Coming soon to a swing state near you? Strap in tight.
The two Republicans on North Carolina’s five-member State Board of Elections resigned Wednesday night:
David Black and Ken Raymond submitted their letters of resignation to the State Board of Elections, according to a statement from the board. In their letters, the Republicans believe they were blindsided on their agreement to make the deal.
The proposed settlement, which was approved by all five members of the board, allows voters whose absentee ballots have deficient information to fix them without having to fill out a new blank ballot.
Sources told ABC11, the proposed settlement, if approved, will likely be challenged by President Donald Trump in federal court.
It is a sound bet that what really blindsided Black and Raymond was vicious pushback they likely received from Republican operatives from the state house to the White House.
There are still decisions the State Board needs to make ahead of the election and after. It is not clear how much business the body can conduct with just three members. Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is charged with filling vacancies from a list provided by the Republican Party’s state chair.
Whaddya think such a list is not forthcoming? This allows the GOP to cast any actions taken by the three Democrats on the Board as tainted, and to allege that changes to absentee ballot rules to which Republican members agreed will mean absentee ballots are as well. See Barton Gellman’s piece in The Atlantic. I don’t have time to research how state boards are appointed in other states where Democrats hold a majority, but watch for similar actions elsewhere.
Trump’s known associates have been laying the groundwork for declaring the 2020 election invalid if he loses. Trump has said as much himself. The Republican Party has spent decades promoting conspiracy theories aimed at undermining public confidence in the election process, then blaming Democrats for undermining election integrity.
A Republican staff report released Wednesday by a House Judiciary Committee on Oversight and Reform argues that Democrats “are attempting to sow uncertainty, inaccuracy, and delay in the 2020 election.” Among the allegations is that Democrats in Wisconsin attempted to allow the counting of ballots that arrive up to a week after Election Day. Plus, Democrats in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and other states want to extend the time allotted for counting absentee ballots. There are a couple of complaints about last-minute voting changes that have some merit. But you can see where this is going.
What is this “increased risk of uncertainty and confusion” of which you scaremonger?
Alaska accepts mailed ballots up to 10 days after Election Day. In Illinois, it is 14 days. Iowa accepts absentee ballots until the Monday after Election Day. Mississippi allows five business days post-election. Kansas, North Carolina, and Virginia accept ballots postmarked by Election Day until the close of business Friday. But the GOP has issues with Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Minnesota and Florida doing things like that.
There will be more of this. Republicans are just getting warmed up.
UPDATE: Like I said earlier. This came in at 11:25 a.m. EDT. They’re pulling out all the stops.
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