GOP Reportedly Gearing Up to Replace Poll Workers With Operative ‘Army’ to Challenge Swing State Elections

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A new report Wednesday published Wednesday by Politico details the Republican Party’s “multi-pronged strategy” to try and overturn results in heavily Democratic precincts by gaining influence over election workers.

The report by Heidi Przybyla is based on a series of recordings from GOP meetings from the summer of 2021 to this month regarding the training of election workers and “establishing a network of party-friendly district attorneys who could intervene to block vote counts at certain precincts.”

“The plan, as outlined by a Republican National Committee staffer in Michigan, includes utilizing rules designed to provide political balance among poll workers to install party-trained volunteers prepared to challenge voters at Democratic-majority polling places,” writes Przybyla – outlining the thrust of the strategy.

The Republican National Committee’s election integrity director for Michigan, Matthew Seifried, is heard on one recording saying, “it’s going to be an army.”

“We’re going to have more lawyers than we’ve ever recruited, because let’s be honest, that’s where it’s going to be fought, right?” he adds, according to Politico’s review of the recordings.

“Being a poll worker, you just have so many more rights and things you can do to stop something than [as] a poll challenger,” he says in another recording, offering insight as to why the party is going after poll workers directly.

The RNC commented for the story, claiming they are trying to “rectify an imbalance in favor of Democratic election workers in large urban areas.”

“Democrats have had a monopoly on poll watching for 40 years, and it speaks volumes that they’re terrified of an even playing field,” said RNC spokesperson to Politico.

Election watchdog group Issue One, however, took severe issue with that characterization with their CEO telling Politico, “This is completely unprecedented in the history of American elections that a political party would be working at this granular level to put a network together. It looks like now the Trump forces are going directly after the legal system itself and that should concern everyone.”

RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel blasted the report online, saying, “This type of biased and inaccurate ‘reporting’ from Politico does nothing but undermine faith in our election process while smearing Americans working for free and fair elections.”

This type of biased and inaccurate “reporting” from Politico does nothing but undermine faith in our election process while smearing Americans working for free and fair elections.

The RNC is following precedent, the law, and best practices. Politico should know better. (7/7)

— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) June 1, 2022

“The RNC doesn’t conduct poll worker training, we just facilitate,” she claimed, in an effort to refute the story.

“We hold workshops connecting potential poll workers to local election officials. The training to be a poll worker is done by the local election officials,” she added.

The RNC doesn’t conduct poll worker training, we just facilitate.

We hold workshops connecting potential poll workers to local election officials. The training to be a poll worker is done by the local election officials. (4/7)

— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) June 1, 2022