Day 1,292: Trump continues assault on democracy, right to vote
Just four days ago, in one of the most anti-democratic statements in modern U.S. history, Donald Trump floated the idea of postponing the 2020 election.
Since then, he’s become no less brazen in trying to disenfranchise voters across the country.
Monday he called Nevada expanding mail-in voting by sending absentee ballots to all active voters an “illegal late night coup”.
Nevada has the ability to pass whatever laws they want that expand voting opportunities. Disenfranchising voters, however, can trigger federal challenges. That Trump thinks it’s “impossible for Republicans to win the state” because of greater ballot access says everything about the GOP’s strategy nationwide.
Later, at a press briefing, Trump pushed for a re-vote in one New York primary and claimed he has the right via executive order to limit mail-in ballots.
The fact that Trump has no such power over state voting decisions or that red, blue and purple states have adopted widespread mail-in voting is moot to him.
Trump uses caveman math: More voters = bad for Trump. Therefore, rather than trying to change minds or convince Americans why he should be reelected, he has an incessant need to drive down the number of voters. Trump’s immediate instincts are toward authoritarianism nearly every time.
Mail-in voting is widespread and has very little voter fraud.
In November, 42 states and the District of Columbia will effectively allow for, at a minimum, no-excuse absentee balloting — meaning any voter, regardless of age, health or location on Election Day will be able to vote by mail should they choose to do so.
Even Republicans in swing states like Florida and Pennsylvania have urged voters to cast their votes by mail, while Democrats in Congress are pushing for the inclusion of billions of dollars in the next coronavirus relief package to help facilitate mail-in voting this fall.
An analysis last month of voting in three states that routinely and proactively mail every voter a ballot found that officials identified an infinitesimal amount of potentially fraudulent ballots.
Further proving “rules for thee, but not for me,” Trump and much of his administration mail in their votes.
1,292 days in, 170 to go
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