'What a farce': Gov. DeSantis slams California's ongoing vote counting weeks after election



Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized California on Wednesday for its ongoing ballot counting weeks after the November 5 election.

DeSantis wrote in a post on X, "We are on the eve of Thanksgiving and California still hasn't finished counting votes. Post-election day ballot 'dumps' continue to net Democrat votes over two GOP incumbents."

'No one believes this isn't completely shady.'

He raised concerns that the ongoing ballot counting could reduce the Republican House majority to "a razor thin" margin of 220-215.

“What a farce,” DeSantis declared.

The Republican National Committee reported that it has already filed lawsuits against several states, including California, for counting mail-in ballots after Election Day.

RNC Chairman Michael Whatley called it "absurd." He noted that California allows ballots received a week after Election Day to be counted, adding that it has taken the state "almost a month to count them."

"Every vote in every state matters, and the RNC will work with our state parties and candidates to ensure Election Integrity across the country. It is clear that we need real election reforms to Protect the Vote in California," Whatley declared in a post on X.

He stated that the RNC and the California Republican Party "have been on the ground with attorneys and observers across the state throughout the process of voting, curing, and counting."

Fox News Digital reported that the RNC partnered with the National Republican Congressional Committee and Elon Musk's America PAC to launch a ballot-curing operation in California.

Gates McGavick, senior adviser to Whatley, told the news outlet, "The RNC, NRCC, and CAGOP's election integrity operation was on the ground in California before Election Day, on Election Day, and has continued working ever since November 5th. Our attorneys and trained volunteers are in place to ensure transparency throughout the election process."

The vast majority of voters in California opt to mail in their ballots, which has reportedly slowed down the tabulating process. During the 2022 election, nearly 90% of the votes cast were via mail-in ballots.

Due to California's prolonged ballot counting, several local races still have not been called, including House bids for the 13th and 45th Congressional Districts.

Former Acting Director of U.S. National Intelligence Richard Grenell commented on the sluggish vote counting.

Grenell wrote on X, "No one believes this isn't completely shady that California is still counting votes."

Rep. Mike Collins (R-Georgia) called on California to lose an electoral vote for every day it spends after Election Day counting the ballots.

Even Musk also commented on the state's slow progress, stating, "India counted 640 million votes in 1 day. California is still counting votes."

The California Secretary of State’s office stated earlier this month, “Counting every vote takes time, but at the CA Secretary of State’s office, we’re committed to ensuring every eligible vote is counted. Final results will be certified on December 13th. Thank you for your patience as we work to protect your voice in our democracy!”

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Will Lara Trump replace Marco Rubio in the Senate? This is what she told Liz Wheeler



Now that Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla has been chosen as Trump’s secretary of state, his Senate seat is open. Governor DeSantis is charged with appointing his replacement.

One of the names that has been floated to fill Rubio’s seat is Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump.

Today, Lara joined Liz Wheeler, host of “The Liz Wheeler Show,” to discuss the possibility.

“Is this going to happen? Do you want to be the next senator of Florida?” Liz asked.

“Obviously, this is up to Governor Ron DeSantis, and we’ll see who he ultimately feels is the right fit for the seat, but look – they’re big shoes to fill, obviously. Marco Rubio has held this Senate seat for a long time, and he really has the trust of the people of the state of Florida,” Lara responded, praising DeSantis for turning Florida from a swing state into a reliably red state.

“Now whether or not he wants me to be appointed to this position, obviously that's his decision to make, but here's what I can tell you: It has really been an honor to serve in the capacity that I have as co-chair of the RNC,” she told Liz.

“If I am asked to serve as the next senator from the state of Florida, it would truly be an honor. I have yet to be asked that, and we'll see what happens, but it would be something that I would absolutely consider doing,” she added.

“So you would say yes if Governor DeSantis said, ‘Do you want to be the next Senator from the state of Florida?”’ Liz asked.

“I would say yes,” she confirmed.

To hear more of their conversation, including about President Donald J. Trump's transition efforts and how the RNC enacted election integrity in Pennsylvania and beyond, watch the episode above.

Want more from Liz Wheeler?

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Dem Bucks County official backpedals on apparent vow to count illegal ballots: 'Misinterpretation'



Bucks County Board of Commissioners Chair Diane Ellis-Marseglia (D) is backpedaling on her pledge to count illegal ballots in the Senate election between Democratic incumbent Bob Casey and Republican challenger Dave McCormick.

While multiple news outlets declared McCormick the winner, Casey has refused to concede the race, instead demanding a recount since the results were within the 0.5% margin that could trigger such a review.

'Misinterpretation of [an] inartfully worded statement on my part.'

The recount has sparked concerns about election integrity after Ellis-Marseglia basically admitted she planned to defy the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's order not to count undated or misdated mail ballots.

"People violate laws any time they want," Ellis-Marseglia stated. "So, for me, if I violate this law it's because I want a court to pay attention. There's nothing more important than counting votes."

Again, on Monday, the state's Supreme Court ruled that undated and misdated ballots cannot be counted.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley accused Democrats of "brazenly trying to break the law by attempting to count illegal ballots" to "steal the seat" from the Republican candidate.

"The RNC has filed four lawsuits over this already and will fight for as long as necessary," Whatley said. "This is the exact kind of left-wing election interference that undermines voter confidence."

On Monday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) broke his silence on the matter, claiming that there was "a lack of legal clarity surrounding undated mail-in ballots that caused significant confusion and put counties in a challenging legal position."

He stated that county officials "were damned if they did and damned if they didn't — likely facing legal action no matter which decision they made on counting."

"As we move forward, I want to be clear: any insinuation that our laws can be ignored or do not matter is irresponsible and does damage the faith in our electoral process," Shapiro stated, presumably referring to Ellis-Marseglia's previous statement.

"The rule of law matters in this Commonwealth, and as I have always said, it is critical for counties and officials in both parties to respect it with both their rhetoric and their actions," he added.

Whatley called Shapiro's statement "better late than never."

"Heartening to see. Once Democrats came to the conclusion that even ignoring the Pennsylvania Supreme Court can't scrape up enough ballots to win ... Governor Shapiro suddenly discovers that he stands with the rule of law," Whatley said.

Later that day, Ellis-Marseglia appeared to backpedal on her previous comments, according to a report from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

She blamed a "misinterpretation of [an] inartfully worded statement on my part."

"I apologize for all the upset and confusion it caused," she said.

Ellis-Marseglia claimed that the court's reaffirmed ruling on Monday provided some much-needed clarity.

"This is exactly what I was hoping for, for the court to weigh in and give us clarity," she said. "We were under a stay, and now we have full clarity."

Blaze News reached out to Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn to determine whether her office plans to open an investigation into the matter. However, Schorn did not respond to a request for comment.

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Pennsylvania Supreme Court Once Again Rules Counties Shall Not Count Illegal Ballots

In its decision, the PA Supreme Court ordered that all counties, “SHALL COMPLY with the prior rulings of this Court.'

Democrats Couldn’t Get Away With 2020-Style Election Shenanigans In 2024 Thanks To The Election Integrity Movement

Donald Trump won in a landslide in part because Republicans and conservatives mobilized like never before to ensure free and fair elections.

Bad Laws, Fishy Delays, And Polling Place Headaches Show The Election Integrity Movement’s Work Isn’t Over

The work of minimizing election fraud continues as long as anyone wants to control a candidate, a movement, or power over land and resources.

Swing State’s Biggest City Has To Recount 31,000 Votes, ‘Wildly Extending’ Result Times

'We are unambiguously calling on Milwaukee’s officials to do their jobs'

'Stay in line!' Technical issues at polls not deterring voters in deep-red Pennsylvania county



The Trump campaign and Republican lawmakers are urging Pennsylvania voters to proceed to their polling places and to remain in line despite the malfunctions now affecting various voting machines in the Keystone State.

Footage went viral Tuesday morning showing an election official notifying frustrated Pennsylvania voters that the voting machines on site and elsewhere in Cambria County were down.

"Literally everybody in the county is having the exact same problem," said the official, adding that would-be voters could either wait in line or fill out a ballot for her to take later to the courthouse.

Concerned Americans flooded the comments with questions about possible election shenanigans, their confidence having likely already been shaken by recent reports of alleged "large scale" voter fraud and poll watchers being turned away in various areas in Pennsylvania.

'No one should be turned away from the polls if they wish to cast their vote.'

The Pennsylvania Department of State confirmed that the malfunctions were taking place in Cambria County, where Trump beat Biden in 2020 by 37 percentage points, and noted that "voters are continuing to vote by paper ballot, in accordance with normal operations, while the county resolves the issue with in-precinct scanning."

"We are working with the County to resolve this technical matter and remain committed to ensuring a free, fair, safe, and secure election," said the department.

Cambria County solicitor Ron Repak said in a statement:

The Cambria County Board of Election learned early this morning that a software malfunction in the County’s Electronic Voting System has prevented voters from scanning their ballots. This should not discourage voters from voting at their voting precincts. The Board has filed a Court Order extending the time to vote within Cambria County. No one should be turned away from the polls if they wish to cast their vote.

The Republican Party amplified the suggestion by Alex Meyer, deputy political director for the Trump campaign, that "voters should still proceed to their polling places as planned."

"The voting process is ongoing, and a court order has been filed in hopes of extended voting hours to 10pm to ensure everyone has an opportunity to cast their ballot," Meyer wrote on X.

'Do it for Corey.'

"Both electronic voting via express voting machines and hand-marked paper ballots are available at polling places. Completed ballots, regardless of format, will be accepted, secured, and counted by the Board of Elections," continued Meyer.

Meyer noted further that the county's board of elections has assured voters that all submitted ballots "will be safeguarded and included in the final count."

GOP chairman Michael Whatley emphasized the importance of voters remaining in line:

We understand that there are some line delays on the ground. We need you to stay in line. We need you to fill out your ballot in full and deliver it. Our Pennsylvania lawyers are all over this issue and will ensure fairness and accuracy in the process. Stay in line! Deliver your ballot!

Various other conservatives implored Republican voters to stick it out.

Jack Posobiec, senior editor at Human Events, wrote, for instance, "For every second you get stuck in line or face an issue at the polls[,] Remember there is one man who wasn't able to vote this year[.] A Pennsylvanian[.] His name was Corey Comperatore[.] Do it for Corey."

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna tweeted, "Stay in line!"

Mike Davis of the Article III Project noted that despite the voter machine issues, "Kamala Democrats are fighting in court against a mere 3-hour extension to ensure voters can vote. Kamala Democrats are fighting to disenfranchise voters on Election Day. Stay in line, Trump voters."

WTAJ-TV reported that just before 11 a.m., a court ordered that Cambria County polls will remain open until 10 p.m., affording voters additional time to cast their votes.

Pollsters have indicated that the election may hinge on the final result in Pennsylvania, where AtlasIntel's final poll showed President Donald Trump leading by 1 percentage point.

This is a developing story and may be updated with additional information.

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Republican Poll Watchers Blocked From Duty In Multiple Pennsylvania Counties

Republican poll observers were also turned away in at least eight counties.

Georgia Supreme Court Rules That Ballots Submitted After Election Day Will Not Be Counted

Georgia Supreme Court rules late absentee ballots can't be counted