Donald Trump Urges Floridians To Vote By Mail In Major U-Turn
Taking a complete u-turn on earlier criticism of mail-in voting, Donald Trump is now encouraging voters in Florida, a critical swing state, to vote by mail. This reversal is even more abrupt and surprising given that the president threatened to sue Nevada over a new vote-by-mail law only a few days ago.
Moreover, this radical change of attitude over Florida's use of mail-in ballots does not coincide with an argument he had maintained throughout the pandemic, indicating that mail-in ballots pose an election security risk while touting absentee ballots as a safer alternative. elections experts, on the other hand, have repeatedly said that mail-in voting and absentee voting are the same thing and that there are strict regulations to verify the authenticity of ballots that are cast by mail.
Taking to this Twitter handle on Tuesday, Trump noted that regardless of whether people call it to vote by mail or absentee voting, the system is safe and secure in Florida, adding that it is Tried and True. The president went on to tweet that the state's Voting system has been cleaned up after defeating Democrats attempt at change.
He concluded the tweet, urging Floridians to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail! and used the hashtag #MAGA (Make America Great Again) before concluding the message. Responding to questions about the reversal on Tuesday, Trump indicated that Republican-run states that already have mail-in voting programs were up to the mark, while Democratic states that were trying to either establish or expand mail-in voting amid the pandemic were not.
Pointing out that Florida currently has a great Republican governor and had a great Republican governor in the past, Trump said the state has been able to get the absentee ballots done professionally, adding that Florida is unlike any other state in the country. He then went on to criticize vote-by-mail efforts attempts in New York and Nevada, both states led by Democratic governors.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany denied that the president has changed his views, stating that he supports absentee voting by mail for a reason, as opposed to states sending ballots via mail to all voters including those who never requested them. A large number of election officials suggestive there is no difference between the two forms of voting practices, AP News reported.
There is are shreds of evidence that show mail-in voting leads to widespread fraud, but Trump's constant criticism of the practice is likely to sow doubt as far as the legitimacy about the election is concerned.