Last week, the trump re-election campaign and the RNC announced that they were preparing to spend at least $10M to fight lawsuits aimed at protecting and expanding voting rights. (I looked for another diary about this but didn’t find one; I’ll delete this if it’s old news to everyone). They’re starting in Michigan. Politico reports:
The RNC and Michigan Republican Party filed a motion to intervene Wednesday night in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Southern Division to join a lawsuit as defendants against Priorities USA.
[…] “If Plaintiffs prevail and enforcement of the statutes is enjoined, the [Michigan Republican Party], RNC, and their candidates will face ‘a broader range of competitive tactics than [state] law would otherwise allow,’” they wrote in their filing. “In particular, candidates should not face the risk that absent ballot applications submitted in their races will be destroyed, manipulated, or otherwise fraudulently altered by unknown actors.”
[…] While a constellation of left-leaning groups is laying groundwork for huge voter turnout in November by filing an avalanche of voting-rights lawsuits against state laws they say suppress participation in elections, the RNC has also been active in voting-related litigation in battleground states like Arizona and Florida.
The RNC practically admits that it’s fighting against increased competition because they know they can’t compete fairly. In addition, they argue against potential risks of “ballot harvesting” but can’t offer an argument against organizing transportation efforts to help get voters to the polls. An article in MLive expands on this aspect:
It is legal in Michigan to hire transportation for voters who are physically unable to walk. Anyone found guilty of paying for a vehicle to transport able-bodied voters is subject to a misdemeanor charge, 90 days in prison and $500 fine.
Priorities USA argues the laws impose a “severe burden” on voters without any justification and arbitrarily discriminates against voters who are blind or disabled in other ways that allow them to walk but prevent them from driving.
The real reason they want to prohibit helping people who can’t drive to vote: when more people from disadvantaged groups vote, Democrats tend to do better.
The AP adds:
The Republican promise to dedicate millions to anticipated voting rights fights follows court challenges by left-leaning groups against states that they believe are unconstitutionally suppressing participation in elections.
RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in announcing the new spending on legal efforts that the Republican Party is ready “to aggressively defend” its stake in the November elections.
[…] The Trump campaign and the RNC said they also plan to train thousands of lawyers and volunteers in battleground states on federal rules for early voting, Election Day activities, post-election canvassing, and potential recounts.
If the RNC succeeds in their efforts to counter Dems’ attempts to help more people vote, voter intimidation at the polls will be the piss-flavored icing on their shit-flavored cake.