Trump Escalates Attacks On Mail-In Voting, Tying Coronavirus To ‘Rigged Election’

TOPLINE

President Trump escalated attacks against mail-in voting Sunday, claiming in a tweet that the practice would cause the “greatest Rigged Election” in history and that coronavirus is being used “for this Scam,” despite scant evidence that the practice leads to fraud⁠—and intensifying a political flashpoint ahead of November’s election as Trump seeks a second term.

KEY FACTS

News peg

Trump’s claims about rigged democratic processes have been a thread throughout his first term. One week after he took over the Oval Office, he asserted without evidence that in 2016 millions of illegal votes were cast against him. Trump has also alleged that California’s special congressional election on May 12 was rigged.

Big number

5. That’s how many U.S. states conduct elections entirely by mail, including GOP-friendly Utah.

Key background

Instances of U.S. election fraud⁠—both nationwide and by mail⁠—are very rare, according to analysis by the New York Times. And both Democrats and Republicans have recognized the possibility of fraud exists for mail-in ballots, acknowledging that ballots can be intercepted during that process. Although the coronavirus pandemic is showing signs of slowing down in the U.S., no one knows for sure what the outbreak will look like by November’s Election Day. State and local governments, like in Michigan and Nevada, are searching for ways (like voting by mail) to protect public health while ensuring fair elections. Research suggests, however, that voting by mail gives neither Republicans nor Democrats an advantage, due to differences in state law and the process by which those ballots are counted, among other reasons.

Tangent

Trump first tweeted about voter fraud all the way back in 2012, according to an online database of his Twitter account. 

Further reading

Trump Rails Against Mail-In Voting, Threatening Michigan And Nevada (Forbes)

California To Send Mail-In Ballots To All Voters (Forbes)

There Is No Evidence That Voting By Mail Gives One Party An Advantage (FiveThirtyEight)

Democracy, Interrupted (The Atlantic)

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