Three Republican groups sue California governor over mail-in-vote order
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 [May 26, 2020]
(Reuters) - The Republican National
Committee (RNC) and two other Republican groups on Sunday filed a
lawsuit against California Governor Gavin Newsom over his executive
orders to use mail-in ballots for the November election.
California was the first state in the country to commit to sending
mail-in ballots to all registered voters for the November election, a
move responding to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Democrats continue to use this pandemic as a ploy to implement their
partisan election agenda, and Governor Newsom's executive order is the
latest direct assault on the integrity of our elections," RNC Chairwoman
Ronna McDaniel said https://bit.ly/2Xqmqy9 in a statement.
The RNC said that voting by mail creates an opportunity for fraud.
Republicans, including U.S. President Donald Trump, have claimed mail-in
voting is susceptible to rigging.
"No state that conducts all-mail elections automatically mails ballots
to inactive voters because it invites fraud, coercion, theft, and
otherwise illegitimate voting," it added.
The lawsuit asks for Newsom's order to be barred as unlawful and was
filed by the RNC, the National Republican Congressional Committee, and
the California Republican Party.
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California's Governor Gavin Newsom speaks to the media after casting
his vote at a voting center at The California Museum for the
presidential primaries on Super Tuesday in Sacramento, CA U.S.,
March 3, 2020. REUTERS/Gabriela Bhaskar
Numerous studies have found little evidence of voter fraud connected
to voting by mail. Democrats say it is necessary to counter health
risks from the coronavirus by helping to prevent crowds at polling
places.
Last Wednesday, Trump denounced plans to expand voting by mail in
Michigan and Nevada. He briefly threatened to withhold federal
funding for the two states but dropped the warning after an
avalanche of criticism from Democrats.
(Reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
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