speculation... a loss with the Calif recall election will bolster GOP efforts to suppress votes

[Demovictory9]

Elder has also followed in Trump's footsteps in recent days by baselessly suggesting "there might very well be shenanigans" in the recall election. Trump himself weighed in to say the upcoming election was "probably rigged."

This kind of talk is unlikely to help Elder become governor, but sowing doubts about the electoral process is likely to become additional fodder for efforts to pass voter restriction laws like those being passed in a number of red states. To be clear, California, a blue state that has successfully expanded voter access, isn't going to pass voter suppression laws just because Elder baselessly kvetches about election fraud. But it is entirely possible Republican politicians will repeat these claims to bolster voter suppression efforts in other states.


It's clear Newsom never wanted a recall, but once Elder became the Republican frontrunner, it was easier for the governor to define the race and mobilize his huge Democratic base. While Elder's campaign has been a gift to the Democrats in the short term, it may help undermine our democratic processes and make it harder to vote in the long run.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/11/opinions/larry-elders-a-gift-to-gavin-newsom-recall-election-mitchell/index.html