ballot Lawsuits May Impact 2024 Presidential Race - Washington Examiner\">restricted absentee ballot drop boxes<\/a> to election clerk offices. <\/p>\n<p>The court&rsquo;s potential reversal could reinstate the broader use of drop boxes, which Democrats argue are essential for secure absentee voting, while Republicans say they make elections less secure.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The case, brought by Priorities USA and the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Voters, challenges the interpretation of state law by the previous conservative majority. A reversal may significantly affect the 2024 election in this key swing state.<\/p>\n<p>Trump held less than 1-point average <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.fivethirtyeight.com\/polls\/president-general\/2024\/wisconsin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>advantage<\/a> over Biden in Wisconsin as of June 30.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Four months before Election Day, activists contest voting rules, especially in pivotal swing states. Parties brace for potential legal disputes reminiscent of those from four years ago. The Washington Examiner series will explore these ongoing conflicts<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2286897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/voter-registration.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[33449,33450,5663,25081],"class_list":["post-2286896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-2024-presidential-race","tag-ballot-lawsuits","tag-impact","tag-swing-state"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/voter-registration.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2286896","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2286896"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2286896\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2286897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2286896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2286896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2286896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}