Author:

Apprentice alum joins Women for Trump, speaks out against ‘sad’ Harris-supporting contestants

One Apprentice alum and attorney has joined the campaign for Donald Trump as some alumni of the reality show have publicly endorsed Kamala Harris ahead of Tuesday’s presidential election. Erin Elmore appeared on season three of NBC’s The Apprentice in 2006 and was “fired” after nine episodes, but she says the experience was immeasurable in the impact both it and Trump have had on her career. Elmore is one of the 11 Apprentice contestants who recently penned a public letter in support of former President Trump’s re-election bid after another cohort publicly endorsed Vice President Harris. ‘APPRENTICE’ ALUMNI, INCLUDING SEASON WINNER, SUPPORT TRUMP IN ELECTION’S CLOSING DAYS: ‘GRATEFUL’ Their letter read, “it is disappointing and shameful that these contestants would use the platform that Donald Trump gave them to attack him in this manner. Is this the thanks he gets for literally changing the trajectory of our lives?”  A letter obtained by Politico from six people formerly involved with The Apprentice claimed that former President Trump is a “divisive, self-interested, and erratic leader with a fragile ego.” Elmore wholeheartedly disagrees with the letter’s characterization, claiming in an interview with Fox News Digital that “every bit of success I have in this life and everything that I’m doing is because of Donald Trump.” She joined the show in 2006 as a 26-year-old who had recently graduated law school and made it nearly all the way through season 3.  FORMER NBC BIGWIG LAMENTS CREATING A ‘MONSTER’ BY POPULARIZING TRUMP WITH ‘THE APPRENTICE,’ ENDORSES HARRIS “Yes, I heard the words, ‘you’re fired.’ But I was rehired on the campaign many, many years later,” said Elmore in an interview with Fox News Digital. “But before we get into that, you know, Donald Trump was someone that saw a young person who was ambitious; he gave me every opportunity in the world. After I left the show, he asked me, ‘what do you want to do?’ And I said, ‘I want to get into journalism.’ And he wrote me a letter of recommendation, handed me a folio with people that I could contact. He said, This is on you. This is your job to do it.” Elmore landed a job in news media after her time on the show in Jacksonville, Florida before going on to work at QVC. She says everything changed when Donald Trump first went down that escalator in 2015 and threw his hat in the ring for commander-in-chief. “I was there for about ten years and I was very comfortable,” said Elmore to Fox News Digital. “I had gotten married. I had had a child. And by the way, in both of those monumental situations in my life, who did I get surprise phone calls from Donald Trump saying, ‘congratulations on your wedding. I heard you had a beautiful son. Congratulations.’ So our paths were always connected.”  “But when he came down that golden escalator and said he was running for president, I called his personal assistant that I kept in touch with over those ten years. I said, ‘Rona, I am quitting my job. I have a six-month-old baby at home. I am going to dedicate my life to getting this man elected.” Erin Elmore served as a deputy press secretary in 2016 for the RNC and as a Trump surrogate in the same cycle. She has stepped up again in 2024 for re-election efforts as part of the Women for Trump bus tour visiting swing states with figures like Lara Trump. She says that she finds it “sad” that other alumni from the Apprentice haven’t seen the character she sees in former president Trump. “Not only were you exposed to the American platform, you had everyone in America watching you,” said Elmore to Fox News Digital. “But Donald Trump gave us the opportunity to meet with titans of industry, business leaders, CEOs–the networking opportunities were absolutely to the moon.” “And I just don’t know how anyone could possibly say that they weren’t afforded every opportunity in the world. Yes, I approached Donald Trump after I was on the show and I said, ‘Would you write me a letter of recommendation? Would you help me with some job opportunities?’ But you know what? That’s how the world works. We have to pick ourselves up by the bootstraps and make ourselves successful. And the fact that these people can’t really see what the show has done for them is just sad and it speaks more about them than it does about us,” added Elmore. As for what’s in store after next week’s presidential election, Elmore says she plans to first focus on her family, including her son’s student council campaign. “We’re all scared. We’re all emotional. But to me, the most important thing is being a good wife and a mother,” said Elmore. “And I’ve been in this game a long time and I know so many people want so many amazing things. I think what I’m going to do is I’m going to manage my son’s student council campaign, because I know exactly what to do in politics.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “And if I, as my husband also says, ‘never say no to a job you haven’t yet been offered,” she added. “So if I am offered a position, I will once again, like I did in 2016, pick up that phone and say, ‘President Trump, whatever you need. I am there because I believe in you and I support you.”

Arizona high court rules Secretary of State must turn over list of noncitizens on voter roll

Maricopa County must provide a conservative watchdog group with a list of noncitizens currently registered to vote, the Arizona Superior Court ruled on Thursday. America First Legal (AFL) filed the suit in August. “As the Court admonished the parties prior to and during the hearing, the issue for the Court to decide is whether the records that Plaintiff requested must be released pursuant to Arizona’s public records law,” the high court’s order reads. “Despite the political undertones, this is simply a public records case.” During an evidentiary hearing, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes testified that a system error had affected approximately 218,000 registered voters, the court document states. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ON VOTER ROLLS SPURS WATCHDOG GROUP TO SUE MARICOPA COUNTY The order notes that Fontes acknowledged having a partial list of about 98,000 voters who have not confirmed their proof of citizenship but stated that no complete list of all 218,000 affected voters exists. Fontes attributed a government press release’s mention of a complete list to “hasty drafting” and unclear language. He also claimed that the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) had not provided him with any list containing personal information for the additional voters potentially lacking sufficient documentation.  However, the court concluded his testimony was inconsistent; Fontes initially denied possessing the list of 98,000 voters before amending his statement. “His testimony suggested that he lacked detailed familiarity with the AZSOS’s [Arizona Secretary of State] efforts with regard to the issue and with regard to the records in the possession of the AZSOS related to the 218,000 individuals,” the court document states. Additionally, the order chides Arizona’s Department of State for presenting Professor Robert Pape, a political science professor at the University of Chicago, as an expert witness.  IN ARIZONA SPEECH, VANCE SAYS NEXT PRESIDENT MUST PUT AMERICANS FIRST, SLAMS FEMA MONEY FOR MIGRANTS The court said it assigned minimal weight to his testimony and report. Much of Pape’s testimony focused on national trends in political violence, lacking specific analysis related to Arizona, according to the court document.  During cross-examination, Pape acknowledged that he had conducted no research pertinent to the state. His assertion that releasing the requested information could lead to violence or harassment was largely speculative and based solely on national statistics, the court document notes. “The credibility of Professor Pape’s testimony and report was further diminished by what appeared to be gratuitous political bias in his report and in his testimony,” the high court concluded. “The Professor’s opinions regarding general political violence focused almost entirely on allegations of past and anticipated prospective violence from only one side of the political spectrum, and only related to former president Donald Trump.” Fontes and Pape “argued that producing the list of 218,000 voters to to AFL’s client would expose those individuals to the risk of harassment and violence.” FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: VOTER OUTREACH, BALLOT EFFICIENCY AND A LITTLE HOUSEKEEPING “However, the only evidence they presented was about generalized threats of elected-related political violence, most against elected officials,” the court document read. “They failed to identify any specific threats of violence or harassment.” The decision comes after AFL filed suit on behalf of the nonprofit group Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona and Yvonne Cahill, a registered voter and naturalized citizen in Maricopa County, in August.  AFL had previously given Maricopa County one week to address the alleged noncitizens on its voter rolls. The lawsuit claims that, as of April 2024, more than 35,000 registered voters in Arizona had not provided proof of citizenship, limiting them to voting only in federal races, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office. The lawsuit alleges that Arizona’s voter registration system creates a split between those who provide proof of citizenship (DPOC) and those who do not. Under Arizona law, DPOC is required for state and local elections, but the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the federal voter registration form does not mandate this requirement. Consequently, Arizona has a bifurcated system where voters who use the federal form – known as Federal-Only Voters – are restricted to voting only in federal elections. Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, through his attorney, stated that he would not take any action, “citing, among other things, concerns for the safety of voters, and concerns about the accuracy of the list,” and claimed his office is already complying with the law, the Arizona high court document read. On Sept. 26, Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona was informed through the secretary of state’s portal that its Public Records Request (PRR) had been “closed.” A note added to the file indicated that a response was released on Sep. 23, leading the organization to conclude that the PRR had been denied. “THE COURT FINDS specifically that the letter of September 24, 2024 and the NextRequest closure of the file with an explanatory note stating that ‘our response was released’ collectively constitute a denial of the PRR,” the high court’s Thursday order stated. Fontes told Fox News Digital that the office “is considering all of our legal options.”

Here’s how each swing state conducts a recount of ballots

Presidential election recounts are rare, but they do occur, and the rules vary by state. Among the pivotal swing states, there are different processes for requesting and conducting recounts. Of the 6,929 statewide general elections between 2000 and 2023, only 36 statewide recounts occurred, according to FairVote, a nonpartisan election research organization. If there’s a 37th on the horizon. Here are the rules that could govern it: An automatic recount is triggered in the state if the candidate with the most votes leads his closest competitor by half of 1% or less of the total votes cast for the top two contenders, according to the Arizona secretary of state’s office. FOX NEWS DEMOCRACY ’24: THE KEYS TO THE COUNT IN EVERY BATTLEGROUND STATE A court order must be issued for the process to begin. Once a recount is initiated, the paper ballots are tabulated through electronic voting equipment. If requested, a hand count may also occur after the electronic count. The Peach State does not initiate automatic recounts for elections. But candidates can request a recount from the secretary of state within two business days of the election certification if the margin of victory is less than or equal to 0.5%, according to the Georgia state website. TRUMP CAMP TAKES VICTORY LAP FOLLOWING ELECTION CASE LEGAL WIN IN BATTLEGROUND STATE While ballots are being recounted, candidates may be present or have a representative at the site. A recount may be requested by a candidate through written demand within three business days of the results being certified. However, the candidate requesting the recount must pay an advance deposit for the estimated costs of the recount for the request to proceed. The recount must start within five days of receiving the demand, according to the Nevada secretary of state’s office. A written recount request may be submitted if a race’s margin of victory is less than or equal to half of 1% or fewer than 10,000 votes. The request must be made by noon on the second business day after the county canvass, according to the North Carolina General Assembly. Candidates in Wisconsin may file a petition for a recount with the clerk or officer with whom nomination papers were filed.  In elections in which more than 4,000 votes are cast, the losing candidate may file a recount petition if the victor wins by no more than 1% of the total votes. A recount petition must state that the petitioner was a candidate for the office in question and that there is belief of a mistake or fraud. The request must be made by 5 p.m. on the third business day after the board of canvassers certifies the election results.  The Badger State does not have any limits set that trigger automatic recounts. In Michigan, a candidate may request a recount on the grounds of suspected fraud or error within the precinct. The request must be submitted no later than six days after the conclusion of the canvassing process. A deposit must be paid for each precinct in advance of a recount. A recount is automatically conducted in all precincts if there are 2,000 votes or fewer separating the top two candidates. Pennsylvania law allows three types of recounts: statewide automatic recounts ordered by the secretary of the commonwealth, recounts directed by a county board of elections and court-ordered recounts. An automatic recount occurs if the margin of victory is no more than 0.5%. A recount petition must be submitted to the secretary of state by 5 p.m. on the second Thursday after the election. A petition for a court-ordered recount must be filed by at least three qualified electors within five days of the completion of canvassing. Each petition requires a deposit in advance. In the case fraud is found, an additional five days is awarded to the interested parties to count ballots.  If a candidate wins by no more than 1%, state law allows a losing candidate to file a petition for a recount to the state board or the electoral board. The petition must be made within 10 days of the election being certified.  The process is slightly different in the case of a presidential election. Recount petitions in a presidential race must be filed by 5 p.m. on the day after results are certified. The chief judge of the circuit court, subject to review by the full court, decides whether to initiate a recount. State law requires that only one recount of the vote will take place in each precinct. After the ballots have been recounted, a court declares the results of the race.

Colleagues condemn Tarrant County GOP leader for repeated use of slurs

It’s the latest backlash over Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French’s online behavior.

Trump makes play for blue-leaning state as he briefly detours from the battlegrounds

It’s been two decades since a Republican carried New Mexico in a presidential election.  You’ve got to go back to President George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election. But former President Trump, making a brief detour from campaigning in the seven crucial battleground states that will likely determine whether he or Vice President Kamala becomes the next president, parachuted into the one-time swing state that now leans blue. “Look, I’m only here for one reason,” Trump told supporters Thursday at a rally in Albuquerque, the state’s largest city.  CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE 2024 ELECTION “They said, ‘Oh, a Republican can’t win that state.’ They say a Republican can’t win. But you know what? We’re going to win it,” the former president optimistically predicted. Trump also said his stop in New Mexico was good for his “credentials” with Hispanic voters.  WHAT THE MOST RECENT FOX NEWS POLLS SHOW IN THE HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN “I’m here for one simple reason. I like you very much, and it’s good for my credentials with the Hispanic or Latino community,” he argued. The former president is facing backlash from some Latino voters after a comedian speaking at his large rally in New York City Sunday called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” There hasn’t been an abundance of polling in New Mexico, but most recent surveys indicate the vice president with an upper single-digit lead over the former president. Although one survey suggested a tighter contest for the state’s five electoral votes. With time such a precious commodity for presidential campaigns and the clock quickly ticking toward Election Day, New Mexico Democrats said Trump’s trip to the state — his first in five years — is a fool’s errand. “Trump is wasting his time coming to our state as polling shows New Mexicans are set to reject his MAGA extremism and divisive rhetoric yet again,” Democratic Party of New Mexico spokesperson Daniel Garcia claimed in a statement ahead of the former president’s trip. Referring to the Oct. 31 stop in Albuquerque by the former president, Garcia took a verbal shot at Trump, saying “a rotund orange mass will be in Albuquerque on Halloween, and we’re not talking about a pumpkin.” Trump urged his supporters to get out and vote, saying, “New Mexico. Look, don’t make me waste a whole damn half a day here, OK.” While the former president’s New Mexico rally five days before Election Day may not boost him in the battle for the state’s five electoral votes, it could boost Republicans down ballot. Nella Domenici, the 2024 GOP Senate nominee and the daughter of New Mexico’s last Republican senator, is trying to defeat Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich, who is running in November for a third six-year term, as her party works to win back the chamber’s majority. “Trump is definitely going to help us with the independents,” Domenici predicted in a Fox News Digital interview on the eve of the former president’s visit. “People are really excited to have Trump come here.” Domenici, who spoke at the Trump rally, emphasized that “it definitely excites the base hugely, and the base is kind of a growing term.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Pro-Trump super PAC hits Harris with blistering closing ad in crucial swing states: ‘Dangerous’

FIRST ON FOX: A pro-Trump super PAC has launched a closing message ad against Vice President Kamala Harris in battleground states focusing on illegal immigration, the economy and the Biden-Harris agenda. The 60-second ad, which will be run at high frequency in Michigan and Wisconsin through Election Day, was produced by Preserve America PAC and starts off with Harris being asked on “The View” if she would have done anything “differently” than Biden over the last four years. Before Harris answers, the ad plays clips of Biden being pressed in an interview about poor economic numbers and clips of tens of thousands of illegal immigrants crossing the border as Biden was set to end Title 42. The ad then includes clips highlighting crimes allegedly committed by illegal immigrants in the United States, including the murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Texas. BIDEN ADMIN FACES MOUNTING PRESSURE TO DISMANTLE MIGRANT PAROLE PROGRAM AMID ‘STRESS’ ON SMALL TOWNS “It’s going to be chaotic for a while,” Biden says in a clip after Nungaray’s face is shown on the screen. The ad then shifts to foreign policy, highlighting the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan where 13 U.S. service members were killed.  THE FATAL FLAW IN KAMALA HARRIS’ SPEECH, MARRED BY BIDEN’S ‘GARBAGE’ COMMENT “There is not a thing that comes to mind,” Harris says at the end of the ad as she answers the initial question from the beginning of the ad. “And I’ve been a part of most of the decisions that have had impact.” The ad closes with the words, “Weak. Reckless. Dangerous. That’s the Biden-Harris agenda.” Preserve America PAC has spent over $110 million on ads targeted to Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin starting during the Summer Olympics shortly after Harris entered the race. “After opening our border and ruining our economy, Kamala deserves to be fired and we’re working every day to prevent four more years of American ruin,” Preserve America PAC senior adviser David Carney told Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris-Walz campaign for comment but did not receive a response.

Trump sues CBS News for $10 billion alleging ‘deceptive doctoring’ of Harris’ ’60 Minutes’ interview

EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump is suing CBS News for $10 billion in damages, stating the network practiced “deceptive conduct” for the purpose of election interference in its interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. Fox News Digital exclusively obtained the lawsuit filed Thursday.  Trump attorneys said the complaint comes due to “CBS’ partisan and unlawful acts of election and voter interference through malicious, deceptive, and substantial news distortion calculated to confuse, deceive, and mislead the public.”  Trump attorneys also argued the edits were done in an effort to “attempt to tip the scales in favor of the Democratic Party as the heated 2024 Presidential Election — which President Trump is leading — approaches its conclusion.”  ‘60 MINUTES’ UNDER FIRE FOR KAMALA HARRIS EDITING DECISION, HAS HISTORY OF LIBERAL CONTROVERSIES “President Trump brings this action to redress the immense harm caused to him, to his campaign, and to tens of millions of citizens in Texas and across America by CBS’s deceptive broadcasting conduct,” the lawsuit states. TRUMP SENDS LETTER TO CBS DEMANDING UNEDITED ‘60 MINUTES’ HARRIS TRANSCRIPT, TEASES POTENTIAL LAWSUIT The lawsuit comes after Trump’s attorneys wrote letters to CBS News demanding the network release the full transcript of the “60 Minutes” interview with Harris after it aired two different answers to the same question. Trump attorneys asked CBS to preserve all documents and communications related to the interview pending a potential legal battle.  CBS News refused to release the full transcript, citing the First Amendment, and rejected the assertion that it had “doctored” the Harris interview to mislead the American people. The network insisted that “the interview was not doctored” and that the program “did not hide any part of the vice president’s answer to the question at issue.”  The lawsuit filed Thursday specifically references the exchange Harris had with “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker. In a preview clip that aired on “Face the Nation,” Harris was asked why it seemed like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn’t listening to the U.S.  “Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of, many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region,” Harris responded in the “Face the Nation” clip.  CBS NEWS STATEMENT ON CONTROVERSIAL ’60 MINUTES’ EDIT FALLS FLAT ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ‘PUBLISH. THE. TRANSCRIPT.’ Harris was mocked by conservatives for offering a lengthy “word salad” to Whitaker. But when that same question aired the following night in the primetime election special, a shorter, more focused answer from the vice president followed. “We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end,” Harris said in the primetime special.  FLASHBACK: CBS NEWS RELEASED A ‘FULL TRANSCRIPT’ OF VP HARRIS INTERVIEW IN 2021 THAT DIDN’T AIR ENTIRELY ON TV Critics accused CBS News of editing Harris’ “word salad” answer to shield the vice president from further backlash, and there have been growing calls for the network to release the full transcript after it only shared transcripts of what had aired.  “To paper over Kamala’s ‘word salad’ weakness, CBS used its national platform on 60 Minutes to cross the line from the exercise of judgment in reporting to deceitful, deceptive manipulation of news,” the lawsuit states. Trump lawyers argue that news organizations “are responsible for accurately representing the truth of events, not distorting an interview to try and falsely make their preferred candidate appear coherent and decisive, which Kamala most certainly is not.” “Due to CBS’ actions, the public could not distinguish which Kamala they saw in the Interview: the candidate or the actual puppet of a behind-the-scenes editor,” the lawsuit states, noting that Whitaker’s question “was of the utmost public significance — U.S. foreign policy on the matter of the Israel/Gaza war — at a time of immense importance, mere weeks before the most critical presidential election in American history.”  Trump is demanding a jury trial and at least $10 billion in damages for CBS’ alleged “ongoing false, misleading, and deceptive acts; the attorneys’ fees and costs associated with this action; and such other relief as the court deems just and proper.”  CBS News did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.  Fox News’ Brian Flood and Joseph Wulfsohn contributed to this report. 

Fairgoers join Ken Paxton in suing Texas State Fair for allegedly violating their gun rights

Three fairgoers are requesting up to $1 million in damages and to allow guns at the State Fair.

‘Strong, conservative women’ strike back against Mark Cuban’s ‘insults’

Prominent conservative women are pushing back after billionaire and Harris campaign surrogate Mark Cuban for arguing that former President Donald Trump would never surround himself with “strong, intelligent women.” “@mcubanI’ve been a CEO and professional sports team owner JUST like you,” former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., said in response to Cuba on X Thursday. “I’m one of the millions of strong, conservative women who back Trump. You might think we’re stupid, or that we’re garbage. We think it’s time to replace you and Kamala with leaders who don’t hate us.” Loeffler’s comments come in response to Cuban’s remarks on ABC’s “The View” on Thursday morning. “Donald Trump, you never see him around strong, intelligent women. Ever,” Cuban said. “It’s just that simple. They’re intimidating to him. He doesn’t like to be challenged by them.”  TRUMP CAMPAIGN BLASTS TOP HARRIS SURROGATE MARK CUBAN FOR ‘INSULTING’ PRO-TRUMP WOMEN The remarks were quickly condemned by the Trump campaign, with campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt calling the comment “insulting.” “This is extremely insulting to the thousands of women who work for President Trump, and the tens of millions of women who are voting for him,” Leavitt said. “These women are mothers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders, and they are, indeed, strong and intelligent, despite what Mark Cuban and Kamala Harris say.”  Speaking to Fox News Digital, Leavitt added that “joy at Kamala HQ has been replaced by division, vitriol, and a disturbing level of disrespect for the millions of Americans who are supporting President Trump after four years of destruction under Kamala Harris.” However, Loeffler and Leavitt weren’t the only conservative women to respond to Cuban, with many others take to X to voice their frustrations with the billionaire’s remarks. “I’ll take this seriously when @mcuban can define what a woman is,” conservative columnist Carly Bird said. BIDEN CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DURING HARRIS CAMPAIGN EVENT AS VP PROMISES UNITY AT ELLIPSE RALLY “More of the same condescending rhetoric from Harris allies,” said Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. “This strong, intelligent woman voted for Donald J. Trump — and I’ve been proud to be on the road across this great country with @TeamTrump!” “Trying to think of a response to sissy man @mcuban but I’m too dumb and weak to do so,” quipped conservative columnist Julie Kelly. “Just when you think the Kamala camp can’t possibly alienate and divide people any more than they already have…now they attack women who support Trump. Nice job, Mark,” added Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump. Cuban’s comments came just a few days after President Biden apparently described Trump supporters as “garbage” during a Zoom call with Voto Latino on Tuesday. “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said in response to comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” during Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden. The White House has denied that the president was referring directly to the former president’s supporters with the remark. Nevertheless, Trump has seized on the Biden comments, telling supporters in Wisconsin Wednesday that Democrats have expressed too much “hatred” towards those who disagree with them. “My response to Joe and Kamala is very simple: You can’t lead America if you don’t love Americans,” Trump said. “And you can’t be president if you hate the American people, and there’s a lot of hatred there.”  The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Roughly 50% of Georgia voters have already cast ballots despite Dems’ criticism of state election rules

Roughly 50% of Georgia voters have cast ballots before Election Day so far despite Democrats’ accusations that the state’s voter laws are aimed at making it harder for people to vote. “It just shows you that they don’t know what they’re talking about,” Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a Republican, told Fox News Digital Thursday. “They’re just using talking points is all they’re doing. All we wanted to do is make it easier to vote and harder to cheat. And that’s exactly what we did.” Nearly 3.6 million people, or about 50% of active voters, in the Peach State have cast ballots, either absentee or through early in-person voting, which runs from Oct. 15 through Nov. 1. FORMER REPUBLICAN US SENATOR ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS, SAYS ELECTION OFFERS ‘STARK CHOICE’ Georgia voters have already shattered multiple turnout records, but that did little to temper Democratic critics of the new rules for the 2024 presidential cycle put in place by the state’s GOP officials. “I was just in Georgia. You know they passed a law that makes it illegal to give people food and water for standing in line to vote?” Vice President Kamala Harris told a rally crowd in Michigan earlier this week. “The hypocrisy abounds. Whatever happened to ‘love thy neighbor,’ right?” Meanwhile, President Biden called Georgia’s election security laws “Jim Crow 2.0” in 2022. “Jim Crow 2.0 is about two insidious things: voter suppression and election subversion. It’s no longer about who gets to vote; it’s about making it harder to vote. It’s about who gets to count the vote and whether your vote counts at all,” he told an audience in Atlanta at the time. And a group run by Stacey Abrams, who twice lost the gubernatorial race to GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, criticized Republicans for arguing there was no voter suppression in the state. GEORGIA DEMS CHAIR REVEALS MESSAGE TO UNDECIDED GOP VOTERS AS HARRIS WORKS TO BUILD BROAD BASE “We are thrilled about the strong turnout and especially the 150k newly registered voters who have already turned out, and the 70k voters who have come off the sidelines to vote this year, when they passed four years ago,” Lauren Groh-Wargo, CEO of Fair Fight, wrote on X last week. “But that cannot excuse the fact that the GOP has put up multiple, intentional, damaging roadblocks to deter certain voters. Luckily for democracy, they’ve decided to change lanes – but Republicans don’t get credit because voters have outsmarted their bad intentions.” She said GOP officials’ positivity about the state’s turnout is “all gaslighting” and “patently wrong.” ‘ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VOID’: GEORGIA JUDGE STRIKES DOWN NEW ELECTION RULES AFTER LEGAL FIGHTS Georgia’s Republican-majority legislature passed several laws since 2020 to increase security around the voting process after the Peach State was thrust under scrutiny in the previous presidential race. Among them were measures to expand the ability to challenge voter eligibility, a rule limiting ballot drop boxes based on population size and, perhaps most notably, a measure forbidding political organizations from handing out food and drinks to voters waiting in line within a certain distance from a polling place. Election workers are, however, permitted to set up self-serve water stations. Among the Republicans to push back on Democrats’ criticism of the rules was Gabriel Sterling, the chief operating officer in the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office. “So over 50% of the turnout for 2020 has already voted in Georgia. So for people like Joe Biden & Stacey Abrams, you were wrong saying we had voter suppression here. It’s easy to register & vote in Georgia…and really hard to even try to cheat,” Sterling posted on X Oct. 25. And Kemp called out Harris for her criticism of Georgia’s rule on water and food. “Sounds like Kamala Harris just can’t handle the truth,” Kemp posted on X. “We made it easier to vote and harder to cheat in Georgia. As a result, more than 3 million Georgians have already voted — that’s 3 million more votes than the Vice President got in the 2024 primaries.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.