Trump encourages supporters to try to vote twice, sparking uproar

[webfact]

Trump encourages supporters to try to vote twice, sparking uproar

By James Oliphant

 

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and to designate Wilmington as an American World War II Heritage City during an event held at the USS Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington, North Carolina, U.S., September 2, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has urged residents in the critical political battleground of North Carolina to try to vote twice in the Nov. 3 election, once by mail and once in person, igniting a furor for appearing to urge a potential act of voter fraud.

 

"Let them send it in and let them go vote," Trump said in an interview on Wednesday with WECT-TV in Wilmington, North Carolina. "And if the system is as good as they say it is, then obviously they won't be able to vote" in person.

 

Trump has repeatedly asserted, without evidence, that mail-in voting - expanded by some states because of the coronavirus pandemic - would increase fraud and disrupt the November election, although experts say voter fraud of any kind is extremely rare in the United States.

 

Voting more than once in an election is illegal and in some states, including North Carolina, it is a felony not only to vote more than once but also to induce another to do so.

 

Ballots are due to be mailed in North Carolina on Friday.

 

State Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, wrote on Twitter that the Republican president had "outrageously encouraged" North Carolinians "to break the law in order to help him sow chaos in our election."

 

Stein wrote: "Make sure you vote, but do NOT vote twice! I will do everything in my power to make sure the will of the people is upheld in November."

Trump's campaign and the White House later denied that he meant to tell people to vote twice.

 

"The president is not suggesting anyone do anything unlawful," White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told Fox News Channel on Thursday. "What he said very clearly there is make sure your vote is tabulated and if it is not, then vote."

 

However, in a series of tweets on Thursday morning, Trump again urged his supporters to vote early by mail and then follow up by attempting to vote in person.

 

"On Election Day, or Early Voting go to your Polling Place to see whether or not your Mail In Vote has been Tabulated (Counted)," Trump wrote. "If it has you will not be able to Vote & the Mail In System worked properly. If it has not been Counted, VOTE."

 

Twitter Inc <TWTR.N> later placed warnings over the tweets for violating its rules on civic and election integrity. Facebook Inc <FB.O> also placed a new label on Trump’s post, in which it said "voting by mail has a long history of trustworthiness in the US and the same is predicted this year."

 

Facebook also said it would remove the video of Trump talking about voting twice, if people shared it without any captions or context, or in support of what the president said. A spokesman told Reuters on Thursday afternoon it had not yet identified or removed such versions of the video.

 

 

VOTING TWICE 'A FELONY'

The Democratic National Committee accused Trump of encouraging voter fraud and said the president was undermining confidence in the fairness of the election.

 

"Let’s be clear: Voting by mail is a safe and secure way for Americans to participate in our democracy — and Trump should be working to make it easier to vote, not harder," Reyna Walters-Morgan, the DNC's director of voter protection, said in a statement.

 

Patrick Gannon, a spokesman for North Carolina’s state Board of Elections, said a person would not be able to cast two ballots, regardless of whether they voted by mail or in person first. The first vote that is received and processed is the one that counts, he said.

 

“Voting twice in an election is a felony,” Gannon said. “If you put a ballot in the mail, and it hasn’t arrived yet, and then you vote in person before your absentee ballot has arrived, your in-person vote will count."

 

He said if an absentee ballot showed up after a person had voted in person, it would not be counted.

 

Many Americans vote by mail because they cannot make it to the polls. In 2016, nearly one in four voters cast presidential ballots by mail.

 

The coronavirus pandemic is expected to result in a record number of mail-in ballots this year as voters seek to avoid the risk of infection. Experts have cautioned the expected surge means a winner may not be clear on election night given the time it will take to count and verify all the ballots.

 

Trump campaigned on Wednesday in North Carolina, known as a battleground state because its population can swing either to Republicans or Democrats and play a decisive role in presidential elections.

 

National opinion polls show Trump, 74, trailing his Democratic rival Joe Biden, 77, the vice president under then-President Barack Obama. Democrats accuse Republicans of trying to suppress the vote to help their side.

 

(Reporting by Jeff Mason, Michael Martina, Susan Heavey, James Oliphant, Kanishka Singh Ann Maria Shibu and Elizabeth Culliford; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Howard Goller, Sonya Hepinstall and Jonathan Oatis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-09-04

 

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[Poet]

The whole mail-in voting thing is a disaster waiting to happen. The postal service already struggles to deliver the relatively small number of legitimate absentee ballots on time.

You are going to end up with Trump winning on the night but, then, having the result reversed a month later when all the mail trucks finally turn up. The whole mess will add to the existing acrimony and, either way, half of Americans will believe their government to be illegitimate.

I have yet to hear anyone explain why it is safe for Americans to go to a supermarket but not a polling station.

 

Edited September 3, 2020 by Poet

[tribalfusion001]

Desperation time for Trump, time's up orange glow boy!

[Laza 45]

...lock him up!.... in a padded room..

[PatOngo]

16 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Nice one Donald!

Yes, nice one Donald, you've managed to dupe a lot of lowly educated American's who hang on all the BS you sprout, they'll gladly vote twice and contribute to the fraud that you propose. Yee Haa, Git er dun!

[pegman]

6 minutes ago, Laza 45 said:

...lock him up!.... in a padded room..

Never mind the padding. Hell, vote 3 or 4 times if it's for Joe. He might be old and slow and an influence peddler but next to Trump he comes off as a saint. 

[Mama Noodle]

46 minutes ago, webfact said:

Trump encourages supporters to try to vote twice

Anyone with more than 3 brain cells to rub together can see he was just making a point that universal mail in voting is open to fraud. 
 

48 minutes ago, webfact said:

Trump has repeatedly asserted, without evidence, that mail-in voting - expanded by some states because of the coronavirus pandemic - would increase fraud and disrupt the November election

And this lie gets regurgitated again. 
 

There IS evidence, and doing it WILL cause election night chaos, especially when things get contested. 
 

None of this needs to happen. Just play by the rules instead of changing them at the last minute. 

[Tug]

33 minutes ago, Poet said:

The whole mail-in voting thing is a disaster waiting to happen. The postal service already struggles to deliver the relatively small number of legitimate absentee ballots on time.

You are going to end up with Trump winning on the night but, then, having the result reversed a month later when all the mail trucks finally turn up. The whole mess will add to the existing acrimony and, either way, half of Americans will believe their government to be illegitimate.

I have yet to hear anyone explain why it is safe for Americans to go to a supermarket but not a polling station.

 

It’s called covid you know the virus so now you know why people would prefer to vote by mail but let’s just tak a moment and see what president scofflaw been up to in regards to the election shall we?refusing to support any and all legislation designed to protect our elections from foreign interference check has actively solicited foreign interference check has attempted to cast doubt on our elections check has stated he will refuse to accept the outcome if he loses check has knee capped the post office in order to suppress the vote check has told numerous lies to cast doubt on the election check I’d call that straight up attempting to rigg the election and now he’s telling his supporters to vote twice to test the system a that’s (a)felony and (b)it’s another attempt to cast doubt what an absolute piece of (blank)just beggers belief I would ever live to see the day a potus would act like this 

[Stargeezr]

Trump would not have been elected himself,  if it was not for the mail in votes.

  Now this liar extra-ordinary is also,  as President, asking his supporters to

break the law?  Must be the New American way,  USA  you need help!

Geezer

[CALSinCM]

Fyi.

He's challenging the election system that the left and the media insist are beyond fraud.
This quote is actually good advice.

"On Election Day, or Early Voting go to your Polling Place to see whether or not your Mail In Vote has been Tabulated (Counted)," Trump wrote. "If it has you will not be able to Vote & the Mail In System worked properly. If it has not been Counted, VOTE."

That's just sound advice.  Only an irrational hater will read this and think it says, "Break The Law - Vote Twice!!!"
A rational person will read this quote and see it for what Trump actually said, "Vote by mail. Then on election day, go to the polls and make sure the vote has been counted. If not - then vote."  It's good advice whether you are voting Democrat, Republican, or something else.  You should be assured you vote counted.

[Tug]

11 minutes ago, CALSinCM said:

He's trolling the left and getting the exact results that he's looking for.  A hoard of frenzied liberals frothing at the mouth and spitting vitriol while taking to the streets again to burn the cities, destroy businesses, and create anarchy. 
What the liberals who take the bait don't realize that when the far-left goes violent, the independents and others sitting on the fence in the November elections are going to get off of the fence and vote for whomever promises are return to law and order.  The more violence that is brought to the streets, the better the conservatives will do in the November elections. 

Ahhh nooo that would happen after the election if he gets away with it

[Sujo]

50 minutes ago, Poet said:

The whole mail-in voting thing is a disaster waiting to happen. The postal service already struggles to deliver the relatively small number of legitimate absentee ballots on time.

You are going to end up with Trump winning on the night but, then, having the result reversed a month later when all the mail trucks finally turn up. The whole mess will add to the existing acrimony and, either way, half of Americans will believe their government to be illegitimate.

I have yet to hear anyone explain why it is safe for Americans to go to a supermarket but not a polling station.

 

If its such a disaster then why isnt trump doing anything to fix it. He should be encouraging people to vote and have a procedure in place to make it easier.

 

BTW, old people can send younger people to do their shopping and they dont have to stand in line for hours to do so.

[Poet]

4 minutes ago, Tug said:

It’s called covid you know the virus so now you know why people would prefer to vote by mail but let’s just tak a moment and see what president scofflaw been up to in regards to the election shall we?

Again. Are you suggesting that visiting a polling station is inherently more dangerous than visiting a supermarket?
 

[CALSinCM]

1 minute ago, Sujo said:

If its such a disaster then why isnt trump doing anything to fix it. He should be encouraging people to vote and have a procedure in place to make it easier.

It's not his job.  Elections are the job of the Secretary of State in each US state.  That same person is responsible for making sure the elections are free of fraud.  Conversely, they are also in the position to allow fraud to happen. 

Amazing.  The lefties read their newspapers or watch CNN/MSNBC and then go crazy...but they don't even understand how the election system is set up and who controls it.  Ever wonder why Civics isn't taught in school anymore.  Ignorant people are easy to control. 

[Poet]

18 minutes ago, Sujo said:

He should be encouraging people to vote and have a procedure in place to make it easier.

I agree that the current systems are archaic and should be replaced, but not with the mail system.

They should allow people to vote using secure ID verication systems such as Touch ID or FaceID. Anyone who does not have a device with those capabilites registered to them should be allowed to Skype with an election official, have their ID verified by presenting an ID document, and cast their vote.
 

 

18 minutes ago, Sujo said:

BTW, old people can send younger people to do their shopping and they dont have to stand in line for hours to do so.

Yes, that is what my elderly father does, but the truly vulnerable represent a tiny proportion of voters. We already have systems into place and the capacity to accommodate the votes of people who cannot physically make it to the polling station.

Anyone who is going to supermarkets, however, is being hypocritical if they pretend that a polling station is some sort of danger to them. Leave the mail-in voting system to those who actually need it.


 

Edited September 4, 2020 by Poet

[Sujo]

2 minutes ago, CALSinCM said:

It's not his job.  Elections are the job of the Secretary of State in each US state.  That same person is responsible for making sure the elections are free of fraud.  Conversely, they are also in the position to allow fraud to happen. 

Amazing.  The lefties read their newspapers or watch CNN/MSNBC and then go crazy...but they don't even understand how the election system is set up and who controls it.  Ever wonder why Civics isn't taught in school anymore.  Ignorant people are easy to control. 

The elections are free from fraud. Stop promoting fake russian news.

[Kelsall]

Just more desperation from the anti-Trump crowd.  They know he will win and win big.

 

Did I say desperation?  No, PANIC! ????????????

 

Trump 2020 guaranteed

[bendejo]

Thanks for the advice, Donnie.

Joe sends his thanks, too.

 

 

[Tug]

28 minutes ago, Poet said:

Again. Are you suggesting that visiting a polling station is inherently more dangerous than visiting a supermarket?
 

Yes absolutely have you ever voted in an American election?normally pretty close lots and lots and lots of folks close together touching the same things in a grocery store you have much more room fewer people and the option of ordering online and having the food delivered to your car personally the wife and I go in following all safety protocols and one time I wore my U.S. Navy mk 5 brass helmet in for a gag we all had some fun with that(bit uncomfortable though)further more there is no proof mail in voting is open to fraud just because trump says it is drop the russan dis information 

Edited September 4, 2020 by Tug

[bendejo]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

However, in a series of tweets on Thursday morning, Trump again urged his supporters to vote early by mail and then follow up by attempting to vote in person.

No voter fraud you say, but he did something about that and now there is voter fraud, just like he promised.  And here we have it directly from the guy running the con, in his own clear words.  What was that discussion regarding dementia?

 

 

[Poet]

26 minutes ago, Sujo said:

The elections are free from fraud. Stop promoting fake russian news.

When you say that elections are "free from fraud", do you mean that there have been no instances of fraud in US elections?

I want to clarify because I might have misunderstood what you are saying.
 

[Scott]

Troll post reported and removed.  

 

[Mama Noodle]

13 minutes ago, Tug said:

Yes absolutely have you ever voted in an American election?normally pretty close lots and lots and lots of folks close together touching the same things in a grocery store you have much more room fewer people and the option of ordering online and having the food delivered to your car personally the wife and I go in following all safety protocols and one time I wore my U.S. Navy mk 5 brass helmet in for a gag we all had some fun with that(bit uncomfortable though)further more there is no proof mail in voting is open to fraud just because trump says it is drop the russan dis information 

Or just play by the rules and request an absentee ballot to your specific address instead of making the state mail a ballot to everyone on the voter roll. 

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

42 minutes ago, Poet said:

Again. Are you suggesting that visiting a polling station is inherently more dangerous than visiting a supermarket?
 

It doesn't take 9 hours to go grocery shopping. The republicans make it that hard as yet another way to suppress the vote!!!!

[malibukid]

he may have to be escorted out of the WH, what a moment for the  country

[chrisinth]

2 hours ago, CALSinCM said:

That's just sound advice.  Only an irrational hater will read this and think it says, "Break The Law - Vote Twice!!!"
A rational person will read this quote and see it for what Trump actually said, "Vote by mail. Then on election day, go to the polls and make sure the vote has been counted. If not - then vote."  It's good advice whether you are voting Democrat, Republican, or something else.  You should be assured you vote counted.

I wonder if he fails to see how stupid this is. Or rather his supporters; the reason the mail-in voting has been suggested is because of the pandemic that is raging through America. To keep people away from the polling stations because of increased risk of infection to Covid, especially for the elderly and at risk groups.

 

Why would any sane person vote by mail and then put themselves at risk by going to the poll stations? Why not just go to the poll stations and vote in the first place? Instead of committing a felony by voting twice.

 

Not American, just observing what others are seeing from outside.

[Snackbar]

The extraordinary marketeer and manipulator is so far ahead of the so ordinary Joe they’ve no idea what to think.

 

Not only is he going to win a monumental victory but destroy the dippy Dems in the process. They’re just too far gone to have the foggiest what’s happening.

 

Where am I, who are you?

[Srikcir]

3 hours ago, Poet said:

I have yet to hear anyone explain why it is safe for Americans to go to a supermarket but not a polling station.

It's harder for Republucan governors to shutdown supermarkets than polling stations and ballot drop boxes.

[VincentRJ]

31 minutes ago, chrisinth said:

Why would any sane person vote by mail and then put themselves at risk by going to the poll stations? Why not just go to the poll stations and vote in the first place? Instead of committing a felony by voting twice.

 

Good question. The only rational purpose I can see is to get some evidence whether voter fraud by mail, or perhaps unacceptably long delays by mail, does exist. After the election, a survey could be conducted to determine how many people were allowed to vote at the polling booth, despite their previously voting by mail.

 

Whether or not such a practice would be illegal, and in what States it would be illegal, should be addressed. If such a practice is determined to be illegal in certain States, then that would encourage all those who are concerned about the issue of voter fraud, to vote in person at the poll stations, which is what Donald Trump wants.

[Srikcir]

AG Barr says he doesn't know if voting twice is a federal violation. I guess he'd have to know who the votes are for and follow Trump's lead state by state on final counts.