California GOP’s attack on Newsom’s vote-by-mail effort exposes the party’s moral rot

Generations of Americans fought and died to preserve our rights, as citizens, to vote. Now, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, the California Republican Party (CRP) is trying to block Californians from using this right.

The CRP has filed a lawsuit designed to prevent Californians from having the option to vote by mail this year. The state party — joined by the Republican National Committee (RNC) — is now challenging Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to give every voter in the state the option of voting by mail.

Earlier this month, Newsom issued an executive order requiring every county in the state to mail ballots to registered voters. The idea is simple, sensible and essential. COVID-19 could make in-person voting risky, so allowing every Californian to vote by mail ensures maximum participation without creating deadly risks or disenfranchisement. And voters who still want to show up in person may still do so. Newsom’s order simply gives them the option to vote by mail, which will come in handy if there’s a big second wave of coronavirus infections during the fall.

Studies show that allowing Americans to vote by mail can enrich democracy by increasing voter turnout. But democracy terrifies Republican officials, who falsely claim that mail-in ballots increase voter fraud. No evidence supports this charge.

“The United States cannot have all Mail In Ballots,” tweeted President Donald Trump on Sunday, before proceeding to repeat false claims about voting by mail. Trump’s lies about vote-by-mail’s history were so egregious that Twitter flagged his posts with fact checks and labeled his claims as false.

Of course, Trump himself has voted by mail. But he doesn’t want other Americans to have the option.

The lawsuit against Newsom, filed by Judicial Watch on behalf of the CRP and other Republican groups, attacked Newsom’s executive order as a “brazen power grab.” But Newsom’s order, which aims to increase voter participation, actually gives more power to the people by making it easier and safer for them to vote.

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla dismissed the Republican lawsuit as “un-American, immoral, and a threat to the health of every Californian,” according to Politico.

“Exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to justify voter suppression is despicable, even for Judicial Watch’s pathetically low standards,” he said in a statement.

“I believe it’s a noble cause and I think it’s an appropriate cause, and I don’t think it’s political in any way, shape or form,” said Newsom of his decision to expand voting access. “I say that as someone who believes deeply in democracy and believes in the cause of encouraging people to exercise their right, their privilege, their freedom to vote — for or against, pro or con, whatever one chooses to do — but to do it in a safe manner.”

The GOP lawsuit is a nakedly corrupt attack on democracy and a clear attempt to suppress voter turnout. For years, the Republican party’s share of California’s electorate has continued to shrink. The once-robust California GOP’s dwindling appeal has left it with only 24 percent of voter support in the Golden State, trailing behind No Party Preference (NPP) voters.

Many reasons explain why the party has fallen so low. But this fight to prevent Americans from voting completely exposes the rot at the heart of the California Republican Party. It’s a clear admission of the fact that California Republicans can’t maintain power in a thriving democracy and must try to suppress voter participation instead.

How utterly shameful. Americans can passionately disagree on many political issues. But once you disagree with the fundamental tenet of American democracy — the right to vote — your cause has lost its soul. The CRP should drop its support for this despicable lawsuit and support mail-in ballots to boost democracy and protect public health.

Barring that, any remaining California Republicans who still believe in the basics of American democracy should drop the CRP and join the surging ranks of conservative-leaning voters with no party preference.

This story was originally published May 27, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "California GOP’s attack on Newsom’s vote-by-mail effort exposes the party’s moral rot."