President Trump on Monday slammed Nevada officials for approving the mass mailing of ballots for the November election, saying it amounted to a “coup.”
The Nevada legislature on Sunday voted to make the state the eighth to send ballots to all registered voters. Gov. Stephen Sisolak, a Democrat, is expected to sign the bill.
“In an illegal late night coup, Nevada’s clubhouse Governor made it impossible for Republicans to win the state,” Trump tweeted. “Post Office could never handle the Traffic of Mail-In Votes without preparation. Using Covid to steal the state. See you in Court!”
For months, Trump has alleged there will be massive fraud if states send ballots to all eligible voters.
In late June, the president warned about widespread fraud in mail-in voting but said that “absentee ballots are fine.”
“A person has to go through a process to get and use them,” Trump said. “Mail-In Voting, on the other hand, will lead to the most corrupt Election is USA history. Bad things happen with Mail-Ins.”
He added: “Just look at Special Election in Patterson, N.J. 19% of Ballots a FRAUD!”
In Paterson’s City Council election, a total of 3,190 mail-in ballots — about 19 percent of the tally — were disqualified in May, according to NorthJersey.com.
The election was conducted entirely through mail-in ballots because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Although few people are prosecuted for voter fraud in the US, Trump has vividly described the potential “harvesting” of ballots from mailboxes, which he said will help Democrats.
Trump lost Nevada to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2008, continuing a three-election losing streak for Republicans after President George W. Bush won there in 2000 and 2004.
California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington already approved mass mail-in voting, as has Washington, DC. Most other states allow people to request ballots to avoid COVID-19 exposure while voting.