In an outrageous display of federal overreach, President Trump’s executive order aims to ban counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day, setting up a constitutional showdown with 19 states that have filed legal challenges.
At a Glance
- Trump’s executive order targets mail-in ballots received after Election Day, despite some states having practiced this since 1917
- Eighteen states plus territories currently allow counting of late-arriving mail-in ballots
- Republicans claim extended counting periods reduce election security, despite no evidence supporting this assertion
- Critics argue the Constitution clearly grants states, not the federal government, authority over election processes
- Several Republican-led states have already passed laws requiring ballots be received by Election Day
The Federal Government’s Latest Power Grab
Once again, we’re witnessing the all-too-familiar sight of Washington bureaucrats trying to dictate how states run their elections. President Trump’s executive order challenging the counting of mail-in ballots received after Election Day represents yet another attempt to centralize power that constitutionally belongs to the states. This heavy-handed approach has predictably triggered legal challenges from 19 states that understand something apparently lost on Washington: the Constitution doesn’t grant the federal government authority to micromanage state election procedures.
“The president has no ability to tell the states how to run their elections.” – Barbara Smith Warner
The Left’s Double Standard on Election Integrity
The hypocrisy from the left on this issue is truly breathtaking. These are the same folks who screamed “threat to democracy” at every turn during the last administration, yet they see no problem with ballot counting that drags on for weeks after Election Day. Take California, for instance, where they had over 315,000 ballots still uncounted three weeks after the November election. Their officials have a full 30 days to certify results, a timeline that would make a snail look speedy and creates a perfect environment for suspicion and distrust to flourish.
It’s worth noting that Washington state has been accepting late-arriving mail ballots since 1917, with election official Stuart Holmes explaining: “At no fault of the voters, there could be some unforeseen delay in getting that to the county auditor’s office or otherwise prevented to be received on Election Day.”
The Common-Sense Approach
Let’s get real for a moment. In what other area of life do we accept deadlines as mere suggestions? Try telling the IRS that your tax return was “in the mail” by April 15th but arrived a week later and see how that works out. Election Day is called “Election Day” for a reason – it’s not “Election Week” or “Election Month.” The continued acceptance of ballots long after polls close creates unnecessary confusion, breeds distrust, and frankly, makes America look like a banana republic compared to other developed nations that manage to count their votes promptly.
Several states with Republican leadership have recognized this problem and taken action. Kansas, North Dakota, and Utah have all passed laws requiring mailed ballots to be received by Election Day – not postmarked, but actually received. Even California, the poster child for delayed results, is considering legislation to speed up its counting process, requiring most ballots to be counted within 13 days after the election. When California thinks your counting process is too slow, that should tell you something.
The Constitutional Reality Check
Despite what the media talking heads would have you believe, this isn’t about “voter suppression” or any other buzzword they’ve cooked up in their progressive think tanks. This is about having a clear, uniform standard that respects both the voters’ time and the integrity of our electoral system. The Supreme Court is currently considering a challenge from Illinois regarding mail ballot deadlines, which could finally bring some sanity to this chaos. After all, if we can put a man on the moon and carry supercomputers in our pockets, surely we can figure out how to count votes in a timely manner.
“In the nation’s history, there has literally never been an official presidential election result on Election Night.” – Justin Levitt
While it’s technically true that official results have never been certified on Election Night, Americans have traditionally known who won major elections before they went to bed. The growing normalization of extended counting periods doesn’t serve democracy – it serves those who benefit from confusion, doubt, and the ability to “find” just enough votes in the days following an election. It’s time we returned to a system where Election Day means something, where results are prompt and transparent, and where Americans can go to sleep knowing who their next president will be.
