Democratic vice presidential nominee Senator Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence are seen on stage at the 2020 vice presidential campaign debate held on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 7, 2020. (Photo by Reuters)
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris has accused President Donald Trump of promoting voter suppression during her comments on election integrity at the vice presidential debate, which was in sharp contrast to last weeks chaotic presidential face-off between Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
Answering a question on ensuring a peaceful transition of power should Trump lose the November race to Biden, Harris said the president "openly attempted to suppress the vote," during the debate.
"If we use our voice," the California senator said, "we will win, and we will not let anyone subvert our democracy with what Donald Trump has been doing, as he did on the main stage last week."
During the first presidential debate, Trump called for his supporters to "go into the polls and watch very carefully."
Trump, who has repeatedly cast doubt on the election integrity, has even refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power if loses the November 3 vote.
"We believe in the American people, we believe in our democracy, and here is what I would like to say to everybody, please vote, vote early," Harris said.
"We have it within our power in the next 27 days to make a decision about what will be the course of our country the next four years," she added.
During the debate, Vice President Mike Pence repeated voter fraud allegations, when asked what he would do if Trump refused to accept the election outcome.
"I think we are going to win this election," Pence said, adding that "I believe in all my heart that President Donald Trump is going to be elected for four more years."
"President Trump and I are fighting every day in courthouses to prevent Joe Biden and Kamala Harris from changing the rules and creating this universal mail-in voting which would create massive opportunity for voter fraud," he said.
In the days since the presidential debate, which was seen by many as an embarrassment for the American people, election experts have argued that Trumps comments could lead to voter intimidation at the polls.
Instead of calling on his followers to remain calm during a prolonged vote-counting period after the November 3 election, Trump urged them "to go into the polls and watch very carefully because that is what has to happen, I am urging them to do it."
The call has raised fears of voter intimidation and polling place chaos across the country, with Democrats raising concern that it would bring right-wing groups with firearms to polling stations.
Trump has also raised concerns over the past month about the safety and security of mail-in voting, claiming that it leads to voter fraud.
In a recent move, his campaign tried to curtail part of New Jerseys vote-by-mail, but a federal judge rejected the attempt on Tuesday, saying those provisions - added to New Jerseys laws in August in order to allow the state to conduct a primarily vote-by-mail election - were legal and sound.
The presidents campaign had asked the court to stop the state from allowing election officials to process ballots received by mail 10 days before Election Day and those received two days after Election Day even if those ballots dont have a postmark.
Federal Judge Michael Shipp, however, said those provisions were legal and sound.
The states Democratic governor Phil Murphy added the provisions to New Jerseys laws in August in order to allow the state to conduct a primarily vote-by-mail election because of the coronavirus pandemic, the court documents state.
Back in August, Trumps campaign filed a lawsuit in the US District Court to invalidate the governors order.
The federal judge, however, said on Tuesday, "Federal law establishing a national uniform election day does not prevent New Jersey from canvassing ballots before Election Day so long as the election is not consummated and the results reported before the polls close on Election Day."
Due to the pandemic millions of people prefer not to vote in person in November 3 presidential elections.
At least in nine states, every registered voter will automatically be mailed an application to request an absentee ballot.
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/20723
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