Washington, United States.
The American President, Donald trump, threatened this Wednesday with “withholding” federal funds to two key states in the presidential election next November, Nevada and Michigan, for their plans to facilitate voting by mail for security reasons during the pandemic of the COVID-19.
In two tweets, Trump he took a new step in his campaign against voting by mail, an option that he used himself to participate in the primaries of FloridaBut he fears that it could harm him in November, so he insists, without proof, that it could lead to electoral fraud.
READ MORE: The US arranges “relief flights” for its citizens leaving Nicaragua
“Nevada ‘Thinks’ It Can Send Illegal Ballots of vote by mail, creating a huge stage of electoral fraud for the state and United States. They can not! If they do, I ‘think’ I can withhold the funds from the state, “he wrote Trump about plans Nevada to hold their June 9 legislative primaries only by mail.
The president also addressed that threat to Michigan, saying the territory “has sent 7.7 million people to vote by mail” for its August primaries and general elections.
“I will ask that funds be withheld from Michigan if they want to go down this electoral fraud path!” He added.
Trump it did not clarify what funds it could retain and it is not clear that it can legally do so, given that the states and localities have the power to make decisions about their elections. Additionally, most of the coronavirus stimulus package funds that were earmarked for Nevada and Michigan have already been released.
READ MORE: Russia and the US clash at the UN over the failed armed operation against Maduro
Speaking to the press later, Trump hinted that he does not plan to follow through on his threats, saying he does not believe it will be “necessary” to withhold funds at least in the case of Michigan.
“The ballots sent by mail are something very dangerous, they are the object of massive fraud,” said the president, despite the fact that there is no evidence on the matter and several studies have denied that point.
NO PROOF OF ELECTORAL FRAUD
Documented cases of electoral fraud in the US They are so few that a person is “more likely to be struck by lightning posing as another voter at the polls,” the independent New York University Brennan Center for Justice said in 2017.
READ MORE: Vaccinated or infected monkeys appear to develop immunity to coronavirus, studies show
However, Trump He affirmed after his electoral victory in 2016 that 3 to 5 million undocumented immigrants had voted in those elections, without providing any evidence; and created an Electoral Fraud Commission to investigate his own complaints, which was dissolved a few months later, without having found any evidence of problems.
Own Trump voted by mail in the presidential primaries of Florida Two months ago, something his spokesperson, Kayleigh McEnany, justified on Wednesday by stating that “he is the president” and has “a reason” not to be present in his state of residence on the day of the primaries.
READ MORE: Italy to reopen all its airports in June after the closure due to coronavirus
Health concerns stemming from the coronavirus crisis have prompted several states to postpone their primaries or promote voting by mail, something that in the United States. it is only allowed as a generalized option – without the need for extra justification – in 29 states.
Trump’s threats focused on two Democrat-ruled states – Nevada and Michigan – even though other Republican-led ones are also facilitating postal voting, such as West Virginia or Utah.
– .
