GOP’s Effort to “Set the Record Straight” on Mailed Ballot Usage Following Years of Mixed Messaging

The organization distributed mail-in ballot applications to 1.5 million GOP voters, dispatched 475,000 text messages advocating for mail voting, and extolled the advantages of mail-in voting at party gatherings.

However, simultaneously, Pennsylvania Republicans have initiated legal action to mandate the counting of the state’s mail ballots at polling stations instead of county election offices, which possess the necessary equipment and space for the task. This litigation is one of several lawsuits across the nation targeting mail-in voting that Republicans have pursued since 2020.

This conflicting messaging may present challenges in promptly reversing the decline in mail-in voting among Republicans.

In Pennsylvania, Republican operatives expressed satisfaction with their efforts, noting that they nearly doubled the number of voters added to the state’s mail-in ballot roster compared to Democrats during the primary. Nonetheless, the overall proportion of Pennsylvania mail ballots sent by Republicans remained consistent with 2020, comprising only one-quarter of all ballots, according to data from the secretary of state’s office.

Bill Bretz, chairman of the Westmoreland County Republican Party in the western part of the state, observed a gradual but steady acceptance of mail voting among voters in his conservative region.

“People recognize the significance of this election,” he remarked. “There is substantial support for voting through any available means, and concerns about mail-in voting are starting to diminish.”