RNC rails against California's late mail-in ballot counting amid national litigation: 'It is absurd'

"It is absurd for California to accept ballots by mail up to 7 days after Election Day and take almost a month to count them," RNC Chairman Michael Whatley wrote on X. 

Whatley said the RNC, alongside the California Republican Party, "will continue to fight aggressively to force all states to stop accepting ballots after Election Day." 

Republicans on the ground in California are working with attorneys and observers "throughout the process of voting, curing, and counting," he added. The RNC has also partnered with the National Republican Congressional Committee and Elon Musk's PAC to launch a new statewide ballot curing operation. 

"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," Gates McGavick, senior adviser to Whatley, told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

California's vote-counting process has been prolonged due to the high volume of mail-in-ballots, with a majority of Californians opting to vote by mail. In the state's 2022 election, nearly 90% of votes were cast via mail-in ballots.

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

"The right to freely cast your vote is the foundation of our democracy and Huntington Beach's voter ID policy flies in the face of this principle," state Attorney General Bob Bonta said in a statement at the time.

President-Elect Trump has also taken notice of California's voter ID laws, writing on his Truth Social account he would demand proof of citizenship and voter ID in elections. Meanwhile, Newsom is gearing up to "Trump-proof" the state and has called an emergency special legislative session on Dec. 2.