Of the many conspiracy theories presented by President Donald Trump last week, none carried as much gravity as his crusade on voter fraud. “I will be asking for a major investigation into VOTER FRAUD,” he posted on Twitter earlier in the week, “including those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal and … even, those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time). Depending on results, we will strengthen up voting procedures!” How those “voting procedures” would be strengthened remained unclear. Yet, the hint of an exhaustive federal investigation into voter fraud rattled civil rights leaders who are already bracing for a wholesale rollback of key provisions in the Voting Rights Act.
“This notion of widespread voter fraud in the 2016 election, or any other American election cycle for that matter, is false and dangerous,” NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks said in a statement blasting the president’s plan. “Voter fraud has been proven virtually nonexistent through studies conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, Arizona State University, and the Washington Post, among others. “In stark contrast to the myth of widespread voter fraud is the proven reality of voter suppression,” Brooks added.
The White House, however, showed no signs of stepping back. Wrangling with reporters during a recent press briefing, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer reiterated his boss’ concerns that the 2016 election was riddled with fraudulent ballots. “We have to understand where the problem exists, how deep it goes and then suggest some remedies to it,” added Spicer.
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