[Washington Examiner] A new report on the vast expansion of mail-in ballots in the 2020 election is set to spark new concerns among some Republicans who back former President Donald Trump’s charge that some states went too far to change the rules — illegally.
The group Nonprofit Vote said today that 28 states changed voting rules enabling more people to vote by mail than in person.
Among the three "key takeaways" cited was this: "28 States changed their policy to make it easier to use a mail ballot."
As a result, it added, "For the first time ever, more people voted early with a mail ballot or in-person than filled out a ballot at the polls on Election Day."
Trump associates have hit some states for making changes without legislative approval. However, in many cases, the Trump team had lost in court. Many states did follow the proper process to change the rules.
The report, America Goes to the Polls: Policy and Voter Turnout in the 2020 Election, does not go into the state-by-state changes, but it does show how many more voted.
Some GOP lawyers and officials have claimed that Democratic states sought to boost the anti-Trump vote by sending voters ballots, taking away the inconvenience of standing in line on Election Day. Most of those states, however, argued that the coronavirus crisis required a quick change to keep voters safe.
Trump moved early to criticize mail-in voting, but the report showed that voters embraced it.
"A record 111 million voted with either a mail ballot or early in-person, more than double the number who voted in person on Election Day," said the group. |