point to the fact that the votes against them were counted later as evidence of fraud.

It was stated in some documents or something that were released that this was the plan. I don't know about the entire anti-mask plan, but they absolutely knew early/mail-in would skew Democrat, because it usually does and covid made it worse, so they knew they could sell the narrative that the sudden increase in Democrat vote averages must be cheating somehow. I don't know how Fox News still exists after they sold this lie. Hopefully the people who fell for it eventually realize how wrong it was. It's going to keep being true (probably not the the same level without covid though), so they'll either belief every election is fucked or that they were manipulated.