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District of Columbia election officials are increasing the number of ballot boxes for this fall’s general election. And they are not alone.
Officials in states across the country – including Arizona, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin – are also taking similar steps to give voters a safe and remote social option to vote amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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But the push for more ballot boxes comes as President Trump continues his relentless assault on postal voting, which he says will lead to massive voter fraud. And it comes as the President and Congressional Democrats fight to increase funding for the U.S. Postal Service ahead of what is sure to be a massive increase in mail voting.
A poll worker wears personal protective equipment as she watches a ballot box for mailed ballots outside a polling station during advance voting on August 7, 2020, in Miami Beach, California. Florida (AP Photo / Lynne Sladky)
An increase in the number of ballot boxes would allow a greater percentage of voters to bypass the sending of their ballots. After cutting overtime and delivery delays to deal with its budget woes, the Postal Service warned last week that it could not guarantee that all postal ballots would be received in time to be counted when November elections.
Following an intense crackdown across the country, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy – a staunch Trump supporter who was appointed by the president – announced this week that he was suspending a number of cost-cutting changes that had been implemented but critics argued it would hamper capacity. of the postal service to manage the ballots by mail.
House Democrats questioned DeJoy’s announcement and said they would go ahead with a vote on Saturday to ban postal service disruptions. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi downplayed DeJoy’s announcement as a “temporary break” from Trump’s “election sabotage campaign”. She said the House Democrats’ bill would give the $ 25 billion in funding that the USPS board had wanted and ban DeJoy from cutting mail service during the coronavirus pandemic.
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As the fight in the nation’s capital continues, the pressure for more ballot boxes is under attack from the president.
“Some states use ‘drop boxes’ for the collection of universal ballots. So who is going to “collect” the ballots, and what could be done to them before they are compiled? A rigged election? So bad for our country. Only postal ballots are acceptable! Trump tweeted on Monday.
But election experts disagree with the president’s claims. They explain that these urns are designed with safety in mind. They are mostly located in secure locations, such as county courthouses or election offices, and some are equipped with security cameras. Drop boxes located outside these facilities – which allow voters 24/7 access to cast their ballots – are made of strong materials like steel and are usually securely cemented. on the ground. They also note that only election officers manage and process the ballots once they are cast at the ballot box.
Those trying to tamper with drop boxes would likely face charges of electoral fraud – resulting in fines of up to $ 10,000 and five years behind bars for a conviction for fraud.
Regardless, the president’s re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC) filed a federal complaint against Pennsylvania for drop boxes after Philadelphia and suburban communities used them in their June primary. , when a whopping 1.4 million ballots were mailed out. Democratic state lawmakers fought back.
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The president suggested on Tuesday that a massive shift to postal voting in the presidential election could cause so many problems that officials may have to re-vote.
“It’ll end up being a rigged election or they’ll never come out with a result,” Trump told reporters. “They will have to start over, and nobody wants to.”
The resumption of a national election has never happened in American history. And the president does not have the power to postpone an election.
While the president continues to oppose universal ballots, only nine states plan to vote almost entirely by mail this year.
As the president considered re-running the election, his campaign and the RNC filed a lawsuit against New Jersey on Tuesday after Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy issued an executive order that would send a ballot to every registered voter, but also allow – person voting if desired
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Murphy fired back on Wednesday, tweeting: “Let’s be clear: postal voting in the November election will keep people safe. Period. The Trump campaign is embarking on a brazen attempt to sow fear and confusion, and to delegitimize our elections and cast doubt on our democratic process. “
Fox News’ Lissa Kaplan contributed to this report
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