Trump, GOP target ballots arriving after Election Day that feed conspiracy fears
Addressing Ballot Counting Delays: Efforts to Streamline the Process
ATLANTA — President Donald Trump and other Republicans have long criticized states that take weeks to count their ballots after Election Day. This year has seen a flurry of activity to address it.
President Trump’s executive order on elections, signed in March but held up by lawsuits, aims to tackle one of the main reasons for late vote counts: allowing mailed ballots to be counted even if they arrive after Election Day.
The U.S. Supreme Court is considering a challenge in Illinois that questions the practice of counting ballots received after Election Day. Several Republican-backed lawsuits seek to impose an Election Day deadline for mail ballots.
States like Kansas, North Dakota, and Utah have passed legislation eliminating the grace period for receiving mailed ballots, now requiring them to be in by Election Day.
Even in California, where long vote counting processes have been a source of frustration, efforts are underway to streamline the process with new legislation moving through the Democratic-controlled Legislature.
President Trump’s executive order argues that all ballots must be received by Election Day for federal elections, citing federal law that establishes Election Day.
Despite the push to limit late-arriving ballots, there is no evidence of widespread fraud associated with these ballots. States have historically allowed such ballots to be counted, with some differences in policies across the country.
Efforts to speed up the ballot counting process are being made in various states, with Republicans and Democrats divided on the issue.
In California, where the long process of counting ballots has drawn criticism, new legislation aims to ensure most ballots are counted within 13 days after the election, providing transparency and efficiency in the process.
The debate over ballot counting deadlines continues, with states grappling with the balance between ensuring every vote is counted and providing timely results for the public.
Associated Press writer John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed to this report.
