President Donald Trump is already claiming the vote is rigged against him in California, where the state's Republicans have admitted to setting up misleading ballot boxes.
The California GOP admitted to placing more than 50 deceptively labeled drop boxes for mail-in ballots around the state, which officials say may be illegal, but Trump claimed he had already been victimized by fraud and asked House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for help.
"California hired a pure Sleepy Joe Democrat firm to count and 'harvest' votes," Trump tweeted. "No way Republicans get a fair shake. Lawyers, get started!!! @GOPLeader California is in big trouble. Vote Trump and watch the greatest comeback of them all!!! Also, New York and Illinois - go for it!"
Trump was referring to a $35 million contract between the California secretary of state’s office and the advisory firm SKDKnickerbocker for a voter outreach program, which House Republicans are investigating as a conflict of interest due to the company's ties to Biden.
California's Democratic Secretary of State Alex Padilla hired the firm, whose website identifies the company as "Team Biden," to “educate the public on the safety, security, and ease of voting in the November General Election amid the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Fox News has reported the company's contract proposal specifically stated the initiative would be necessary to overcome "misinformation" about mail-in voting spread by the president himself and conservative media outlets.
"The President and his allies, including those in certain corners of the media, continually repeat false claims that voting by mail is uniquely susceptible to fraud,” SKDK wrote in its proposal. "It’s not, and we need to make that clear.”