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© Thomson Reuters 2020.Trump floats idea that fraud could lead to re-do of November election
By Alexandra Alper WASHINGTON©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
90 Comments
Desert Tortoise
That idea is dead on arrival. There is nothing in the US Constitution that permits a re vote. The Electoral College would settle the matter and if there was a stalemate in the Electoral College the decision would go to Congress. That has happened in the past but never a re-vote.
ArtistAtLarge
Exactly Desert Tortoise.
plasticmonkey
None of the states that will use universal mail-in voting will decide the outcome. Trump is just blowing hot air to agitate his base.
Bob Fosse
Bingo!
David Varnes
Sorry, Donald. You cannot have it both ways. You 'won' the Presidency in 2016 via the Electoral College, which is separate from the popular vote.
That same Electoral College is the ones who will cast the votes that will defeat you. If they 'hang,' and neither you nor Biden gets to 270, then BY THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, the election goes to the House of Representatives. It has done this before, BTW.
There is nothing in the United States Constitution for a 'do-over,' or a mulligan. This isn't one of your crooked, cheating golf games. You don't get to call your own ball, or re-do shots, or whatever.
To borrow from your favorite pasttime, which you once claimed would be so busy you'd never be playing during your Presidency, you gotta play the ball as it lies. And the Constitution gives great power to the individual states on how they conduct elections, including allowing mail-in voting if they so wish. And the Electoral College doesn't do re-dos or mulligans.
In other words Donald... pack your bags.
runner3
Trump has been the biggest threat ever to democracy in the USA.
u_s__reamer
"Voter fraud" is nothing more than Trump's squirrel du jour to distract attention from the impeached Fraudster-in-Chief's own fraudulent presidency that is no longer a laughing matter with over 170,000 dead on his watch, the US economy on the ropes and the welfare of America's schoolchildren now at risk from opening schools. The Republican-owned USPS scandal is the real story here posing an unprecedented threat to free and fair elections and no voting fraud baloney will fool the majority of Americans whose attention is now firmly fixed on eradicating the orange plague first so that they can get Trump's covid pandemic under control by next year.
PTownsend
Said without evidence: Nutshell Trump.
Only some in his cult of personality might believe a single word he says.
I think he's moved beyond threat. Now he and his fellow 'elite' are doing all they can to bury the remnants of democracy allowed by the Constitution. Xi and Putin are smiling.
Politik Kills
He claimed the election was rigged when won!! And now of course he’s continuing the smoke and mirrors, laying the groundwork for his next big scam on ‘democracy’.
Desert Tortoise
I hadn't thought of the golf analogy but it's very appropriate. Funny too if it wasn't so sad. Being a non-golfer it would not have occurred to me.
Desert Tortoise
The 1824 Presidential election was decided by the House of Representatives. It is also interesting that this was the first election where the popular vote for President was even counted, though it had no bearing whatsoever on the votes cast by the members of the Electoral College who answered only to their respective state legislatures.
HBJ
Its exactly the same thing.
This kind of intellectual dishonesty should be immediately disqualifying for a presidential candidate.
I hope he gets absolutely crushed at the ballot box. He really is a despicable person.
Blacklabel
absentee and universal mail in is not the same thing.
Otherwise why does the article address them separately? comparing most doing one thing to a handful of states doing something else. If they were the same, no need to discuss separately about where is doing one way and where is doing another way.
"U.S. states run presidential elections and most only plan to mail absentee ballots for November's election to voters who request them.
A handful of states regularly hold elections with what is known as universal mail-in voting, in which every voter receives a ballot by mail. A few other states, including California and Nevada, plan to mail ballots to all voters for the November election due to the health crisis."
Silvafan
Trump also said that he will run for a third term because he was spied on by the US government!
His claim that the system is rigged is his own projection or self-fulfilling prophesy!
Wolfpack
Dems trolled again. They fall for it and freak out every time.
MikeH
Trump is so afraid of Biden that it’s a shame! He is looking desperately at any way that he can remain in power be it illegally! Trump should just stop all the whining and rebuild his base since he still has more than 2 months. He should come up with good visions to make America great again and this will propel him to crash Biden. But he is so fixated on satisfying his small band of Trumptards and losing the independent as well as border line voters who decide the swing states. He lies everyday just for the benefit of his trumptards! If he continues with this approach then the military will have to remove him physically from the White House after he loses!
theFu
There is no direct election of the President. 29 states require the electorial college delegates to vote in a specific way. The others do not bind them. Regardless, those are States issues.
ref: https://www.usa.gov/election
The US is a Democratic-Republic for the Prez and VP elections, not a fully democratic nation. All State elections are democratic, to my knowledge, determined by popular vote.
Yubaru
Ignore him! But sadly the idiots who support him will say the same things, and everyone knows, if you repeat a lie enough times, it becomes truth in Donald Trump's world!
Desert Tortoise
That is no longer true. The US Supreme Court recently ruled electors must vote for the candidate their state chooses and may be fined by their states for voting otherwise.
Desert Tortoise
And at the mailbox.
ulysses
Feel sorry for trump, his errand boy DeJoy could not walk his talk.
Another loss, we’ve stopped counting now.
Arrrgh-Type
"Float" nothing. Every politician in Washington [including Republicans] need to make clear that this is an absolutely inappropriate comment. I'm not holding my breath on that but stranger things have happened.
Looks like Trump's plan to torpedo to USPS is finding more resistance than he expected, so he's fishing about for the next excuse in case he loses. He could try to come up with new ideas, or find ways to appeal to voters beyond his base, but that would be too much work. Much easier to complain and cheat instead.
Bob Fosse
Sure, sure...
gogogo
GTFO Trump, you are a sore loser!
Desert Tortoise
Even harder to walk when Nancy Pelosi is tightening the vice on DeJoy's manly parts.
Desert Tortoise
Eh, Senate Republicans all renounced his first idea to delay the election. If the nation could hold an election in the midst of a huge civil war then it can hold an election during a pandemic.
David Varnes
I have wondered on that. While the SCOTUS decision does say that the Elector can be fined by the state, does that invalidate the vote of that Elector?
Like, if an Elector said "Nope, don't care what the state says. Fine me, put me in jail, I'm casting my vote this way," can that vote be invalidated?
JohnSmith
Trump speaks & the left freaks. Article after article. Same old stuff.
bass4funk
The EC is the only system that Counts. Everything is is just totally irrelevant.
Unless the desired outcome doesn’t go the Democrats way then they will want a redo.
Polls are tightening, Biden needs to have his bags, ready and on call if he needs to leave.
SuperLib
"OK" to whatever crazy thing Donald said today.
HBJ
@Blacklabel - It absolutely is the same thing - it's voting by mail.
You know this, but decide to peddle the same intellectual dishonesty as Trump.
An 'absentee ballot' needs to be applied for by someone who will be unable to visit their polling station on election day. Upon approval they receive a 'mail-in ballot'.
Universal mail-in is 'mail-in ballots' sent to all registered voters without the need to apply.
Why the need for 2 different names? Well, even in a state that is doing universal mail-in voting, someone can apply for an absentee ballot. This would be in the case that they were out of state and unable to receive their ballot at their registered home address.
Why the need for more universal main-in voting in this election? There's a health pandemic that has so far killed more than 170,000 Americans. The virus is highly contagious and it's much safer for everyone not to be travelling en masse to polling stations. All registered Americans have a right to vote, so implementing one of the other systems that are widely used around the country makes complete sense. It's not a conspiracy against Trump.
But let's be absolutely clear, they are essentially the same thing - voting by mail. There's no room for debate with this. It's a clear fact.
Sneezy
Yes, the vote is invalidated and given to whomever it was meant to go to.
Silvafan
Trump also said that he will run for a third term because he was spied on by the US government!
His claim that the system is rigged is his own projection or self-fulfilling prophesy!
Blacklabel
why would you send a ballot to a person who has not identified themselves nor indicated a desire to vote? This is illegal in many states. Thus, absentee voting is done instead.
And the pandemic? its not anymore. The number of cases is lower than it has been in over a month and hospitalizations and deaths are trending downward too. It will be safe to go outside 2.5 months from now, surely.
bass4funk
He said, “if” it were constitutionally possible. No need to panic.
Blacklabel
The only similar thing is the method by which the ballot is transported from a voter to the people who count it. Literally everything else is different between universal mail in voting and absentee voting.
Sneezy
If you're registered to vote, then you have already identified yourself, and have indicated a desire to vote. If you get a ballot and don't want to vote, the procedure for not voting is actually very easy: you just don't fill it out or return it.
I hope this has been educational.
It is.
Is this "it will magically disappear in April" 2.0?
Zaphod
Got to love the double speak of the fake media. Trump is just stating the fact that the mass mail election pushed by his opponents would cast doubt on any election --- and the article artocöe writer makes it sound as if he wants that. But is the other party that is pushing for it!
Sheer 1984 doublespeak.
bass4funk
https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/440136-if-you-dont-think-illegal-immigrants-are-voting-for-president-think-again
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/bronsonstocking/2020/01/10/ny-law-will-automatically-register-illegal-aliens-to-vote-n2559325
All the more reason why illegals can vote
Zaphod
sneezy
Do you realize how many dead people, moved people, and even house pets received ballot in that mail in vote they had recently in some states? And, is your snail mail always arriving and on time?
Vanessa Carlisle
That's not how it works. There needs to be something in the Constitution that DOES NOT permit a re vote. Not that I am for a re vote at all but if its not in the Constitution then as far as the Constitution goes its Constitutional.
Sneezy
Your first article says:
Please read your articles.
Your second article is just wrong. As the NY Government specifically says:
https://dmv.ny.gov/driver-license/driver-licenses-and-green-light-law
Please stop getting suckered in by right-wing conspiracy theories.
Vanessa Carlisle
In good conscience I could only vote for Bernie Sanders. And I have mailed in a vote before and the election was called before mail in votes were even counted. I have a list as long as my arm why I think the whole process is a sham.
Sneezy
Dead people cannot vote. Pets cannot vote. If you moved, you won't get the ballot, since you won't be there.
In Japan, yes. In the US, interference with the USPS has caused a recent collapse in postal efficiency.
Blacklabel
Then why is California still unsure if illegals who were not supposed to be registered to vote (but were) actually voted or not?
Wouldnt the answer be, "absolutely not"! or "our system wont allow such"?
Yet, here they are,,,,still "unsure" if illegals voted.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article223886630.html
Blacklabel
how did these people vote? and why wasnt it found until 2018 when they illegally voted in 2016?
https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/19-foreign-nationals-indicted-illegally-voting-2016-elections
Blacklabel
oh, but dead people do vote.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-08-18/la-county-man-accused-of-voting-in-three-elections-as-his-dead-mother
bass4funk
There is no way the country would ever vote for a committed socialist, even the Democrats wouldn't do that
SuperLib
Bass, black, and Trump vote by mail. Why can't I?
bass4funk
https://disrn.com/news/dead-people-and-pets-among-the-half-million-incorrect-absentee-voter-applications-mailed-out-in-virginia
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/elliebufkin/2020/07/10/voter-registration-form-addressed-to-dead-cat-raises-questions-about-mailin-ballots-n2572289
Democrats have persistently asserted that requiring in-person identification is tantamount to racism, because apparently people of color do not have identification. Now they say that in-person voting is too dangerous because of the threat of illness, while they champion thousands of radical leftwing protesters filling city streets.
Perhaps the dead cat getting a pre-filled voter registration form will raise alarms in the Democratic Party, who seem to be actively dismissing the mountain of proof that mail-in voter fraud is a rampant problem.
bass4funk
I bring my passport when I go to the Consulate.
Sneezy
Is 19 people the "epidemic" of fraud you think justifies disenfranchising millions?
To be clear, you think that Covid-19, with a 3% death rate in the US, is nothing to worry about. 19 foreign nationals who've been accused of voting (I note you didn't assume their innocence, as the news piece does) out of 136,669,276 votes, amounting to 0.0000001% of the total vote, is a crisis? Have I got that right?
Vanessa Carlisle
The Red Scare is over. Before it, FDR, the committed Socialist was voted to office three times. The socialists that voted for him stormed the beaches at Normandy. And now that the Red Scare is over, Americans are waking up to the fact that socialism is rife in America, from social security to the U.S. military, and always has been. The fear is gone (except in you) and Americans are openly inquiring about socialism. All our allies are openly socialist and America is just coming out of the closet.
Bernie Sanders was HUGELY popular. It was not the American people but the establishment rich that killed his campaign, TWICE.
Sneezy
These are for applications. Dead people and pets cannot apply, because they cannot sign their applications. Please do think more carefully.
Blacklabel
you can, if you are eligible to vote absentee (not mail in) and follow the process to request a ballot. including identifying yourself and indicating your desire to vote.
sunfunbun
Trump not only tries to move the goalposts, he wants to change the entire field. He'd like to have his team go 10 yards for a touchdown, with the opposing defense off the field, while making the opponent go 100, with referees paid off by him.
He's not only doing an Astros' and stealing signs, he's trying to keep the other team from playing. What a ridiculous idiot this cheater is. He's insane and an autocratic creep.
Blacklabel
3% of the US population has not died from COVID. try again.
HBJ
@Blacklabel - Ballots are sent to all registered voters. In the process of registering, one has to identify oneself.
You don't have to indicate a desire to vote. Never have done. Once you have your ballot it's up to you whether you want to submit it or not.
5 states conduct their elections completely by mail - Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, and Hawaii. You must be able to cite many examples of mail-in voter fraud in these 5 states if you are correct. Where is your comprehensive evidence?
According to data from the Heritage Foundation, in the last 20 years there have been only 1,285 proven cases of voter fraud resulting in 1,100 convictions. 250,000,000 votes have been cast in that time, so the level of fraud is negligible.
More worrying for you is the news today of further comprehensive evidence of Trump's campaign ties to Russia in 2016. This is from a bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee investigation. It's not a Democratic hit-job. More inconvenient facts for you huh.
(https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/18/donald-trump-us-senate-report-russia-campaign)
Sneezy
No, just 3% of those who have caught it. Please consider thinking things through in future.
SuperLib
Good for you. Not necessary as the consulate just forwards your ballot along to your home state, but I'm glad your passport is in your pocket when you drop it of.
If anyone demanded your ID, then they violated your voting rights. The good news for us is that you're more than willing to accommodate a violation of your rights. I bet you showed your passport in a matter of seconds.
Blacklabel
Nope, just thought I would point out your total inaccuracy as you said death rate of 3%. That sounds really bad compared to the reality that only 0.2% have ever had it and you are talking about 0.3% of the 0.2%. Not so scary now, is it?
I dont care to comment on the rest other than to say obviously 19 isnt the total, just one example of many. I wont bore anyone with all the other dead voters and illegals who were proven to have voted.
Sneezy
Dividing the number of people who have died by the number of people who caught the disease is how you get the mortality rate. Your contention is like saying ebola isn't deadly because very few in America have died from it.
I'm not talking about 0.3%, I'm talking about 3%. I know you have problems with numeracy, but do try and keep up, I did write the number out before.
You're not boring anyone: you can't find any other examples.
bass4funk
We are not talking about Russia, we are talking about the Marxists that think America needs a makeover and it doesn't.
Sorry, socialism on the scale the Democrats want to fund everything that comes in their head to create a full time nanny state would ultimately destroy the country,
No, it was the Democrats and in particular it was mounted by Debbie Wassermann Schultz to spearhead his defeat.
Serrano
Trump has said repeatedly and without evidence that a shift to universal mail-in voting - something most states have not proposed doing - will lead to fraud in the Nov 3 election
That's false, there is evidence of fraud. Of course Google hides most of it, but, oh my...
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/yes-america-there-voter-fraud-these-recent-cases-prove-it
Trump himself votes by mail.
Yeah, he's the most vetted president in history.
Democratic challenger Joe Biden who currently holds a substantial lead in public opinion polls.
So did Hillary, haha
Trump has said repeatedly and without evidence that a shift to universal mail-in voting - something most states have not proposed doing
Why not? If universal mail-in voting is so great and secure?
None of the states that will use universal mail-in voting will decide the outcome
I thought every state was important. Jeez...
Remember, folks - voting for the Democrats at this point is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders.
bass4funk
To verify who I am, that's right which I have to do when I enter, so it's twice I have to do it.
No, because I'm an honest person and I hate voter fraud with a passion and I would always show my ID and would never feel violated, quite the contrary.
Naw, but Nice try as always.
Sneezy
I've never seen his birth certificate.
Zaphod
Well, we are starting to see the swamp playbook now. Expect it to follow the scrip for the next months:
Step 1: Get mail-in voting approved to guarantee a non.credible election result. (No matter who wins.... the mail vote will be doubted in any case).
Step 2: Claim Trumps electoral victory is not legitimate.
Step 3: Use media brainwashing to make it "true" that Trump really lost but has become a dictator, staying in power.
Step 4: Impeach or otherwise remove Trump by non-constitutional means. Frame it as saving the nation.
Sneezy
Trump is the only one who has claimed the election is illegitimate, months before its held.
Serrano
Step 2: Claim Trumps electoral victory is not legitimate.
Heck, they're still going on about his 2016 election victory isn't legitimate.
Serrano
Remember, folks, if you want higher taxes, tax payer paid medical care for illegals, open borders and defunding of the police, vote for Harris-Biden!
Sneezy
I want all of these, but the Democratic ticket isn’t doing them, sadly.
arrestpaul
The democrats have been talking about voter fraud, election fraud, wanting to re-doing the last Presidential election since they were shocked to learn that all of the polls had been wrong, and that ol' Hillary had lost. It's been SOP for democrats for over three years. Democrats, and their pet media outlets, only object to Trump's talking about one of the democrats pet issues. Nothing new here, SSDD.
Sneezy
None of this is true.
Peter14
The only one capable of orchestrating voter fraud in America is Donald Trump so if there is any voter fraud during this election, it will be to assist Trump in getting reelected against the wishes of the American people. Add to that the help from the Russians and the lies and disinformation. Oh and don't put it past Trump to have some damaging fake news on Biden and or his VP running mate about a week or two before the elections.
Trump is a dirty fighter with no morals among the many things he lacks. He will lie and cheat to retain power for a second term without a doubt. He needs to fail at that as he has failed for four years from 2016.
Serrano
I want all of these
I'm not surprised.
but the Democratic ticket isn’t doing them, sadly.
Yes, they are, sadly.
Trump is a dirty fighter with no morals
Yes, let's talk about morals for a minute. Would you say someone who keeps his promises and does what he says he's going to do has morals? That's what Trump's done, even with all the formidable array of opposition against him.
Sneezy
Could you link me the DNC platform that has these policies, please?
arrestpaul
Hahaha. That statement is simply unbelievable. The democrat party in Chicago has been orchestrating voter fraud for decades, all without Trump's help.
Peter14
Lets talk about 170,000 dead. Lets talk about him "grabbing pussies" because he can get away with it. Lets talk about complete lack of empathy for anyone but himself. Lets talk about separating children from parents at the boarder. I could go on for HOURS at Trumps lack of morals, but normal people already get it. Only the ignorant can somehow overlook all of his obvious flaws and hang on to dubious promises kept as being his moral savior.
Lets not forget that he hires the very best people and then sacks them calling them terrible useless people.
Trump is a bad judge of character as he has none himself. Anyone who praises him is a good person. Anyone who criticizes him is horrible. He is a big child masquerading as an adult and fools have put him in the Oval office. Seriously stupid thing to have done. Don't be stupid twice.
HBJ
@Blacklabel - Please do. It’s the crux of your allegation. Your position is mail-in voting is rife with fraud, so much so that it can’t be trusted to provide a fair election.
I’ve provided you with the stats that there have been only 1,285 proven cases of voter fraud resulting in 1,100 convictions in the last 20 years (according to the Heritage Foundation - a pro conservative, pro Republican, pro Trump group).
It seems very much like you can’t back up your claims, and that you are just trying to peddle a baseless conspiracy theory.
PTownsend
Question: Is it OK for anyone to post outright lies and wack conspiracy theories, or only alt right posters.
Serrano
Could you link me the DNC platform that has these policies, please?
No, because the DNC isn't honest enough to tell us this directly on their platform. But it's clear if you've been paying attention to what they've been doing and saying.
Peter14
If that were a proven fact there would be people in jail for it. Please list all the Democrats that have been charged and found guilty.
I will be interested to see how many there are. I am betting there are none because your statement is fake and devoid of any truth.
Sneezy
So it isn't going to happen. It's strange that every single time a GOP poster says "the Democrats are going to do all the socialisms!!" and I ask them to prove it, they say "well... there's no what you'd actually call 'evidence' but I CAN READ BIDEN'S MIND!!"
nishikat
Well, we know what Trump has been saying and doing (and not saying and doing). We know he plans to never leave the WH if he loses. Also, what he says about Trumpcare (injecting Mr. Clean for CV cure). That has to be part of the TrumpCare plan because he has not done otherwise (other than eliminating ObamaCare)
nishikat
"We are going to win four more years," Trump said at a rally in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on Monday. "And then after that, we'll go for another four years because they spied on my campaign. We should get a redo of four years."
(Proof that Trump won't leave)