Trump's Encouragement of Voting Twice is Illegal, Intended to Create Election Chaos

President Donald Trump visited North Carolina on Wednesday and encouraged a group of his supporters to cast their ballot twice --one time by mail and one time in person. Trump's comments come as he continues to attack the sanctity of our elections and vote-by-mail, which has been proven to be safe and secure way of collecting ballots. The following is a statement from Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:

In no uncertain terms, we condemn President Trump's statements encouraging voters to break the law and vote twice in North Carolina this election season. His statements are intended to promote widescale chaos and confusion, and would burden election officials who would be tasked with spoiling any absentee ballots cast by voters who heed his call and also vote in person. President Trump's statements may also be illegal to the extent that he is literally encouraging voters to commit intentional voter fraud, regardless of whether those attempts prove unsuccessful. Election officials have enough to navigate this season amid a pandemic that has resulted in poll worker shortages and left many voters with no other option but to vote by mail. It's time for President Trump to stop spreading disinformation and calling for rebellious actions intended to disrupt the system and undermine public confidence in our elections.

Background:

The North Carolina State Board of Elections issued a statement today disavowing President Trump's proposal to encourage people to vote twice in the state's election. The statement can be found here.