This morning, Donald Trump tweeted that the United States will endure the most “inaccurate and fraudulent election in history.” His allegation is rooted in the false notion that mail-in voting leads to voter fraud. And while the inaccuracy of his statement is concerning enough, even more troubling is his pondering of delaying the presidential election.
With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
Voter fraud isn’t really a problem
It’s time to set things straight. One, the president cannot delay an election. Only Congress can do that. And two, mail-in voter fraud is virtually non-existent.
Investigative reporting project Who Can Vote? found under 500 instances of absentee ballot fraud over a period of 12 years. This, as noted by the Brennan Center for Justice, is in comparison to billions of votes cast. What’s more, the non-partisan law and public policy institute reported general voter fraud rates at under 1 percent.
The presidential election has been set for the Tuesday that follows November’s first Monday since 1845. Representative Jerry Nadler took to Twitter to check Trump’s power: “Our elections are enshrined in the Constitution. The Constitution also says that if the date of the election is to be changed, it must be changed by Congress.”
Let’s be clear: Trump does not have the ability to delay the election. Our elections are enshrined in the Constitution. The Constitution also says that if the date of the election is to be changed, it must be changed by Congress. https://t.co/WzVgBQqdSo
— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) July 30, 2020
Headed to the polls
It’s quite the coincidence Trump spouted this misinformation just two days after National Vote by Mail Day. In light of the pandemic, the ability to vote by mail is more crucial than ever. However, some states make it harder than others to mail in your ballot, like Connecticut and Indiana where you need an excuse. Recently, states like Alabama and New Hampshire have changed up their vote-by-mail rules to accommodate COVID-19 precautions. To learn more about the rules for your state, Vote Save America has a handy guide.
Trump’s tweet also came the same day the New York Times published an essay by civil rights leader John Lewis, which he wrote to have published on the day of his funeral. As we get closer to November, it is important we carry his words with us:
Ordinary people with extraordinary vision can redeem the soul of America by getting in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble. Voting and participating in the democratic process are key. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. You can lose it.