Without evidence, Trump and Sessions warn of voter fraud in Tuesday’s elections
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday issued strong warnings about the threat of voter fraud in Tuesday’s elections, echoing the president’s baseless claims that massive voter fraud marred his 2016 election and prompting accusations that his administration is trying to intimidate voters.
In a tweet early Monday, Trump said that law enforcement has been “strongly notified” to watch for “ILLEGAL VOTING.” He promised that anyone caught voting improperly would be subjected to “Maximum Criminal Penalties.” Sessions, in a statement laying out the Justice Department’s plans to monitor ballot access on Election Day, said “fraud in the voting process will not be tolerated. Fraud also corrupts the integrity of the ballot.”
In remarks to reporters on his way to a campaign rally in Cleveland, Trump also falsely claimed that voter fraud is commonplace.
“Just take a look,” he said. “All you have to do is go around, take a look at what’s happened over the years, and you’ll see. There are a lot of people — a lot of people — my opinion, and based on proof — that try and get in illegally and actually vote illegally. So we just want to let them know that there will be prosecutions at the highest level.”
There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the United States. Trump formed a commission to study the issue shortly after he took office that was disbanded without finding evidence of fraud after states refused to turn over voter data.
Voting rights advocates denounced Trump’s remarks as a blatant attempt to intimidate voters on the eve of Election Day — and part of a pattern among Republicans, they said, to curtail voting access with strict rules that disproportionately affect voters of color who tend to vote Democratic.
“I find this kind of conduct incredibly anti-patriotic,” said Kristen Clarke, who leads the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a voting rights group that has successfully challenged several new voting restrictions across the country this year. “At a time when we need our White House and Justice Department speaking out against the relentless campaign of voter suppression in this election cycle, it defies reason.”
Accusations of voter fraud and voter suppression have roared to the forefront in several closely contested races this year, raising the possibility of recounts and disputed results among dozens of races for House, Senate and governor.
Anticipating possible problems at the polls, political parties, interest groups and voting rights organizations have organized “war rooms” to watch Tuesday’s elections unfold and recruited thousands of volunteer lawyers to monitor precincts across the country. In his statement, Sessions said the Justice Department will follow its usual protocol of sending monitors across the country to protect against voter suppression, intimidation and discrimination; this year, staff will travel to 35 jurisdictions in 19 states to monitor compliance with voting laws.
In past years, Justice Department officials have not listed voter fraud as a top concern when announcing the deployment of election monitors, as Sessions did Monday.
“It’s indicative of a pattern with this administration,” said David Vance, a spokesman for Common Cause, a civil rights group that helped recruit 6,500 volunteers to monitor polling locations across the country Tuesday. “It’s an effort to intimidate voters and keep them away from the polls and try to dictate which voters will turn out and which voters won’t. It flies in the face of what the DOJ has done traditionally to protect voters.”
Homeland Security officials also urged vigilance about a different kind of threat to election security: interference by foreign actors, particularly Russia. They “continue to try to influence public sentiment and voter perceptions through actions intended to sow discord,” such as spreading disinformation on social media, officials said in a statement.
Nowhere has the debate over voting rights been more acrimonious than in Georgia, where Republican Brian Kemp, a champion of voting restrictions, is running for governor against Democrat Stacey Abrams, who would be the first-ever black female governor in the nation.
Kemp, who as secretary of state is also in charge of running Tuesday’s elections, over the weekend accused the state Democratic Party of trying to hack into the state election system. Emails from the party, however, show that party officials were alerted to a possible vulnerability in the state system and forwarded the tip to cybersecurity officials, who in turn forwarded it to lawyers for Kemp as well as the FBI.
On Monday, computer experts and lawyers involved with the episode said they were stunned that Kemp had turned an effort to alert his office about a security vulnerability into a political attack. “It’s obvious to me that they’re shooting the messenger,” said Logan Lamb, an Atlanta-based cybersecurity researcher who reviewed the emails over the weekend.
A spokeswoman for Kemp said Monday that his office has referred the matter to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Kemp has battled Abrams over voting issues for years. In 2014, he accused the New Georgia Project, a voter-registration group that Abrams founded to register eligible people of color, of fraud, but his investigation produced no evidence of wrongdoing. This year, he accused Abrams of encouraging undocumented immigrants to vote, a charge she denies. This week he circulated the accusation in an automated telephone recording.
Kemp also championed strict new voting rules that were partially blocked in a pair of court rulings in recent weeks. One of the laws, requiring personal information on voter registration applications to exactly match other government records, disproportionately affected people of color.
Kemp also tweeted an article Monday from Breitbart, a conservative news outlet that regularly publishes right-wing conspiracy theories, claiming that “armed Black Panthers” support Abrams. The racially charged article featured photographs of black men carrying guns and holding Abrams signs.
Accusations and anxiety surfaced in other corners of the nation, too. A California group called the Voting Rights Task Force recruited volunteers on Twitter on Monday to monitor election returns on county websites every 15 minutes “to make sure vote totals don’t go DOWN and to capture it in screenshots if they do.”
In the Central Valley of California, Democrat Andrew Janz, who is challenging Rep. Devin Nunes, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, accused local election officials of changing his polling location without notice — and he urged his Twitter followers to check their polling places before heading out to vote Tuesday.
It turns out that Janz’s polling location had not been changed but that a state website had given him incorrect information, according to the Fresno Bee .
In North Dakota, advocates continued to monitor a restrictive voter ID law requiring voters to provide identification displaying a residential address, which they say will make it harder for Native Americans to cast ballots because they are less likely to have the necessary documents.
Meanwhile, voting rights were on the ballot in some places. In North Carolina, voters will decide Tuesday whether to require a photo ID to vote. In Kansas, the fiery secretary of state, Kris Kobach, is in a tough gubernatorial race in which his false claims of rampant voter fraud have become a dominant issue. Several House Democrats have promised that new voter protections, including restoring provisions of the Voting Rights Act struck down by the Supreme Court, will be among their top priorities.
One bright spot for voting rights advocates has been the boost in turnout among early voters logged across the nation. As of Saturday, the number of people voting early had outpaced that of the 2014 midterm elections in 28 states, according to data compiled by Michael McDonald, a political-science professor at the University of Florida. In two additional states, Texas and Nevada, early voting was on track to surpass the entire vote count four years ago, he said.
Said Vance, of Common Cause: “To turn out and make yourself heard is the primary weapon to combat these attempts to suppress the vote.”
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If his side loses tomorrow, Trump will cry like a baby about "voter fraud". Given his penchant for fantastical lying, we may hear that millions of illegal alien invaders flew in on giant invisible drones and air dropped into secret bases near US polling places, where they were met by Democratic Party traitors.
Sean Hannity will have a live interview Wednesday morning.
That or like a whiny little bitch, blame it on his own base for not coming out for him in large enough numbers.
Trump recently told supporters at one of his circle jerk rallies that if he is impeached, "it's your fault, 'cause you didn't go out to vote."
I'm sure the fact that his base is not the majority is completely lost on him. If it weren't for the electoral college , he wouldn't be President. The majority did not vote for him and does not currently support him, so when Republicans lose big tomorrow it will ALL be on him and his minority base who can't suddenly, magically become the majority. Sure, a lot of his followers think they're literally superior and should get a vote that counts for more than an "average" melting pot American, but that's not how it works in a midterm election, majority rules, there is no electoral college to save those waste of space obstructionist Republicans who did nothing but sit on their hands and hope Obama failed for eight years while drawing fat paychecks.
Trump is correct that there is voter fraud in this 2018 Election Cycle just like there was in the 2016 cycle.
The Russians continue to poke around and GOP led statehouses continue their interference, suppression and manipulations.
Of course with all things the Trump, his MAGA MOUTH cries 'look over here' while he and his cohorts are making off with the goods.
Follow the money. The Trump's Achilles Heel will land him in Ft. Leavenworth.
Any proof the Russians are directly interfering with elections? And no, a bunch of untouchable Russian trolls buying a fee thousand dollars worth of Facebook ads doesn't count.
Russia-backed Facebook posts 'reached 126m Americans' during US election
Facebook expected to present testimony on Russian content on Tuesday, after three Trump aides indicted as part of inquiry into interference in 2016 vote
When you make a definitive claim that is factually incorrect … your credibility and/or your knowledge defines you.
Russian 'troll money' has nothing to do with laundered money through Trump businesses and properties.
They may very well turn out to be one in the same.
I never said that Russia didn't buy Facebook ads. I said that a few thousand dollars is nothing compared to millions spent by the major parties and their donors. It doesn't matter how many users those ads reach if they're buried by other ads. It helps to be factually accurate when you try to prove somebody else factually inaccurate.
You don't need evidence when you have "beliefs". Facts and reality only get in the way.
If there was so much vote fraud then why did Trump disband his vote fraud committee?
Evidence and facts are two things that Trump is allergic to.
Without evidence, Trump and Sessions warn of voter fraud in Tuesday’s elections
And this would be a surprise to whom?
More people in the voting place than usual this time, which was a little surprising because there is not a lot of mystery about who is going to win the local elections. This congressional district hasn't been represented by a Republican since before I was born.
DEMOCRATS TAKE THE HOUSE …
Subpoenas in January …
IT'S MUELLER TIME!
I really do hope you and the rest that wish for a Trump impeachment get EXACTLY what they think they want. The recent shortsightedness of the left never ceases to amaze me. The last time something like this happened you ended up (once again) on the wrong side of history and gave us the nuclear option which has already caused irreversible damage and will probably continue for the foreseeable future. It is amazing nothing has been learned, are you that happy with the results the last time the Dems "made history"?
What? Start impeachment proceedings?
Personally, I want the democrats in the House to roll up their sleeves and get to work on things like healthcare, infrastructure and maybe do something about corruption and ethics. I don't want them wasting their time on impeachment if there is absolutely nothing in the Mueller report that supports it. Let's not pull a "Benghazi" and just get to work, please.
It is disappointing to see people say they are willing to normalize Donald Trump. Frankly, any normalization of Trump is a disgrace to this country. We get enough of that pathetic attitude and behavior from the deluded right.
If Trump wants to concede policy results to the Democrats in certain areas such as health care and infrastructure, fine, they should co-operate, but investigations of Trump should not only be continued , they should be increased. Get his tax returns, get information about his corrupt cabinet, get every piece of evidence of Trump's financial corruption. That is their job.
TG, if Donald Trump is normalized it will greatly increase his chance for re-election. He's an asshole. I'm not accepting an asshole as president of the United States. Not today, not ever.
I agree with you for once. That is certainly what they SHOULD do but I somehow I am certain they will do nothing but obstruct and attempt to impeach. Maybe because they said so. I also think they will unfortunately double down on calls to harass political opponents because they didn't feel enough of a rebuke for it.
Sadly facts and evidence seem to be shunned when it doesn't fit the narrative, or what a leftist wants at a particular moment and damn the consequences. I am convinced it is some kind of Trump Hysteria. Look at Amac's post. (don't be confused I am not calling him a leftist) Someone who is usually cool headed and sensible is now happy to flush millions more of your taxpayer money down the toilet even after 2 years of money and waste have it clogged hopelessly up....and just think if he gets what he thinks he wants. Trump impeachment will deliver us Christian conservative president! Something Republicans could NEVER accomplish without the lefts help. You can't even make this stuff up!!!!
Well, the Benghazi investigations cost a hell of a lot of taxpayer money...where were you when that money was being spent?
Don't get too twiddlepated about my comment. I did say that if there was no substantial evidence in the Mueller investigation then it needs to end. I don't want the Democrats to get bogged down in garbage that could hurt them in 2020.
It's time to get to work!
Look at you acting like you know what Mueller knows, even though nobody else does. Lol. It just goes to show that you don't much care what Mueller knows, or what Trump did. If told to do so, you will accept Putin as your President.
Silly me, I should have known better...I should have asked IF there is no substantial evidence AFTER HOW LONG? Obviously 2 years isn't long enough. LMAO
Excuse me, but have you seen Mueller's report? And why is that?
BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN RELEASED YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and why hasn't it been released?....and when will it?
I think it is safe to say that if there was dirt we would be wallowing in it by now.
I don't know! Maybe Mueller didn't release it before the elections because he's a good American and didn't want to influence the elections.
I don't know any more about his report than you do.
You didn't answer my question. When was the last time the Democrats started impeachment proceedings?
While that would be great, it's never going to happen sadly. Since Republicans control the Senate, Democrats have no real ability to get anything passed. Sure, they could try to reach across the aisle, something Republicans refused to do with anything other than poison pill bills, but Republicans have a "no compromise" mentality that requires they not give Democrats a single win even if it were beneficial to Americans.
So, the only choice Democrats have is to turn up the heat on investigations into the corrupt administration and Trumps enablers. While a Republican controlled house was able to limit what the public was allowed to see and hear about the GOP ties to Russian operatives who worked on their behalf in the 2016 election, with a Democrat controlled house they'll be able to expose more which I believe will eventually expose all the insanity in the white house that's been kept under wraps by Trumps sycophant enablers.
I can fantasize about purple skies, can't I?
Don't be silly John. You accepted an asshole as President of the United States way back in 1992.
Anyone can say Trump is "normal" but we all know he is not. I can't keep you from lying to yourself.
Didn't say that Trump was normal. I said that Bill Clinton was just as bad or worse and yet you accepted him.
Ignore 96. He is someone who clearly isn't curious for the truth. He is a follower. Let him follow.........
They are still just talking about it, but as if to prove me right they just announced their first act will be to go after Trumps taxes. I am sure that and impeachment will be their only focus.
What a shame it only took less than 24hrs after the election to confirm that they will be disappointing both of us.
I'm just glad that the money he demands for his wall, will not happen now. It is bad enough that his little troop movement to the border will cost upwards of over 200 million.
Ya still didn't answer my question. If you don't have an answer, just suck it up and admit it
I heard that they won't institute impeachment proceedings. They are going to be too busy trying to repair some of the damage Trump and Company have created.
He couldn't get his parade so he made one.
E.A Stud, may I ask::
DO all Troops get training at " Moving maneuvers"? and do they do that while they are " standing Still "?
Do ALL Units in the Military do " real life training " so then the Airforce will Train in " Moving Troops " so where do they move them and what is the " Cost "?
So care to show US all any " additional Costs " to a Normal maneuvers Training?
L.L. Yes, and how much manure do they have to move?
E.A Thanks tell them it is all !! and this site has plenty!! :-)
Dems +1 in the House, and this guy can lawfully demand Secretary of the Treasury deliver him Trump's tax returns. https:// democrats-waysandmeans.house.gov/about/ranking- member-sander-m-levin …
SOMEONE'S ASS IN HIS BRIEFCASE!
Trump has told Sessions to "resign," which Sessions has now done.
Stupid, desperation move as Trump can not fire-people his way out of a Grand Jury procedure if Mueller proceeds thusly, and, Sessions for sure will be embarrassed, pissed off, and, A PERFECT SUBPOENA CANDIDATE WITH IMMUNITY …
… who may be hot to tell all … the perfect "last word" revenge plan ... particularly if Sessions calls Trump for "treason by way of criminal conspiracy with a hostile foreign power."