A few minutes ago on the PBS NewsHour, Gov. Ralph Northam was asked about Trump’s latest idiocy, this time on mail-in voting supposedly being prone to “fraud” (hint: IT IS NOT). Here’s the exchange.
Judy Woodruff: “In local elections in Virginia this week, there was a much higher number of people…[voting]…with mail-in ballots…You’re encouraging Virginians to mail in their votes for the June primary. But we know that President Trump…is saying that mail-in voting, in his words, leads to fraud…he said it’s going to lead to total election fraud. What do you say to that? And do you see this as an effort to discourage voting in November on the part of Democrats?
Ralph Northam: “Well, Judy, nobody should have to choose between their health and casting a ballot. And this is not the time to play politics…There have been so many mixed messaged that have come out of Washington, and it’s really why we’re in somewhat of the predicament that we’re in now. But we need to make sure that we can allow individuals to cast their ballot and that they can do it safely…We don’t know what this virus is going to do over the next weeks and months. But certainly, if in November, the virus is still out there…and poll workers are putting their lives at risk, then we need to find another means of voting to make sure that everybody’s voice is heard and that we can elect a president in November.”
Judy Woodruff: “When the president claims this leads to, in his words, ‘total election fraud’, how do you respond to that?”
Ralph Northam: “Well, it’s just baseless, is what it is. Again, we have shown…we showed it a couple days ago, that it’s a way that people can vote and it’s a way that they can protect their health…I hope that November 3, which we have made a holiday in Virginia – we got rid of Lee Jackson holiday, as you know – we hope that people will be able to vote at the polls and do it safely, but if they can’t, we’ve got to find other means to do that.”
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