The Republican National Committee and the presidential campaign for former President Donald Trump announced on Friday a plan to mobilize over 100,000 “election integrity” volunteers and lawyers across expected battleground states for the 2024 election.
The plan will include having people to monitor both polling voting sites and ballot tabulation centers in what the RNC called the “most extensive and monumental election integrity program in the nation’s history.” An “Election Integrity Hotline” will be set up in each battleground state where lawyers will monitor questions or concerns from those monitoring the voting. States typically included as battlegrounds include Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Nevada.
“Every ballot. Every precinct. Every processing center. Every county. Every battleground state. We will be there,” said RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump. “The RNC is hiring hundreds of election integrity staff across the map – more than ever before because our Party will be recruiting thousands of more observers to protect the vote in 2024. These campaign officials in states are tasked with recruiting, training, and when possible, shifting poll watchers and poll workers day in and day out.”
The efforts were backed by Trump, who has frequently raised questions about the results of the 2020 election.
“Having the right people to count the ballots is just as important as turning out voters on Election Day,” Trump said. “Republicans are now working together to protect the vote and ensure a big win on November 5th!”
The RNC said that it would have five primary focuses for observation and potential litigation including voting machine testing, early voting, election day voting, mail ballot processing, and post-election audits and recounts.
“Election integrity is the foundation of our democracy,” said RNC Chair Michael Whatley. “Through this unprecedented program, we are mobilizing lawyers and volunteers who are committed to preserving the sanctity of our elections.”
The plan has already drawn criticism from Democrats who claim that the Republicans are trying to suppress the vote.
“I think they are going to have a massive voter suppression operation and it is going to involve very, very large numbers of people and very, very large numbers of lawyers,” Democrat election lawyer Marc Elias toldNBC. “I think we need to take the RNC literally and seriously — except on their numbers.”
In recent weeks, the RNC has filed numerous election-related lawsuits in states like Michigan and Nevada, which are both expected to be crucial for deciding the presidential election. Currently, the RealClearPolitics polling average shows Trump with a 0.4-point lead over President Joe Biden.
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