In preparation for the pivotal electoral battle of 2024, former President Donald Trump is now encouraging his supporters to make use of early and mail-in voting mechanisms. This marks a decisive shift from Trump’s original stance, which strongly favored same-day voting. However, with the changing dynamic brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Democrat initiated policies for voting by mail and early, Trump has re-evaluated his views.
Democrat-driven mailing and early voting strategies were once stigmatized by Trump, who suggested these practices were plagued by fraud and misuse amid the 2020 election. Yet, he has responded favorably to the reasoning presented by influential party figures, among them Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law and a co-chair at the Republican National Committee, asserting that adaptation is the key to future Republican victories.
Trump, recognizing the need for change, has shown a newfound receptiveness to the modern voting landscape. By leveraging these tools, the GOP looks forward to not only winning elections but potentially revising existing voting rules and regulations to better ensure fairness and transparency in future electoral exercises.
Working in concert with the Republican National Committee, Trump’s campaign has unveiled the ‘Swap the Vote’ initiative. The purpose of this program, as reported by Just the News, is clear and ambitious: it seeks to engage and galvanize voters across the swing states, advocating for the use of mail-in, absentee, and early voting options.
Unfolding his vision, Trump stressed the importance of Republican success, stating, ‘Republicans must emerge triumphant, deploying each available and legitimate medium to outmaneuver the Democrats who are disintegrating our national integrity. It’s critical to protect the sanctity of the vote, regardless of whether it’s cast via absentee, by mail, or early in-person, or on the election day.’
Furthermore, the former president accentuated the need for a robust voter turnout to ‘submerge the radical Democrats’. In his words, ‘the only counter to potential deception is a deluge of votes. It is evident that our pathway to triumph is to swamp them. Therefore, it’s essential to make a plan, register, and execute your vote through any feasible method. It is imperious to capture your vote.’
Aiming to rally his supporters further, Trump appeared at a ‘Chase the Vote’ town hall in Maricopa County, Arizona. This county has been at the epicenter of Trump’s allegations of election fraud and seen former Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake’s own challenges.
During the Turning Point Action-hosted event, he expressed particular interest in evangelical and gun-owning voters. Trump pointed out that these traditionally Republican-favoring segments were not voting in the numbers they should be. ‘For some reason, gun owners aren’t typically showing up to vote,’ Trump stated, emphasizing the need to mobilize these groups.
His clarion call was unequivocal: ‘We need a victory too grand to manipulate. Meaning, we need each and every one of you to cast your votes.’ As he urged the audience, he also drew attention to the ‘Swamp the Vote’ program, and highlighted the accompanying online resources for the initiative.
Trump once likened mail-in ballots to a ‘fake vote store’ in an October 2022 interview with the ‘Just the News, No Noise’ TV show. He proposed a return to paper ballots, invoking the French method as a model. However, the GOP’s disappointing results during the 2023 midterm cycle made the former president acknowledge an uncomfortable reality.
By March 2023, he grudgingly conceded the need for Republicans to accept and utilize tactics like early voting, vote-by-mail and ballot harvesting that Democrats frequently employed. He emphatically stated, ‘In states permitting ballot harvesting, we have no choice but to play Democrats at their own game.’
Trump further commented, ‘Either we emulate their tactics or we bid goodbye to our nation as we know it. We need to wise up.’ This acceptance came with the recognition that the old ways of thinking had to change if the Republicans were to regain their foothold.
‘I acknowledge and appreciate the RNC and Lara Trump for putting this into focus,’ said American First Works Executive Director Ashley Hayek, praising their intent to prioritize this matter. With these changes, the GOP shows a promising adaptability to the challenges of the evolving political landscape.
