Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick criticized the Democratic Party’s push for mail-in voting, calling it a “scam” meant to influence the next election.
“This is a scam by the Democrats to steal the election,” he told Fox News’s Ed Henry on Friday. “We know that during a voting cycle, that people move, some people die. We are going to have millions of ballots across this country going out to people who no longer live there or who have died, and it opens up the door for fraudulent voting, one at a time or many at a time.”
Patrick pointed out how close many elections have been in the past and argued that Democrats could “swing the balance easily and steal thousands of votes.” The Texas Republican also dismissed Democratic claims that mail-in voting is safer for senior citizens.
“Well, the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] put out a report last weekend, you talked about it on Fox, that 80% of Americans who have died from the coronavirus are 80-plus, in some states, it’s 85-plus. So, we already have mail-in voting today for any senior in the country who is 65 and older, so we’re protecting that population,” he said.
Democrats across the country have been pushing for mail-in voting, arguing that the coronavirus makes polling places too dangerous.
“People should not have to choose between voting and preserving their good health and that of their families,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said last week. “Because no matter what you do and when you go out, you bring it home.”
Republicans have expressed concerns about the security mail-in voting, citing reports of millions of missing mail-in ballots and over a thousand documented cases of voter fraud. President Trump has adamantly opposed mail-in voting efforts agreeing with Patrick that it’s a “scam.”
“The United States cannot have all Mail In Ballots. It will be the greatest Rigged Election in history,” he tweeted Sunday. “People grab them from mailboxes, print thousands of forgeries and “force” people to sign. Also, forge names. Some absentee OK, when necessary. Trying to use Covid for this Scam!”
The United States cannot have all Mail In Ballots. It will be the greatest Rigged Election in history. People grab them from mailboxes, print thousands of forgeries and “force” people to sign. Also, forge names. Some absentee OK, when necessary. Trying to use Covid for this Scam!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 24, 2020
