They face two critical issues of their own making here:Trump is calling it "rigged" before the actual vote too:
More bad news for GOP in California recall, with Trump claiming election 'rigged'
Republicans leading the uphill campaign to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom are facing fresh hurdles after former President Donald Trump discouraged GOP turnout by raising doubts about the legitimacy of the election.news.yahoo.com
1) They distrust a perfectly safe vote by mail system, greatly reducing the number of votes they'll cast.
2) The best possible way they can motivate Democrats is to scream "fraud!!" before a single ballot is counted.
They are their own worst enemies.