Donald Trump, the incoming president, has unveiled a comprehensive proposal to change how American elections are held.
At a Fox Nation event in Long Island on Thursday, he accepted the Patriot of the Year award and stated, “We need to get things straightened out in this country, including elections.”
After a live rendition of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” the president-elect’s hallmark entrance song, Trump, 78, took the trophy, which was fashioned to resemble the American flag.
He assured the throng, “We’re going to do things that have been really needed for a long time.” We will also examine elections. Voter ID, one-day voting, paper ballots, and citizenship documentation are what we want.
He continued by denouncing a new California legislation that forbids local governments from requiring voters to present identification at the polling station. Recently, a law was established in California that forbids asking a voter for identification.
Consider that. Requesting voter identification from a voter is prohibited. “We’ll straighten out the entire country,” he declared.
Trump has previously suggested altering elections. He suggested eliminating mail-in votes in favor of same-day voting and voter ID regulations during a speech in August in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
We want to make all the changes before we get back in. We’d like to switch to paper voting. We’d like to vote on the same day. We would like to visit voter ID and citizenship documents. It’s really easy. He stated, “We want to eliminate mail-in voting.”
According to the Brennan Center, paper ballots are used in 98% of US counties. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has drastically altered how American elections are conducted, resulting in a record-breaking rise in early or mail-in voting.
In 2024, voters nationwide cast 88,233,886 early in-person and mail-in ballots, and 47 states currently offer early voting in some capacity. Since 2020, voter ID laws have been enacted in eight states.
In 2020, Trump’s campaign filed many lawsuits to overturn many state legislation that made voting by mail simpler, in an attempt to outlaw mail-in voting.
Additionally, he described mail-in votes as crooked and hazardous, asserting that they will lead to widespread electoral fraud and a rigged 2020 election. Later, he attributed his 2020 election defeat to mail-in ballots.
The overall rate of voting fraud in the United States is less than 0.0009 percent, despite a few isolated instances of election fraud brought on by postal voting, such as the 2018 North Carolina primary that had to be rerun after a Republican candidate’s consultant tampered with absentee voting papers.
A 2017 research conducted by the Brennan Centre for Justice is cited. Ellen Weintraub, chair of the Federal Election Commission, said there is just no evidence to support the conspiracy idea that mail-in voting leads to fraud.
Trump changed his mind this year and actively urged his followers to vote early, despite his prior opposition to mail-in voting. In an interview with Dan Bongino, Trump declared, “I am urging everyone to cast their ballots early.”
Meanwhile, Trump and his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee, aggressively urged voters to use early voting methods, including mail-in votes, through a series of robocalls and virtual town halls.
According to CNN, one robocall said, “Hello, this is Lara Trump calling on behalf of President Trump’s campaign, and we’re urging you to get out and vote before election day.” Lara Trump claimed in a robocall earlier this year that mail-in votes caused widespread election fraud in 2020.
The change came about as Trump tried to win over voters in seven battleground states.
But going back to one-day voting will probably affect rural voters, especially in battleground regions where early voters are prevalent and many of them have voted for Trump in the past. Additionally, it would disproportionately impact voters with disabilities, whose turnout rose in 2020 as a result of mail-in voting.
Meanwhile, nonwhite persons who lack simple access to citizenship documents and voter ID may be disproportionately denied the right to vote as a result of Trump’s proposal to require both. According to NPR, this voting demographic identifies as independent or Democrat and is disproportionately nonwhite.
In order to cast a ballot in the 2024 presidential election, voters in 35 states had to present official identification. Of these, twenty-four required photo identification, like a U.S. passport or driver’s license. For the 2020 election, that is four more states than are needed.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.