US President, Donald Trump, has called mail-in voting a “scam” during a press conference on Friday, September 17, blasting the voting system in which states send mail-in ballots directly to voters due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
More than half of all Americans are expected to vote through the mail this presidential election, though over 40 per cent of Americans voted by mail in the 2016 and 2012 general elections, according to the Election Assistance Commission.
Several states, including Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, automatically send out mail-in ballots to all state residents for the general election. But due to the Coronavirus pandemic, California, Nevada, New Jersey, Vermont, and Washington D.C. will automatically mail out ballots to all residents for the 2020 election.
Trump said “They’re sending out tens of millions of ballots to everybody, people that didn’t expect them. People are getting inundated with ballots, they’ll be showered with ballots. Everybody in this room knows it’s a scam,” the president continued, gesturing to the White House press pool. “They are never going to be able to count them. It’s a disaster, everyone knows it. Where are these ballots going? Who’s sending them? Who’s signing them?” Trump asked, attempting to show why he thinks voting through the mail is insecure. I think it’s going to be a terrible time for this country and we are counting on federal judges to do a great constitutional job.”