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One way you know this Bill Barr “Conspiracy Theory” is false — is because IF it had a shred of validity to it, they wouldn’t be riling up their fanatical followers with it.
No instead, they’d be quietly asking Putin to “implement it” for them — on Trump’s behalf.
U.S. mail-in ballots can't be printed by foreign governments, but Trump, in a bit of a panic, wants you to believe the opposite.
by Steve Benen, MSNBC — June 22, 2020
[...] it was just a few weeks ago when Attorney General Bill Barr floated a theory to the New York Times, raising the prospect of foreign governments conspiring to mail in fake ballots. The Republican lawyer had no evidence to substantiate the claim, but he added that he's "real worried" about foreign countries "that could easily make counterfeit ballots, put names on them, send them in. And it'd be very hard to sort out what's happening."
Since Trump apparently expects the public to take this seriously, let's circle back and review why this is foolish.
States that have already embraced postal balloting have implemented safeguards, including bar codes, that make the prospect of a foreign actor "easily making counterfeit ballots" impossible.
What's more, vote-by-mail programs rely on signed security envelopes that, again, prevent the scenario the attorney general described. The Washington Post reported recently that elections officials in multiple states "said it would be virtually impossible for a foreign government to achieve what Barr described."
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Today Trump amplified this “impossible” Barr conspiracy theory, as discussed here:
President Trump is busy laying out a case, now, for unbridled civil unrest and ‘let’s end democracy’ acts should he fail to win in November. Why? Because Trump is already calling the 2020 election a fraud.
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There are other safeguards built-into Vote-by-Mail systems, as discussed here:
In reality, it is well known and documented where all vote-by-mail ballots are going, and who is receiving them. It is a tested and secure method of voting that is currently used by the military, most (but not all) states, and even Trump and his family.
That hasn't stopped Trump from illegally threatening governors (ala Ukraine-style quid pro quo) with the withholding of federal funds if they disobey him and implement mail-in voting.
If Vote-by-Mail is good enough for America’s Military, then Vote-by-Mail is good enough for today’s pandemic front-line workers. It is good enough for today’s shelter-in-place, responsible self-sacrificing citizens.
If Vote-by-Mail is good enough for ruby-red Utah, then it is good enough for other states too.
If Vote-by-Mail is good enough for Trump and his friends and family, well enough said — because it is “good enough” for everyone who doesn’t want to sign a “Trump Disclaimer,” just to exercise their Constitutional Rights.
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