Former President Donald Trump and his GOP allies are preparing to dispute the results of the 2024 election if he loses to Vice President Kamala Harris. They have filed dozens of lawsuits challenging election processes and voter access laws in key battleground states, laying the groundwork for potential prolonged court battles similar to those seen after Trump’s 2020 loss. The legal challenges focus on various areas, including proof of citizenship, election monitoring, mail-in ballots, overseas and military voting, and voting equipment.
Trump’s allies have filed lawsuits alleging that undocumented migrants are voting in U.S. elections, despite a lack of evidence and repeated rejections by federal courts. Trump has described the unsealing of Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith’s full criminal case against him as “election interference,” claiming that the cases are politically motivated to damage his chances in the 2024 election. He maintains these claims despite no evidence of coordination between prosecutors and the Biden administration.
Trump and his allies have also alleged that Kamala Harris’ late entrance into the presidential race was unconstitutional, but legal experts have dismissed these claims. Additionally, Trump has claimed, without evidence, that the Harris campaign was illegally spying on him, drawing from charges against three Iranian hackers.
Preparing for 2024 election disputes
As of September, Republicans and their allies have filed 72 voting rights lawsuits in the 2023-2024 election cycle, a significant increase from the 41 lawsuits filed at the same point in the 2022 midterm cycle. A state judge in Georgia recently ruled that local officials do not have the authority to reject election results, emphasizing that law enforcement is responsible for investigating voter fraud. Some Republicans in Congress have echoed Trump’s stance that they will only accept the election results if they are fair.
The process of certifying electoral college results could again become contentious, as seen in the aftermath of the 2020 election. Trump’s attempts to contest the 2020 election results through various legal claims largely failed, with only one out of 64 cases filed in battleground states being successful. Trump has stated he will accept the 2024 election results if the election is “fair and legal,” although he continues to assert that Democratic victories are only possible through cheating.
The 2024 election cycle is set to witness an extensive number of legal battles as Trump and his allies prepare to contest potential losses through the court system. Observers will be closely monitoring the unfolding events and their implications for the democratic process.
