USA Trump fuels fears of election fraud - "bunch of cheats"
Shortly before the US presidential election, Republican candidate Donald Trump is stoking fears of electoral fraud without any evidence. "They're fighting so hard to steal this damn thing. Look at what's going on. Look at what's happening every day in your state," Trump said at a campaign appearance in Lititz in the hard-fought state of Pennsylvania. "We have a bunch of cheaters who are just thinking about how to cheat." The results of the election must be known "at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 on Tuesday night," Trump continued.
03.11.2024, 19:00
SDA
Trump: If you don't vote, you're stupid
"With paper ballots, you would have the answer at nine o'clock in the evening. It's a damn shame, and I'm the only one talking about it," the 78-year-old continued. Machines should never be used in the election, he said, and there should only be paper ballots. In the past, Trump has repeatedly linked voting machines to fraud without any evidence. At the same time, Trump said to his supporters: "And if you don't vote, you're stupid."
Trump's propaganda is systematic. It is likely that the result of the US elections on Tuesday (November 5) will not be known in the hours after the polls close. There are several ways to cast your vote in the USA: early at certain locations, by postal vote or directly at the polling station on November 5. Each state has its own rules for deadlines and proof of identity. The technology also varies: from traditional handwritten ballots to voting computers.
Counting the votes can take time
Absentee ballots in particular delay the counting process in some states because they are often only allowed to be opened and processed on election day. In US history, there have often been elections in which the winner was not known for days. Four years ago, Trump fueled false allegations of voter fraud for days while the count dragged on in several states. On election night, the then president declared himself the winner - and called for a halt to the vote count when he was temporarily ahead of his challenger Joe Biden.
It is expected that Trump could take a similar approach this time. He is therefore already fueling doubts about the legitimacy of the elections. In recent days, his unsubstantiated allegations of fraud have increased once again. Observers suspect that this could also be due to the fact that the 78-year-old could be behind his Democratic rival Kamala Harris in polls commissioned by his campaign team and which are not published - or at least does not have a significant lead in the so-called swing states.
