Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called for the GOP to utilize ballot harvesting where it’s legal.
Although the Florida governor said ballot harvesting is not the way to conduct an election, he said Republicans shouldn’t fight “with one hand behind their backs.”
“But I will say this. Do what Florida did. Get rid of ballot harvesting. Get rid of Zuckerbucks. But if that’s not the law in your state, you need to use those rules for Republicans advantage,” DeSantis said.
“You can’t have Republicans fighting with one hand behind their backs. And so I think you should have ballot harvesting where it’s legal, and then fight to have the legislatures in those states get rid of it because that’s not the way you should conduct an election.”
“But if you let Democrats do all this and all we do is complain about it, you’re giving the Democrats an advantage and I’m sick of that,” he added.
WATCH:
WATCH: DeSantis calls on GOP to ramp up ballot harvesting effort in wake of Wis. loss
"You need to use those rules for Republicans advantage. You can't have Republicans fighting with one hand behind their back […] You're giving the Democrats an advantage and I'm sick of that." pic.twitter.com/vPN4zcaqbG
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) April 6, 2023
DeSantis made the comments following the Wisconsin Supreme Court election, which resulted in a liberal majority for the first time in 15 years.
Florida's Voice reported:
At a speech at the Midland County GOP’s annual breakfast, Gov. Ron DeSantis called on Republicans across the country to stop handing Democrats an “advantage” by not utilizing voting tactics like ballot harvesting where legal.
DeSantis pointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, where the conservative-leaning candidate, Daniel Kelly, lost to liberal-leaning Janet Protasiewicz by double digits.
“What I see around the country with Republicans is they started to develop a culture of losing,” he said. “This is something we saw in Wisconsin with this Supreme Court race.”
“We [also] saw it with a very disappointing midterm election.”
DeSantis pointed to Florida, which he touted as having a “culture of winning” for Republicans.
“We have a culture of execution and we have a culture of delivering results, and you need to be able to win,” he said.
President Trump previously said the GOP will have "no choice" but to embrace ballot harvesting where it's legal to win the 2024 election.
WATCH:
BREAKING: In last night’s Sean Hannity interview, President Trump, talks ballot harvesting and early voting.
"We feel confident that Rethink! GOP is poised to help Republicans close 10% gaps nationwide in 2024." - Robert Duran IV pic.twitter.com/oJH59mB6KX
— Rethink! GOP (@rethink_gop) March 28, 2023
Trump says GOP has 'no choice' but to embrace ballot harvesting | Just The News https://t.co/XG85lFmUvE
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) March 28, 2023
From Just the News:
Former President Donald Trump on Monday asserted that Republicans must embrace ballot harvesting in the states that permit the practice in order to win the next election.
"So for 2024, should Republicans embrace early voting, voting by mail, and embrace the tactics of the Democrats and follow the ballot harvesting laws of their respective states?" Fox News' Sean Hannity asked in an interview that premiered Monday.
"They're gonna have no choice," Trump told him.
Ballot harvesting refers to the practice of a third-party collecting completed absentee ballots and submitting them en masse rather than the individual voters sending them directly.
The practice has come under intense scrutiny, especially from Republicans who have contended that it renders votes vulnerable to election fraud. Its legality varies by state.
At Donald Trump's Waco rally, Mike Lindell said he's talked to Trump about ballot harvesting.
Lindell said "we're not going to do what they're doing."
"We're not going to ballot harvest. You will not hear him saying that. We worked two years to get same-day voting, paper ballots, hand-counted, no machines, and if you say that we want to do what they do, ballot harvest, and do this, the Republicans would just make it legal to do what's illegal in a lot of states and it's over. We lose our country," Lindell explained.
"So that narrative, you will not hear him saying that anymore."
WATCH:
Mike Lindell says he was very upset at Trump after he said in his last speech that Republicans were going to start ballot harvesting. He said he had a stern talk with Trump after he said that, and vows that Trump will never say it again. pic.twitter.com/qLIBQUvRDQ
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) March 25, 2023
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