FOR INSIDERS | As Trump rails against mail ballots, GOP lawmakers suggest voters are unfazed

Republican lawmakers are brushing off President Trump’s strident criticism of mail-in ballots, saying it won’t deter GOP voters from using the voting method. 

The Supreme Court ruled this week that mail-in ballots may count if they are postmarked by Election Day but arrive afterward. Trump slammed the decision, calling it a “tremendous loss in the Supreme Court” while pressing for lawmakers to pass legislation that would further restrict the voting practice and require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote.  

The president has regularly railed against the voting method, pointing to unproven claims of “massive voter fraud,” while acknowledging he’s used the practice himself.  

But House Republicans suggest Trump’s rhetoric about both the practice and the high court’s ruling is unlikely to make a dent among voters who decide to use it  — a voting method that could make all the difference for the GOP in tight races this fall.  

“I think we’ve seen actually it kind of stabilize in recent years, kind of revert to old patterns,” Republican-turned-independent Rep. Kevin Kiley (Calif.) told The Hill.   

States that allow the postmarked Election Day ballots to be counted within a grace period include: Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Texas, Illinois, Mississippi, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts, in addition to Washington, D.C, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. 

The voting method has regularly drawn the president’s ire, and Trump sought to curb the practice. An executive order he issued in March required the federal government to compile a list of eligible and approved voters in each state, with the U.S. Postal Service allowed to deliver mail ballots only to those approved by the government. 

A federal judge rejected those aspects of the in a ruling last week, writing “… not only are Plaintiff States experiencing injury now with respect to planning, but it is undisputed that, should the EO’s directives go into effect, Plaintiff States will incur compliance costs.” 

Trump voted by mail in the spring for a special state House election in Florida. He defended his use of the voting method despite his criticism of it by telling reporters in March, “Because I’m president of the United States.” 

“And because of the fact that I’m president of the United States, I did a mail-in ballot for elections that took place in Florida because I felt I should be here instead of being in the beautiful sunshine,” he added in Washington, D.C. 

The White House said it was confident Trump’s executive action would ultimately succeed after working its way through the courts.  

“President Trump is committed to ensuring that Americans have full confidence in the administration of our elections,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement to The Hill. “The President’s executive order lawfully protects our elections, and we are confident that we will ultimately prevail in its implementation. 

“President Trump has also urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act and other legislative proposals that would establish a uniform standard of photo ID for voting, prohibit no-excuse mail-in voting, and end the practice of ballot harvesting to secure our elections for generations to come,” she added. 

Some Republican........

© The Hill