From California Republican Party Press Release:

California Republican Party Sues Governor Newsom to Prohibit Ballot Harvesting For California’s May 12 Special Elections

SACRAMENTO – The California Republican Party today filed suit in Sacramento Superior Court asking Governor Newsom to prohibit ballot harvesting ahead of the May 12 Special Elections in Congressional District 25 and State Senate District 28.

“Governor Gavin Newsom has yet to make clear that ballot harvesting stands in direct conflict with the social distancing guidelines he claims to support,” said California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson.

“The governor’s stay-at-home order clearly prohibits ballot harvesting, and we are asking him to break his silence and prohibit the practice ahead of California’s Special Elections.

“Governor Newsom has told Californians that they can’t open their businesses, their kids can’t go to school, and they can’t attend family events including weddings and funerals. If we can’t see our mothers on Mother’s Day, then strangers shouldn’t be visiting our homes to collect ballots. He must stop dodging this issue. His silence is irresponsible and is putting Californians’ lives at risk – and without direction from the Democrats in office, we need the courts to weigh in,” concluded Patterson.

BACKGROUND

• On March 19, 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide “Stay-at-Home Order” directing all California residents to shelter in place unless they were essential workers.
• As Californians look to participate in the upcoming special elections on May 12, the California GOP is now demanding Gov. Newsom make clear that his order prohibits ballot harvesting, which involves a stranger visiting a voter’s home and returning that voter’s ballot to the election officials.
• Strangers should not be going to voters’ homes to collect ballots, as it is a threat to the health and well being of Californians and could increase the spread of COVID-19.
• Despite receiving a letter from the California GOP demanding answers weeks ago, Governor Newsom has been dodging the issue and putting Californians’ lives at risk.

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McHenry County Blog COMMENTARY: As previously written earlier this month, the special election for the vacant California 25th congressional district between Republican Mike Garcia and Democrat Christy Smith will set the tone for general election congressional campaigns in Illinois later this year, in the 6th and 14th districts.

And as written earlier this week, “ballot harvesting”, as the press release described, “involves a stranger visiting a voter’s home and returning that voter’s ballot to the election officials”, could become a major concern for the loss of the freedom of elections in Illinois and around the nation.

If certain Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), have their way and the General Election in November becomes an all vote-by-mail (VBM) election, unless prohibited at the Federal level, California-style ballot harvesting could become a national tool that results in ballot fraud.

Governor Newsom, 52, who’s a nephew of Pelosi’s (through marriage), has seen his popularity grow in the past month and a half with his handling of the Coronavirus Pandemic in California. Newsom, along with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D), have become household names across the country because of the pandemic and national news coverage in their respective states.

The race for the vacant congressional seat is very tight in the suburban southern California district north of Los Angeles.

An irony when comparing the suit against Newsom compared to the two suits in Illinois against Governor J.B. Pritzker. In Illinois, Republican legislators are challenging the legality of the stay-at-home order extension. In California, the GOP is using Newsom’s stay-at-home order to prevent ballot harvesting.

Due to the pandemic, the special election on May 12 was ordered by Newsom to be all VBM.

On April 13, all registered voters in the congressional district received mail-in ballots in the mail, and the deadline for voters to cast their ballot is a postmark of May 12.

As written in Monday’s article, ballot harvesting can take on many forms, based on state laws. Some states totally outlaw the practice, while states like California have liberal laws.

But given the pandemic, the special election has shown a new meaning of harvesting VBM ballots, where usually, harvesting takes place after the voter fills out their vote and signs the ballot and seals it in envelope.

But as RedState deputy managing editor Jennifer Van Laar, who lives in the CA-25 district, discovered ballots are apparently being “harvested” from voter mailboxes BEFORE the voter can cast their ballot, as this tweet and accompanying pic shows, and whose mailboxes were targeted:

Do mainstream voters really want to see an all VBM election expanded nationwide in November?

More to come on the CA-25, and messaging that could apply to Illinois’ congressional races.