FACTS
President Trump suggested in a series of Twitter posts on Thursday that the US should delay the elections until everyone is able to “properly, securely and safely” vote in person. His comments received much pushback, with both sides condemning the notion.
RIGHT
The Right doesn’t support delaying the election and is pushing for in-person voting. The Wall Street Journal wrote that postponement was a “dreadful idea,” and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and many other Republican lawmakers agree. “What could possibly be gained from tweeting out this absurd idea?” asked one reporter. However, cases such as recent voter fraud in New Jersey, as well as the month-long delay for tallying votes in New York’s recent election, are points brought up by the Right.
“Mail-in ballots are the ballots most vulnerable to being altered, stolen, or forged…Mail-in ballots also have a higher rejection rate than votes cast in person.”
Hans A. von Spakovsky, senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation
It has been noted that states already set up for mail-in voting are one thing, but states with no systems formerly in place are entirely another. The mass influx of mail for the Postal Service has been noted as another logistical issue. “Just from a practical standpoint, that is asking for chaos and mass disenfranchisement,” wrote Spakovsky.
LEFT
The Left condemns his tweets and is pushing for mail-in voting, citing public health amid the pandemic. Sen. Ton Udall (D-NM) stated that “the fact that he is even suggesting it is a serious, chilling attack on the democratic process. All members of Congress – and the administration – should speak out.”
“Trump offered no evidence to support his claim that voting by mail is an invitation to fraud. One reason for this is that there isn’t any.”
Bloomberg Editorial Board
It is argued that there are far too many systems in place to allow widespread voter fraud. The Washington Post Editorial Board argued that in order to prevent the election chaos that the Right predicts, funds are needed to sufficiently prepare: “States needed money months ago, and every day lawmakers fail to dispatch it increases the likelihood of a chaotic election.”
FACTS about voting:
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) July 30, 2020
1. Trump doesn’t have the power to delay the election
2. Only .00006% cases of mail ballot fraud out of total ballots cast over past 20 years
3. 16 top Trump officials voted by mail
4. Trump waging unprecedented campaign to undermine free & fair elections
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