"Expansion of Early and Mail Voting is the Key to Presidential Election Victory"
Former President Trump’s distrust of mail-in voting is complicating the calculations of his campaign aides and the Republican Party’s presidential election strategy, the Washington Post (WP) reported on the 28th (local time). Republican officials see the expansion of early and mail-in voting as the key to winning this election.
Former President Trump has consistently expressed hostility toward mail-in voting. In December last year, he argued that "mail-in voting should be banned in this election," and in rallies and interviews last month, he repeatedly stated that "mail-in voting is a fraud that can be manipulated at will." In an interview with a British media outlet earlier this month, he said, "Fraud occurs every time mail-in voting happens," adding, "It is unfortunate that people deliberately ignore the truth."
This distrust from former President Trump appears to be influencing even Republican supporters. According to a 2023 AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, 71% of Democrats were confident that the 2024 election votes would be accurately counted, but only 22% of Republicans shared that confidence. Additionally, 60% of Republicans opposed allowing no-excuse mail-in voting, compared to just 13% of Democrats.
Arizona Republican strategist John Sitton said, "I have heard that some Republicans are still very reluctant to send their ballots by mail," diagnosing that "this is because President Trump holds significant influence over Republican voters." One aide reported that former President Trump "suspects not only postal workers but anyone who could handle the ballots."
However, Trump campaign aides and the Republican National Committee (RNC) view active participation of voters in key battleground states through early and mail-in voting as crucial to winning the election. This is based on the experience from the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, where the Democrats took control of the Senate, and low mail-in voting participation and return rates in key battleground areas were identified as reasons for the loss. RNC Chair Michael Whatley said in an interview, "We will do whatever it takes to ensure that every voter votes," adding, "The Republican Party will spend a significant amount on encouraging mail-in voting and ballot collection."
Trump campaign aides are also busy trying to persuade Trump of the utility of mail-in voting. Suzy Wiles of the Trump campaign headquarters said, "Even in Florida, where Trump won overwhelmingly, voters safely voted by mail," and it is reported that she repeatedly reminds Trump that he himself voted by mail.
A close associate of Trump said, "Former President Trump will never accept conducting mail-in voting nationwide," adding, "We just hope he does not publicly mention this topic and interfere with the Republican efforts."
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