Larry Elder won’t commit to accepting recall result and sets up voter fraud website as Newsom leads in polls

Larry Elder, the conservative radio host and GOP candidate in the race to replace California Governor Gavin Newsom has set up a voter fraud website, after echoing Donald Trump’s false narrative about “stolen” elections.

The 69-year-old would also not commit to accepting the results of Tuesday’s vote should he lose.

Asked repeatedly on Monday by MSNBC’s Jacob Soboroff whether he’d accept the results win or lose, Mr Elder refused to say yes or no and instead repeatedly asserted that both parties should endeavour to make sure that Tuesday’s election was fair.

“I think we all ought to be looking at election integrity,” Mr Elder said. “No matter whether you’re a Democrat, Independent, or Republican, let’s all make sure that the election is a fair election.”

His comments leave open the possibility that Mr Elder will not accept the official results of the election and could instead contest the outcome in a manner similar to former President Trump’s persistent falsehoods about the 2020 presidential race.

His campaign has also launched a website encouraging supporters to report supposed instances of election fraud; Mr Trump’s legal team relied almost entirely on sworn affidavits from their own supporters while attempting to challenge the results of the 2020 election in courts around the nation in the days after his defeat.

“Election integrity should be a universally accepted American ideal. Unfortunately, there are instances where such integrity is called into question. If you have experienced any irregularities, interference, or intimidation while voting, please let us know by filling out the short form below. Thank you,” reads a note on Mr Elder’s website.

California’s recall election has looked to be a looming victory for Democrats as polls have shown the race trending away from Mr Elder and the GOP’s favour in recent weeks amid a massive surge of national Democratic support for Mr Newsom.

Nationally-known Democratic Party figures including former President Barack Obama, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Senator Bernie Sanders have all publicly chipped in to support Mr Newsom’s campaign in the final weeks as their party seeks to retain control of the state’s highest office.