Does Donald Trump Think He Wouldn't Get Enough Votes by Supporting Vote-By-Mail?

There's a persistent narrative that suggests Donald Trump does not fully support vote-by-mail because he believes he would get fewer votes through this method. While this perspective carries a strong ideological underpinning, it overlooks the complex factors and attempts by both political parties to influence the electoral process.

Voter Suppression and Gerrymandering

The issue of vote-by-mail has drawn significant attention, as it presents numerous opportunities for fraud and voter suppression. Critics point to rigid and often discriminatory voting practices, such as insufficient options for non-partisan voters, which can be seen as attempts to manipulate electoral outcomes. This is particularly evident in states where voters are only given a limited number of options on their ballots.

Run-by-Fear Tactics in the GOP and Trump's Role

The Republican Party, led by figures like Donald Trump, has employed fear-based tactics to encourage in-person voting. They campaign on the idea that vote-by-mail is fraught with fraud and inefficiencies. By spreading this misinformation, they aim to drive their supporters to polling stations, while simultaneously sabotaging the electoral system.

One of the key figures in this sabotage was Louis DeJoy, who was hired to run the U.S. Postal Service during the 2020 election. DeJoy, a stockholder in competitors to the USPS, had multiple motives for undermining the postal service. The courts ordered him to deliver ballots by the election day, an order he ultimately complied with, showing that vote-by-mail could still be a significant factor in election outcomes.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

The legal framework for voting in the United States is complex, with each state having its own set of rules for vote counting and deadlines. Even if Trump claimed victory prematurely, this was not indicative of the true state of the election as the final count would still occur later, potentially favoring one candidate over the other.

Trump’s strategy backfired when his supporters did not show up at the polling stations as expected. Instead, the mail-in vote results leaned heavily in favor of the Democratic candidates, due in part to the fact that Democrats in swing states were more likely to vote by mail. This led to a significant shift in the perceived outcome of the election, which ultimately led to Trump's loss by a substantial margin.

Criticism of the Republican Party's Tactics

The tactics employed by the Republican Party, including illegal gerrymandering and voter disenfranchisement, have drawn harsh criticism. These actions have been scornfully labeled as attempts to rig elections and remove legitimate votes. The use of fake voter drop-boxes and the changing of elderly voters' party affiliations in Florida are examples of the unethical and illegal behavior by some members of the GOP.

The combination of misinformation, election interference, and unethical practices paints a picture of a party that is more focused on short-term gains than on the integrity of the democratic process. The 2020 elections highlighted these issues, leaving a lasting impact on the way the American voting system is perceived and debated.