California recall election against Democratic Governor
Gavin Newsom is still open but the Republican ranks are already hearing
whispers of election fraud even as the party leaders were persuading their
voters to turn out on Tuesday.

Larry Elder, the leading Republican candidate in the fray against
Newsom, has said he believes “there might very well be shenanigans, as
there were in the 2020 election.”

Also read: California recall election: How many governors have been replaced before?

Elder’s campaign website contains a link to a “Stop CA
Fraud” website which encourages people to report suspicious voting
activity or sign a petition demanding a special legislative session to
investigate the election. The language of the petition is lifted from the one  circulated to help former President Donald
Trump’s effort to overturn the presidential election results of 2020.

Trump also jumped on the bandwagon by issuing a statement
saying, “Does anybody really believe the California Recall Election isn’t
rigged?,” the Associated Press reported.

Also read: California recall election: A look at candidates in the fray

That message puts Republican Party officials in a problem as they encourage everyone to vote while also promoting a narrative
that California’s election security cannot be trusted.

Much of the GOP criticism of California’s elections has
focused on the wide use of mail-in ballots, which have been automatically sent
to all active registered voters for state elections since the start of the
coronavirus pandemic. An overwhelming majority of California voters cast
ballots by mail even before the pandemic, and no widespread voter fraud issues
have surfaced.

Mike Sanchez, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County
Registrar’s Office, said voting by mail is “trusted, secure and
safe.”

Also read: Who is Larry Elder, GOP candidate in California recall election race?

“There are extensive protocols in place that ensure the
security and verification of all returned vote by mail ballots. The claims made
disregard and misrepresent those safeguards. As a result, their messaging could
be confusing to voters and discourage participation,”  Sanchez said

The GOP’s predicament is similar to the one from last year’s
presidential election, when many in the party feared that Trump’s claims about
widespread fraud from an expansion of mail-in voting during the pandemic would
backfire. They were concerned his message would convince many Republicans to
stay home.

Also read: California Recall: The areas that may decide Gavin Newsom’s survival

In California, the GOP needs all the help it can get.

The party has just 24% of registered voters, compared with
46.5% for Democrats. People registered to vote without a political party are
roughly equal to registered Republicans, but typically align their votes with
Democrats. Republicans have not won a statewide office since 2006, when Arnold
Schwarzenegger won reelection to governor.