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Not everything is going perfectly with the postal vote in the United States. But US President Trump and Republicans consistently arouse suspicions because he could benefit from them after November 3.
By Katrin Brand, ARD Studio Washington
Stefan Niemann lives in Washington, DC and is not eligible to vote here. However, the head of the ARD television studio in Washington had postal ballots in the ballot box three times: “Once for a previous tenant who moved in years ago, for my landlord who died two years ago, and for his wife who has been living for years. Puerto Rico lives and requested postal ballots there, “he says. Apparently, Niemann concludes, the electoral rolls are not properly updated. A small example of how things are not going well in the American elections.
Overloaded authorities in the primaries
Due to concerns about Covid-19 infection, many Americans want to vote by mail this year. No problem in a handful of states like Colorado and Utah: For years, votes have been cast there exclusively by mail or in special mailboxes. In many other countries, however, this is the exception, some even require a certificate.
Many authorities were already overwhelmed by the spring primaries; In Wisconsion, for example, Brookfield city manager Kelly Michaels says: Her employees were sick, there was no protective clothing. The queues were endless and documents were lost in the mail.
But this time they are better prepared, he says: You can say with much, much confidence that the elections here in Wisconsin are safe, says Michaels, and therefore contradicts the president of the United States, Donald Trump.
Trump suspects systematic manipulation
America’s vote-by-mail will become “the biggest fraud in election history,” he says for months. He claims that his Democratic political opponents wanted to collect, manipulate, or throw away the ballots.
“When I see thousands of ballots in trash cans, by chance with my name on them, that doesn’t make me happy,” he kept saying. There is no evidence for this; Voter fraud has so far been extremely rare in the United States. Instead of helping strengthen mail-in votes, Trump and Republicans either piss off them or try to hinder them.
In Texas, for example, Gov. Greg Abbott wanted to limit the number of polling stations to one per county. In California, Republicans established their own official-looking mailboxes. In other places they sue against electoral registers and deadlines. Trump himself hits his voters:
“We can only lose this election if the election is rigged, don’t forget!”
Election night won’t produce any results
Donald Trump’s fear campaign is likely for two reasons. On the one hand, he fears that greater turnout will benefit Democrats. On the other hand, build a motive to contest the election in case of defeat.
It could then land before the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court for which Trump has just chosen another conservative judge. Amy Coney Barrett, however, keeps her distance: She is 100 percent committed to the independence of the judiciary from political pressure, Barrett said at her hearing.
Election night will definitely be exciting. In many places, votes cast in person are counted first. That could put Trump at the helm initially. But there won’t be a result yet, among other things, because some states allow vote-by-mail documents to arrive a week later. By mid-October, more than 17 million Americans had already cast their vote, either by letter or in person, in early voting at the polling station.
