For over a year the Trump campaign and Republican Party have been preparing for an Election Day and post-election legal fight.
According to a report in Politico, Republicans plan to dispute mail-in ballots, questioning:
- Authenticity of mail-in votes;
- Deadlines for mail-in ballots.
The goal of the legal effort is clearly to challenge as many mail-in ballots as possible, especially following polling that suggest most Democrats will vote by mail.
We will spend whatever it takes to make sure the election is conducted orderly and that we push back on the Democrats’ litigation to strike down various safeguards on the election process.
— Justin Reiner, chief counsel for Republican National Committee
Here’s what legal effort looks like:
- Three major law firms have been hired.
- 20-person team coordinating efforts across the Trump Campaign, RNC and committees supporting Republican Senate and House Candidates.
- Thousands of volunteer attorneys and poll watchers are engaged.
- Focus on 17 key swing states including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida and North Carolina.
- Pre-written legal pleadings ready to be filed on Election Day or immediately after.
- $20 Million was already committed to the pre-election legal effort.
The Democrats have prepared the own legal effort, which has already been active fighting for greater access to mail-in voting and countering GOP suppression efforts.
Both campaigns are preparing for what looks increasingly like a protracted post-election period.
Trump readies thousands of attorneys for election fight
Dozens of lawyers from three major firms have been hired. Thousands of volunteer attorneys and poll watchers across the country have been recruited.
Anita Kumar —POLITICO
Biden Creates Legal War Room, Preparing for a Big Fight Over Voting
With two former solicitors general and hundreds of lawyers, the Biden campaign is bracing for an extended legal battle and hoping to maintain trust in the electoral process.
Shane Goldmacher —NYTimes
