RNC’s ‘Protect the Vote Tour’ is coming to Tampa

The Republican National Committee (RNC) is bringing its “Protect the Vote Tour” to Tampa on Thursday, with appearances from RNC Chair Michael Whatley, RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump, former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, U.S. Rep. Cory Mills and Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power. 

The event is meant to train and energize volunteers, and highlight the important roles they play in ensuring fair, accurate, secure and transparent elections.

The training, and addresses from speakers, will be at 2 p.m. at 5017 E. Washington St. in Tampa.

The “Protect the Vote Tour” is a nationwide effort by the RNC, led by Whatley and Lara Trump, to recruit poll watchers, poll workers and legal experts to mobilize this election cycle, according to the RNC’s initial announcement of the program last month. 

In addition to promoting election integrity, the initiative also aims to rally voters for former President Donald Trump this November. 

“Election integrity is our top priority. Our unprecedented effort to secure our elections will build voter confidence across the country. The Protect the Vote Tour will be a critical campaign to ensure that elections are fair, accurate, secure, and transparent,” Whatley said of the initiative when it was rolled out in June. 

The tour kicked off on June 14 in Michigan, with subsequent stops in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia throughout June. 

The tour is part of a ground initiative to recruit 100,000 poll watchers, poll workers and legal experts before the November election. The RNC is already pursuing legal action in various states, including in Michigan, California and Vermont. 

The Michigan case, filed against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer by the RNC and Trump campaign, argues that certain voter registration designations for departments such as the Department of Veterans Affairs are illegal. 

In California, the California Alliance for Retired Americans and two individuals are suing Secretary of State Shirley Weber arguing the state’s signature matching program is “inconsistent and unreliable” and is leading to ballots being uncounted. The RNC has filed a motion to intervene. 

In Vermont, the RNC is backing two plaintiffs suing the city of Burlington over a local charter allowing noncitizens to vote in the city’s local elections, including for School Board. They argue that since such elected office includes voting on the city’s annual education budget, which uses state funds, the charter violates the Vermont Constitution requiring U.S. citizenship to vote. 

The RNC vows to continue challenging policies across the nation it views as attacks on election integrity and accuses Democrats of promoting “election systems that are open to fraud” and encouraging “non-citizens to vote.”