Trump Campaign Loses Ruling on NJ Vote-Counting Plan

Trump’s Campaign Can’t Block New Jersey’s Plan to accept Mail-in-Ballots Lacking a Postmark for as many as Two Days after Election Day, a Federal Judge Ruled.

U.S. District Judge, Michael Shipp, on Tuesday Oct. 6th, Denied a Request from the Trump Campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC) for a Preliminary Injunction against the Voting Measures, saying New Jersey’s Legislature was Within its Rights to set New Voting Rules during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The Judge said Evidence showed that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), which has been Plagued by Operational Problems, sometimes Failed to Postmark Election Mail because Envelopes stuck together during Machine Processing or Employees weren’t aware it was needed for Prepaid Election Mail. In other Cases, the USPS Postmarked Mail at least a Day after it was Received.

“We disagree with the court’s ruling, which leaves open the possibility that ballots be cast even after Election Day, diminishing the integrity of the process and confidence in the results,” RNC Spokesperson, Mandi Merritt said, adding that the Organization is “weighing our options for appeal.”

The RNC and the Campaign alleged that the Provisions Violated the U.S. Constitution and Federal Law Governing Election Day.

Republicans and Democrats are Clashing in Courts across the U.S. over Rules for Mail-in-Voting, with a Record Surge in Absentee Ballots expected. Democrats have largely been Suing to Ease the Rules on Absentee Voting, while the Trump’s Campaign and the RNC have Claimed without Evidence that a Surge in the Use of Mail-in-Ballots would Lead to a “rigged” Election.

New Jersey’s Legislature has Agreed to Accept Ballots until Nov. 10th as long as they’re Postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 3rd. Shipp’s Ruling Covers how the State will handle Ballots without a Postmark.

Shipp also Denied the Campaign’s Request to Bar New Jersey from Starting to Count Mail-in-Bballots 10 days before Election Day, Ruling that the State was Free to do so “as long as the election is not consummated and the results reported before the polls close” on Nov. 3rd. He said Examples of Voter Fraud cited by the Trump Campaign had Nothing to do with the Early Canvassing of Ballots or the Counting of Mail-in-Votes Lacking Postmarks.

Scott Salmon, the Attorney Representing New Jersey in the Lawsuit, said the Ruling “probably means the end” of the Suit, at least until after Election Day. It means in part that “there’s no emergency here,” Salmon said.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker