As the Republican National Committee embarks on a strategy to encourage mail-in-voting — a method strongly opposed in the past by former President Donald Trump — it also is backing an appeal in a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn an Illinois law that allows mail-in ballots cast on or before Election Day to be counted up to 14 days afterward.
The RNC, which is promoting a “bank the vote” program to get Republicans to pledge to vote by mail, joined with the National Republican Congressional Committee in filing a court brief in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the effort to nullify ballots received by Illinois election authorities after Election Day.
U.S. District Judge John Kness in July dismissed the lawsuit, which was brought by five-term U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of Murphysboro and two prospective 2024 GOP presidential electors. Kness ruled the three plaintiffs lacked standing to sue the State Board of Elections over the law, which allows mail-in ballots to be counted in the 14 days after Election Day as long as they were postmarked or certified on or before that day.
But Kness went even further, ruling that Illinois’ 2015 law complied with the U.S. Constitution as well as federal election law and does “not conflict with the federal mandate that Election Day be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.”
“By counting only mail-in ballots postmarked on or before Election Day, the statute does not extend the day for casting votes in a federal election,” the judge ruled.
Bost, who is facing a March 19 Republican primary challenge from last year’s unsuccessful GOP candidate for governor, former state Sen. Darren Bailey of Xenia, appealed the ruling in August and briefs from both sides in the case were filed Friday. Bost’s candidacy is backed by the NRCC.
The case could have far-reaching consequences. During the 2020 pandemic year general election, when mail-in voting increased, as many as 266,417 votes were counted in the two-week period after Election Day, according to court documents.
Democrats have long been successful in organizing and executing a mail-in voting strategy in Illinois and other states. Trump, who has a huge lead in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has decried mail-in voting and encouraged in-person voting on Election Day.
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The RNC, which is promoting a “bank the vote” program to get Republicans to pledge to vote by mail, joined with the National Republican Congressional Committee in filing a court brief in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the effort to nullify ballots received by Illinois election authorities after Election Day.
U.S. District Judge John Kness in July dismissed the lawsuit, which was brought by five-term U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of Murphysboro and two prospective 2024 GOP presidential electors. Kness ruled the three plaintiffs lacked standing to sue the State Board of Elections over the law, which allows mail-in ballots to be counted in the 14 days after Election Day as long as they were postmarked or certified on or before that day.
But Kness went even further, ruling that Illinois’ 2015 law complied with the U.S. Constitution as well as federal election law and does “not conflict with the federal mandate that Election Day be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.”
“By counting only mail-in ballots postmarked on or before Election Day, the statute does not extend the day for casting votes in a federal election,” the judge ruled.
Bost, who is facing a March 19 Republican primary challenge from last year’s unsuccessful GOP candidate for governor, former state Sen. Darren Bailey of Xenia, appealed the ruling in August and briefs from both sides in the case were filed Friday. Bost’s candidacy is backed by the NRCC.
The case could have far-reaching consequences. During the 2020 pandemic year general election, when mail-in voting increased, as many as 266,417 votes were counted in the two-week period after Election Day, according to court documents.
Democrats have long been successful in organizing and executing a mail-in voting strategy in Illinois and other states. Trump, who has a huge lead in the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has decried mail-in voting and encouraged in-person voting on Election Day.
Republican National Committee backs effort to block mail-in ballots received after Election Day
Republican National Committee promotes mail-in voting while also filing a brief in support of appeal in lawsuit that seeks to block mail-in ballots received after Election Day in Illinois.
