News

Donald Trump is encouraging his supporters to fill out two voting ballots

Picture:
Picture:
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump has been busy in recent weeks doing his level best to throw scorn on the US democratic process.

In recent weeks he's refused to commit to accepting the election result, saying he planned to keep voters 'in suspense'.

He's claimed that voting machines are rigged, and that national polls which put him behind Hillary Clinton are incorrect are due to oversampling and that voter fraud is "very, very common", with no evidence.

Overall, the theme is that it's all a conspiracy against Trump.

Recently, an Iowa woman has been charged with voter fraud after admitting to casting two ballots in the US election, claiming she feared her vote would be changed - sentiments Trump has stirred up among his supporter base.

Terri Lynn Rote, a 55-year-old registered Republican, was arrested by Des Moines police on Thursday after she reportedly cast an early ballot at the Polk County Election Office, and then voted again at a second location in Des Moines.

Trump has asked supporters at a rally in Greeley, Colorado, to fill out another ballot if they've sent a mail ballot.

This practice can lead to fraudulent vote tallies if mailed ballots aren't discounted.

He told the rally audience:

You can check on your ballot to make sure it’s counted properly.

You can go to [Greeley voting location] University Center and they’ll give you a ballot, a new ballot. They’ll void your old ballot and give you a new ballot. And you can go out and make sure it gets in.

In some places, they probably do that four or five times, but we don’t do that.

If mail ballots aren't properly voided, there is a chance that a persons vote could be counted more than once. The last sentence of Trump's quote is downright suggestive of this possibility.

Colorado is also using a new system this year, which raises the possibility that there will be polling day confusion.

Excellent.

More: Man who correctly predicted 30 years of presidential elections says Donald Trump is going to win

The Conversation (0)