On Thursday, President Donald Trump floated delaying the November 3 general election so people could “properly, securely and safely” vote.
Despite the fact the president could not delay the general election without approval from Congress, the comment quickly ricocheted through the political world and gained plenty of attention.
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Trump framed the comments under the claim that mail-in voting during the pandemic will be “INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT” and a “great embarrassment.”
Democrats and Republicans in Congress refuted the president’s suggestion.
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A spokesperson for Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, of Middletown Township, said the elected official did not support moving the election. He pointed to a tweet from Fitzpatrick.
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Democratic congressional candidate Christina Finello reshared U.S. Sen. Bob Casey’s tweet saying the president’s message was only to “distract” from his handling of the pandemic.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, sent a Tweet to the president citing the wording from the Constitution: “The Congress may determine the Time of choosing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.”
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, said they did not support moving the election.
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“Never in the history of the country through wars and depressions and the civil war have we ever not had a federally schedule election on time and we’ll find a way to do that again November 3,” McConnell said in an interview with WNKY-TV anchor Max Winitz.
Trump, who is running for reelection has long claimed that mail-in voting would lead to widespread fraud.
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Experts and reports have refuted many of the president’s claims.
During the primary election amid the pandemic, the Fitzpatrick campaign worked to assist Republican voters who wished to mail-in their ballots.
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“The mail-in voting option is now the law in Pennsylvania, and we believe that everyone should be made aware of all voting options that are available to them so that voters can decide for themselves how they would like to cast their ballot,” said Kate Constantini, Fitzpatrick’s campaign spokeswoman.
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