“President Donald Trump’s campaign lost an effort to block Montana election officials from automatically mailing ballots to all registered voters for the Nov. 3 election — a setback for Republicans in a state with a tight Senate race that could help flip control of the chamber to Democrats. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen in Helena, Montana, on Wednesday denied the campaign’s request for an injunction blocking the plan, saying there was no evidence it would lead to rampant voter fraud in the state. Mail-in ballots have been used widely in Republican-leaning Montana for two decades” Bloomberg reports.

“‘Central to some of the plaintiffs’ claims is the contention that the upcoming election, both nationally and in Montana, will fall prey to widespread voter fraud,” said Christensen, a Barack Obama appointee. “The evidence suggests, however, that this allegation, specifically in Montana, is a fiction.’ Trump and the Republican National Committee have used allegations of voter fraud to try to block similar plans for mailing ballots or applications in several states, including Nevada, where a judge dismissed the campaign’s suit due to a lack of evidence. The claim is part of a broader effort led by Trump to cast doubt on the security of mail-in ballots. Trump’s campaign and the GOP ‘have not introduced even an ounce of evidence supporting the assertion that Montana’s use of mail ballots will inundate the election with fraud,’ Christensen said.”