Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced that he will write to the IMF, demanding the global lender to stop its support to cash-strapped Pakistan until it seeks an "audit" of the elections mired in controversies, including vote rigging.

Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan urges IMF to call election audit, his lawyer says

The&nbsp;Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced on Friday that he would be willing to step down from his position of power if a new constitution is adopted.&nbsp;

"I am not making a new constitution for myself. With a new constitution, I will no longer work with you as president. So calm down," he was quoted saying by local media.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/belarus-police-uses-tear-gas-stun-grenades-to-disperse-protesters-343492">Belarus police uses tear gas, stun grenades to disperse protesters</a>

The statement has come months after Belarus locals took to streets against what&nbsp;Lukashenko's rigged election win, and challenging his&nbsp;26-year long rule over the country.

In return, the President has brought down a strict crackdown on the protestors, resulting in several hundreds of protestors in jails and being treated in inhumane conditions — with the majority of his opponents behind bars.

"What worries me in this situation is that you cannot hand over such a constitution [as Belarus has now, with most power in the hands of the president] to an unknown president. There will be trouble," he said.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/you-cannot-say-no-the-reign-of-terror-that-sustains-belarus-leader-343358" hreflang="en">'You cannot say no': The reign of terror that sustains Belarus' leader</a>

While many want to rejoice over this statement, experts believe this is simply one of the many comments that&nbsp;Lukashenko has made in the past, as this is not the first time he has hinted towards conceding. However, he has always failed to live by his words — in this area — the last one being in August when the demand for re-elections was at their peak from the locals and opposition leaders.

However, unlike other times, this time he has also added the disclaimer that he while he would be willing to give up his position, he would not be taking any decision under pressure or in a moment of heat. He added that he is ready to make&nbsp;genuine concessions.

Belarus police, however, has been using tear gas and stun grenades to disperse protesters who are demonstrating against&nbsp;Alexander Lukashenko&nbsp;the death of Roman Bondarenko, a 31-year old anti-government protester.

The Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced on Friday that he would be willing to step down from his position of power if a new constitution is adopted.

The Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced on Friday that he would be willing to step down from his position of power if a new constitution is adopted. "I am not making a new constitution for myself. With a new constitution, I will no longer work with you as president. So calm down," he was quoted saying by local media. Also read| Belarus police uses tear gas, stun grenades to disperse protesters The statement has come months after Belarus locals took to streets against what Lukashenko's rigged election win, and challenging his 26-year long rule over the country. In return, the President has brought down a strict crackdown on the protestors, resulting in several hundreds of protestors in jails and being treated in inhumane conditions — with the majority of his opponents behind bars. "What worries me in this situation is that you cannot hand over such a constitution [as Belarus has now, with most power in the hands of the president] to an unknown president. There will be trouble," he said. Also read| 'You cannot say no': The reign of terror that sustains Belarus' leader While many want to rejoice over this statement, experts believe this is simply one of the many comments that Lukashenko has made in the past, as this is not the first time he has hinted towards conceding. However, he has always failed to live by his words — in this area — the last one being in August when the demand for re-elections was at their peak from the locals and opposition leaders. However, unlike other times, this time he has also added the disclaimer that he while he would be willing to give up his position, he would not be taking any decision under pressure or in a moment of heat. He added that he is ready to make genuine concessions. Belarus police, however, has been using tear gas and stun grenades to disperse protesters who are demonstrating against Alexander Lukashenko the death of Roman Bondarenko, a 31-year old anti-government protester.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to resign if new constitution is adopted

The United Nations (UN) called for restraint in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/jatiya-oikya-front-lost-due-to-criminal-activities-sheikh-hasina-187627">Bangladesh after the elections</a> stirred violence and claimed 19 lives and injured around 200 people.

"The UN is aware of violent incidents and reports of irregularities in Bangladesh`s election...Violence and attacks on people and property are not acceptable" the Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General said on Monday (local time).

"We regret the loss of life and injuries sustained by candidates and voters during the electoral campaign and<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/voting-held-in-peaceful-manner-says-sheikh-hasina-supporting-ec-rejecting-vote-rigging-complaints-187553"> on election day</a>," an official statement underscored.

The Spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, further said, "We welcome the participation of the opposition in elections for the first time in 10 years. We call on all sides to exercise restraint and ensure a peaceful post-electoral environment, where people can maintain their right to assembly and expression."

"We encourage the parties to address electoral complaints in a peaceful manner and through legal means," the statement concluded.

At least nine people have been arrested in relation to over 25 incidents of violence in the nation.

At least nine people have been arrested in relation to over 25 incidents of violence in the nation.

The United Nations (UN) called for restraint in Bangladesh after the elections stirred violence and claimed 19 lives and injured around 200 people. "The UN is aware of violent incidents and reports of irregularities in Bangladesh`s election...Violence and attacks on people and property are not acceptable" the Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General said on Monday (local time). "We regret the loss of life and injuries sustained by candidates and voters during the electoral campaign and on election day," an official statement underscored. The Spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, further said, "We welcome the participation of the opposition in elections for the first time in 10 years. We call on all sides to exercise restraint and ensure a peaceful post-electoral environment, where people can maintain their right to assembly and expression." "We encourage the parties to address electoral complaints in a peaceful manner and through legal means," the statement concluded. At least nine people have been arrested in relation to over 25 incidents of violence in the nation.

Bangladesh: UN condemns deaths, calls for calm after violence-marred polls

By: Justin Willis, Gabrielle Lynch and Nic Cheeseman

The threat of controversy and unrest looms over Kenya&rsquo;s elections, which will be held on 8 August. Incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta is ahead by a whisker in the most recent opinion poll. His main challenger, Raila Odinga, has repeatedly alleged that Kenyatta plans to rig the elections.

Kenya has an unhappy history of violence, and of alleged election rigging, and the recent gruesome murder of a key official at the electoral commission has heightened anxiety. Some fear that &ndash; whatever the electoral laws say &ndash; no holds are barred in Kenyan politics.

That history of electoral problems is interwoven with a dynastic political drama that goes back more than 50 years. Jomo Kenyatta and Oginga Odinga were political allies turned enemies in the 1960s; now their sons continue the rivalry.

Dynasties

Kenya&rsquo;s most powerful politicians are a small group, many of whom know one another socially, and many of whom have served in the government together over the years. Raila Odinga&rsquo;s running mate was in office for years under the old ruling party. So too was Musalia Mudavadi, one of Odinga&rsquo;s close allies in the opposition coalition, whose father was also a senior politician.

Kenya&rsquo;s politics can sometimes look like long-running squabbles amongst a gang of cronies, and newspaper cartoonists like to portray the Kenyan voter &ndash; routinely personified as an oppressed but doughty woman, Wanjiku &ndash; as the victim of these scheming rivals.

All the more so because these dynasties are linked to the ethnic rivalry. The muted background narrative of Kenyan politics is that access to the presidency has made some communities rich while others stay poor, and politicians stand accused of fostering that narrative, stirring up tribalism to win office and pitching ordinary Kenyans into violent confrontations.

Politicians are blamed, too, for the widespread use of gifts, and cash handouts, in elections &ndash; buying votes for a few shillings and a bottle of fizzy drink and then going on to abuse their elected office to enrich themselves through corruption.

Kenya&rsquo;s elections then, appear as the ruthless game of leaders who pursue power at the expense of their people, not on their behalf. But talk to any candidate at a level below the presidency &ndash; for Kenya&rsquo;s elections involve six separate ballots, for multiple positions in national and county government &ndash; and a slightly different picture appears.

The moral economy of elections

Candidates constantly complain of the <a href="http://democracyinafrica.org/impact-of-elections/">demands of voters</a>.

Need to meet women voters in a particular village? It can be arranged, but often requires &lsquo;facilitation&rsquo; to be provided &ndash; money to organise soft drinks, and hire chairs. And once you have spoken, you cannot leave your audience empty-handed. Each person must get at least a token gift, even if it is only fifty shillings (about half a dollar).

Need to reach a wider group of influential people? Easy &ndash; speak at the funeral of some well-known local elder. But if you are to do that, you must make a donation to the grieving family.

Or perhaps you are anxious about the youth vote? Here is a youth group, willing and ready to hear your message. But they might also expect that you will help them set up as motorcycle taxi riders.

And then there are the personal requests: the voter who cannot afford school fees for their children; the constituent who needs help with mounting hospital bills.

A commentator even recently suggested that the demand for &ldquo;something small&rdquo; was so high that the 2017 elections had made the 50-shilling note an &ldquo;endangered species&rdquo;.

Faced with these multiple demands, candidates find little support from the party whose colours they wear. They spend their savings or sell their assets. They borrow from family and friends. Some lose everything, impoverishing themselves and their families &ndash; and still lose the election.

Those who do win election take up the office with multiple debts. The temptation to use office corruptly to repay those debts, and build up funds for the next campaign, is a strong one.

Yet many voters don&rsquo;t consider their demands wrong; after all, they say, those elected often enrich themselves and ignore their constituents. Voters&rsquo; demands are a moral test.

The overall message of elections in Kenya is a simple one: government exists to bring development, and those elected are delegates, sent by their constituents to secure at least a fair portion of development - which may take any material form from youth training centres to tarred roads to a cabinet seat for a local. Voters need to be sure both that their representatives can deliver, and will respond to local demands. As a result, the campaign becomes a prolonged test of politicians&rsquo; virtue &ndash; will they meet constituents&rsquo; expectations?

Ethnicity plays into this. Bureaucratic accountability does not always work in Kenya: people don&rsquo;t necessarily follow the rules. So having someone on the inside &ndash; a cousin, an in-law, a friend of a friend &ndash; is always useful. So too with politics: voters want representatives on whom they feel have some moral claim. That need not be ethnic &ndash; but it may often coincide with ethnicity.

And, of course, voters want to feel that their representative, in turn, has similar claims on people further up in the hierarchy of power. Ordinary people do not need to be &lsquo;tribalists&rsquo; to vote on ethnic lines; they just need to doubt the impartiality of the system.

Once they do, they will begin to think that development may be denied them unless &lsquo;their man&rsquo; wins office.

Which is not to say that Kenya&rsquo;s politicians are not culpable, for their behaviour has encouraged ethnic politics and lavish electoral spending. Nor is it to excuse the high-stakes games around the presidential election that currently threaten to generate political unrest.

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/81957/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />But this moral economy of elections does help to explain why Kenyan voters turn out in large numbers to cast their ballots. Kenya&rsquo;s electoral politics are not just an elite game of thrones; they are driven by the demands and concerns of ordinary people, trying to navigate their way to the uncertain promised land of development.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/kenyas-elections-are-much-more-than-just-a-ruthless-game-of-thrones-81957">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

Elections in Kenya have been riddled with dynastic political drama since 50 years

By: Justin Willis, Gabrielle Lynch and Nic Cheeseman The threat of controversy and unrest looms over Kenya’s elections, which will be held on 8 August. Incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta is ahead by a whisker in the most recent opinion poll. His main challenger, Raila Odinga, has repeatedly alleged that Kenyatta plans to rig the elections. Kenya has an unhappy history of violence, and of alleged election rigging, and the recent gruesome murder of a key official at the electoral commission has heightened anxiety. Some fear that – whatever the electoral laws say – no holds are barred in Kenyan politics. That history of electoral problems is interwoven with a dynastic political drama that goes back more than 50 years. Jomo Kenyatta and Oginga Odinga were political allies turned enemies in the 1960s; now their sons continue the rivalry. Dynasties Kenya’s most powerful politicians are a small group, many of whom know one another socially, and many of whom have served in the government together over the years. Raila Odinga’s running mate was in office for years under the old ruling party. So too was Musalia Mudavadi, one of Odinga’s close allies in the opposition coalition, whose father was also a senior politician. Kenya’s politics can sometimes look like long-running squabbles amongst a gang of cronies, and newspaper cartoonists like to portray the Kenyan voter – routinely personified as an oppressed but doughty woman, Wanjiku – as the victim of these scheming rivals. All the more so because these dynasties are linked to the ethnic rivalry. The muted background narrative of Kenyan politics is that access to the presidency has made some communities rich while others stay poor, and politicians stand accused of fostering that narrative, stirring up tribalism to win office and pitching ordinary Kenyans into violent confrontations. Politicians are blamed, too, for the widespread use of gifts, and cash handouts, in elections – buying votes for a few shillings and a bottle of fizzy drink and then going on to abuse their elected office to enrich themselves through corruption. Kenya’s elections then, appear as the ruthless game of leaders who pursue power at the expense of their people, not on their behalf. But talk to any candidate at a level below the presidency – for Kenya’s elections involve six separate ballots, for multiple positions in national and county government – and a slightly different picture appears. The moral economy of elections Candidates constantly complain of the demands of voters. Need to meet women voters in a particular village? It can be arranged, but often requires ‘facilitation’ to be provided – money to organise soft drinks, and hire chairs. And once you have spoken, you cannot leave your audience empty-handed. Each person must get at least a token gift, even if it is only fifty shillings (about half a dollar). Need to reach a wider group of influential people? Easy – speak at the funeral of some well-known local elder. But if you are to do that, you must make a donation to the grieving family. Or perhaps you are anxious about the youth vote? Here is a youth group, willing and ready to hear your message. But they might also expect that you will help them set up as motorcycle taxi riders. And then there are the personal requests: the voter who cannot afford school fees for their children; the constituent who needs help with mounting hospital bills. A commentator even recently suggested that the demand for “something small” was so high that the 2017 elections had made the 50-shilling note an “endangered species”. Faced with these multiple demands, candidates find little support from the party whose colours they wear. They spend their savings or sell their assets. They borrow from family and friends. Some lose everything, impoverishing themselves and their families – and still lose the election. Those who do win election take up the office with multiple debts. The temptation to use office corruptly to repay those debts, and build up funds for the next campaign, is a strong one. Yet many voters don’t consider their demands wrong; after all, they say, those elected often enrich themselves and ignore their constituents. Voters’ demands are a moral test. The overall message of elections in Kenya is a simple one: government exists to bring development, and those elected are delegates, sent by their constituents to secure at least a fair portion of development - which may take any material form from youth training centres to tarred roads to a cabinet seat for a local. Voters need to be sure both that their representatives can deliver, and will respond to local demands. As a result, the campaign becomes a prolonged test of politicians’ virtue – will they meet constituents’ expectations? Ethnicity plays into this. Bureaucratic accountability does not always work in Kenya: people don’t necessarily follow the rules. So having someone on the inside – a cousin, an in-law, a friend of a friend – is always useful. So too with politics: voters want representatives on whom they feel have some moral claim. That need not be ethnic – but it may often coincide with ethnicity. And, of course, voters want to feel that their representative, in turn, has similar claims on people further up in the hierarchy of power. Ordinary people do not need to be ‘tribalists’ to vote on ethnic lines; they just need to doubt the impartiality of the system. Once they do, they will begin to think that development may be denied them unless ‘their man’ wins office. Which is not to say that Kenya’s politicians are not culpable, for their behaviour has encouraged ethnic politics and lavish electoral spending. Nor is it to excuse the high-stakes games around the presidential election that currently threaten to generate political unrest. But this moral economy of elections does help to explain why Kenyan voters turn out in large numbers to cast their ballots. Kenya’s electoral politics are not just an elite game of thrones; they are driven by the demands and concerns of ordinary people, trying to navigate their way to the uncertain promised land of development. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Kenya?s elections are much more than just a ruthless game of thrones

On the campaign trail, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has explicitly warned, without foundation or evidence, that the US election will be &quot;rigged&quot; against him.

As a result, everybody from state leaders, voting experts and election advocates are preparing for an inordinate amount of confusion and chaos, the Washington Post reports, as the US election begins Tuesday after&nbsp;an unusually fierce and bitter presidential race.

In some states, advanced voters have faced lineups over four hours long. It has even been taken to court, as Democrats have filed lawsuits against&nbsp;Donald Trump&nbsp;supporters.&nbsp;

In Virginia, America&#39;s wealthiest state,&nbsp;a man with<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/armed-man-wearing-trump-shirt-confronts-woman-with-child-at-polling-station-authorities-shrug-8407"> a Trump shirt and a gun </a>stood&nbsp;outside a polling station. He was said to be cooperative with the authorities when they confronted him, and complied with the regulation about standing far enough away from the entrance of the polling station. But he had already&nbsp;asked voters which candidate they favoured, and some, who saw the gun, said they were intimidated.

Election monitors are worried this year as the prospect of voter intimidation appears to be very real after Trump&#39;s&nbsp;direct and repeated calls for his supporters to stake out other polling stations and watch out for suspicious activity.

Actually, the first example of voter fraud was committed by a<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/29/voter-fraud-iowa-trump-supporter"> Trump supporter </a>who voted twice because she feared&nbsp;Trump&#39;s unsubstantiated claim&nbsp;that her vote wouldn&#39;t be counted would come true.

&nbsp;

Specific warnings and consequences

The Washington Post reports that election officials in Pennsylvania and Arizona have become so concerned about voter intimidation that they have issued specific advisories outlining what types of threatening behaviour are not permitted, and exactly what distance they need to keep&nbsp;surrounding&nbsp;polling places.

A notice issued by Pennyslvania&#39;s secretary of state reads &quot;Individuals who conspire to interfere with a person&#39;s right to vote can face up to 10 years in prison&quot;. This was posted after Trump singled out Philadelphia as a place for his supporters to scrutinise.&nbsp;

&quot;The number and tenor of calls we&#39;ve received about problems, the amounf of litigation you already see, it all reflects the moment we&#39;re in,&quot; said Kristen Clarke, president of the nonpartisan Lawyers&#39; Committe for Civil Rights Under Law, as quoted by the Washington Post.

They report that her group will be running America&#39;s largest independent effort to deal with voters complaints, concerns and questions. The nonpartisan organisation &quot;Election Protection will have as many as 4,500 legal volunteers answering calls sent to the hotline 866-OUR-VOTE, and 2,500 volunteers are stationed at polling sites around the US&quot;.

The Washington Post further states that Clarke&#39;s has set up a headquarters in Washington where hundreds of lawyers are working for free so they can attend to all the conerned calls by voters poring in.

&nbsp;

Long lines

The worst problem may not be intimidation exactly, but another form of voter suppression: long lines. By changing laws to reduce the number of polling stations available, especially in areas where minorities (who skew Democrat)&nbsp;live, it means voters need to travel longer to get to a polling station, and need to wait there for longer in order to vote. It&#39;s designed systematically to discourage would-be Democrat&nbsp;voters

On Sunday, the only early voting station in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/republican-efforts-to-suppress-minority-votes-appear-to-be-working-8440">Cincinnati </a>was at least a quarter-mile long, with thousands of people lined up for hours. The Washington Post reports that food trucks handed out free tacos and cupcakes to encourage people to come out and vote. California, Arizona and Nevada all faced similar problems, the Washington Post reports.

There is special attention being paid to Florida and Ohio, where in 2012 some stations in Miami were so clogged that voters were still casting ballots at 1 am,&nbsp;while President Obama was giving his victory speech, the Washington Post reports.

A group called Stop the Steal, run by Republican operatives and a trump adviser named <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ohio-judge-orders-trump-campaign-to-avoid-voter-intimidation-8368">Roger Stone</a>, has been signing up &quot;vote protectors&quot; to stand outside polling stations. As of yesterday, 3,191 had signed up, the Washington Post reports

&quot;This is our best chance to stop the Democrats from stealing the election from Donald Trump. Help us fight a rigged system,&quot; the group posted on its <a href="https://stopthesteal.org/">website</a>. In&nbsp;addition to signing people up to patrol polling stations, the group also solicits monetary donations&nbsp;from visitors.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/17/man-who-cried-rigged-problem-with-trump-election-claims">The Guardian</a> reports that while 41 per cent of Americans believe the election is rigged, an independent legal expert determined that out of over a billion ballots cast, there were only 31 cases of voter fraud, nowhere near enough to alter an election even slightly.

What this fraught atmosphere this means for the 2016 election, and whether whoever loses the race will accept the result, remains to be seen. Hopefully the fears of fraud, intimidation and suppression turn out to be blown out of proportion, but only time will tell.

(WION)

Officials are taking extra measures to ensure fairness after Trump warned repeatedly, but without evidence, that the election was 'rigged'

On the campaign trail, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has explicitly warned, without foundation or evidence, that the US election will be "rigged" against him. As a result, everybody from state leaders, voting experts and election advocates are preparing for an inordinate amount of confusion and chaos, the Washington Post reports, as the US election begins Tuesday after an unusually fierce and bitter presidential race. In some states, advanced voters have faced lineups over four hours long. It has even been taken to court, as Democrats have filed lawsuits against Donald Trump supporters. In Virginia, America's wealthiest state, a man with a Trump shirt and a gun stood outside a polling station. He was said to be cooperative with the authorities when they confronted him, and complied with the regulation about standing far enough away from the entrance of the polling station. But he had already asked voters which candidate they favoured, and some, who saw the gun, said they were intimidated. Election monitors are worried this year as the prospect of voter intimidation appears to be very real after Trump's direct and repeated calls for his supporters to stake out other polling stations and watch out for suspicious activity. Actually, the first example of voter fraud was committed by a Trump supporter who voted twice because she feared Trump's unsubstantiated claim that her vote wouldn't be counted would come true. Specific warnings and consequences The Washington Post reports that election officials in Pennsylvania and Arizona have become so concerned about voter intimidation that they have issued specific advisories outlining what types of threatening behaviour are not permitted, and exactly what distance they need to keep surrounding polling places. A notice issued by Pennyslvania's secretary of state reads "Individuals who conspire to interfere with a person's right to vote can face up to 10 years in prison". This was posted after Trump singled out Philadelphia as a place for his supporters to scrutinise. "The number and tenor of calls we've received about problems, the amounf of litigation you already see, it all reflects the moment we're in," said Kristen Clarke, president of the nonpartisan Lawyers' Committe for Civil Rights Under Law, as quoted by the Washington Post. They report that her group will be running America's largest independent effort to deal with voters complaints, concerns and questions. The nonpartisan organisation "Election Protection will have as many as 4,500 legal volunteers answering calls sent to the hotline 866-OUR-VOTE, and 2,500 volunteers are stationed at polling sites around the US". The Washington Post further states that Clarke's has set up a headquarters in Washington where hundreds of lawyers are working for free so they can attend to all the conerned calls by voters poring in. Long lines The worst problem may not be intimidation exactly, but another form of voter suppression: long lines. By changing laws to reduce the number of polling stations available, especially in areas where minorities (who skew Democrat) live, it means voters need to travel longer to get to a polling station, and need to wait there for longer in order to vote. It's designed systematically to discourage would-be Democrat voters On Sunday, the only early voting station in Cincinnati was at least a quarter-mile long, with thousands of people lined up for hours. The Washington Post reports that food trucks handed out free tacos and cupcakes to encourage people to come out and vote. California, Arizona and Nevada all faced similar problems, the Washington Post reports. There is special attention being paid to Florida and Ohio, where in 2012 some stations in Miami were so clogged that voters were still casting ballots at 1 am, while President Obama was giving his victory speech, the Washington Post reports. A group called Stop the Steal, run by Republican operatives and a trump adviser named Roger Stone, has been signing up "vote protectors" to stand outside polling stations. As of yesterday, 3,191 had signed up, the Washington Post reports "This is our best chance to stop the Democrats from stealing the election from Donald Trump. Help us fight a rigged system," the group posted on its website. In addition to signing people up to patrol polling stations, the group also solicits monetary donations from visitors. The Guardian reports that while 41 per cent of Americans believe the election is rigged, an independent legal expert determined that out of over a billion ballots cast, there were only 31 cases of voter fraud, nowhere near enough to alter an election even slightly. What this fraught atmosphere this means for the 2016 election, and whether whoever loses the race will accept the result, remains to be seen. Hopefully the fears of fraud, intimidation and suppression turn out to be blown out of proportion, but only time will tell. (WION)

US Election: Fears of voter intimidation, suppression run high

A man clad in a Donald Trump&nbsp;shirt stood&nbsp;outside a Loudun Country, Virginia polling station Friday carrying a 357 magnum, the Huffington Post reports.&nbsp;There is apparently nothing the authorities can do about it.

Erika Cotti told the Huffington Post that she encountered the man when she went to vote at the county&#39;s registrar&#39;s office.

&quot;I had my 9-year-old son with me. I felt intimidated,&quot; she said. &quot;And I had to explain to my 9-year-old why a man with a 357 magnum is standing outside the polling station.&quot;

Cotti said that she rejected the Republican sample ballot she was offered.&nbsp;&quot;He&#39;s like, &#39;Who are you going to vote for, crooked Hillary?&#39; And I was like, that&#39;s really none of your business.&quot; Cotti added that the man was standing on the sidewalk outside of the office when they left, and blocked their path.

A local registrar,&nbsp;Judy Brown, confirmed that the man was standing outside her office, handing out Republican Party literature. He had a holstered gun in an open carry state, so law enforcement was powerless to do anything, Brown told Huffington Post.

Virginia is the wealthiest county in America.&nbsp;

In the US, while there is broad national legislation bearing on guns, the laws concerning open-carry versus concealed-carry vary from&nbsp;state to state.

Brown told the Huffington post that the man was &quot;being nice&quot; to people, and appeared to be observing the rule forbiding canvassing within forty feet zone of the polling station entrance.

Next, Brown said her office contacted the local Republican Party, which spoke to the man and convinced him to pull his Trump shirt over the weapon, blocking it from sight.

The Loudon County Republican Committee Chairman, Will Estrada, told the Huffington Post that the man was a former law enforcement official, and also a veteran with a perrmit to carry a concealed weapon. Estrada specifically said that he doesn&#39;t want to ban volunteers from carrying weapons, even at polling stations.

CNN reports that on Friday, a federal judge warned Trump&#39;s campaign, and Republican operative Roger Stone, against any &quot;voter intimidation&quot; activity in Ohio. The Democrats have brought several cases&nbsp;

A federal judge Friday warned Donald Trump&#39;s campaign and Republican operative Roger Stone against any &quot;voter intimidation&quot; activity in Ohio, the result of one of several cases brought by Democrats before Election Day.

The Huffington Post&nbsp;pointed to a pretty startling&nbsp;inconsistency; while a&nbsp;man outside a polling station carrying a gun doesn&#39;t bother them this time, their tolerance appears to be selective.

Conservative media outlets and Republican politicians spent significant time and money attacking Obama&#39;s administration over how the Justice Department handled a 2008&nbsp;incident involving a man standing outside a polling place carrying a nightstick. But, the Huffington Post points out, what&#39;s interesting is the man who promoted and condemned the video of the nightstick-wielder is a man named Mike Roman, who reports say has been working on so-called election protection efforts related to the Trump campaign.

Despite all of Donald Trump&#39;s rhetoric about the election being rigged, it&#39;s unlikely that&nbsp;Republicans will&nbsp;be galvanised to protect the freedom from voter intimidation over this latest incident in Virginia.

(WION)

&nbsp;

'Who are you going to vote for, Crooked Hillary?' he asked. 'That's really none of your business'

A man clad in a Donald Trump shirt stood outside a Loudun Country, Virginia polling station Friday carrying a 357 magnum, the Huffington Post reports. There is apparently nothing the authorities can do about it. Erika Cotti told the Huffington Post that she encountered the man when she went to vote at the county's registrar's office. "I had my 9-year-old son with me. I felt intimidated," she said. "And I had to explain to my 9-year-old why a man with a 357 magnum is standing outside the polling station." Cotti said that she rejected the Republican sample ballot she was offered. "He's like, 'Who are you going to vote for, crooked Hillary?' And I was like, that's really none of your business." Cotti added that the man was standing on the sidewalk outside of the office when they left, and blocked their path. A local registrar, Judy Brown, confirmed that the man was standing outside her office, handing out Republican Party literature. He had a holstered gun in an open carry state, so law enforcement was powerless to do anything, Brown told Huffington Post. Virginia is the wealthiest county in America. In the US, while there is broad national legislation bearing on guns, the laws concerning open-carry versus concealed-carry vary from state to state. Brown told the Huffington post that the man was "being nice" to people, and appeared to be observing the rule forbiding canvassing within forty feet zone of the polling station entrance. Next, Brown said her office contacted the local Republican Party, which spoke to the man and convinced him to pull his Trump shirt over the weapon, blocking it from sight. The Loudon County Republican Committee Chairman, Will Estrada, told the Huffington Post that the man was a former law enforcement official, and also a veteran with a perrmit to carry a concealed weapon. Estrada specifically said that he doesn't want to ban volunteers from carrying weapons, even at polling stations. CNN reports that on Friday, a federal judge warned Trump's campaign, and Republican operative Roger Stone, against any "voter intimidation" activity in Ohio. The Democrats have brought several cases A federal judge Friday warned Donald Trump's campaign and Republican operative Roger Stone against any "voter intimidation" activity in Ohio, the result of one of several cases brought by Democrats before Election Day. The Huffington Post pointed to a pretty startling inconsistency; while a man outside a polling station carrying a gun doesn't bother them this time, their tolerance appears to be selective. Conservative media outlets and Republican politicians spent significant time and money attacking Obama's administration over how the Justice Department handled a 2008 incident involving a man standing outside a polling place carrying a nightstick. But, the Huffington Post points out, what's interesting is the man who promoted and condemned the video of the nightstick-wielder is a man named Mike Roman, who reports say has been working on so-called election protection efforts related to the Trump campaign. Despite all of Donald Trump's rhetoric about the election being rigged, it's unlikely that Republicans will be galvanised to protect the freedom from voter intimidation over this latest incident in Virginia. (WION)

Armed man wearing Trump shirt confronts woman with child at polling station, authorities shrug

PoliticusUSA reports that the United States District Court in New Jersey ordered discovery on both Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee&#39;s&nbsp;(RNC)&nbsp;poll monitoring efforts. The hearing will be on November 4th, just days before the November 8 election.

Read the full court ruling<a href="http://electionlawblog.org/wp-content/uploads/dnc-rnc-discovery.pdf">&nbsp;here.</a>

Donald Trump, his running mate Mike Pence, a campaign spokesman Kellyanne Conway have all made statements encouraging Trump supporters to guard the polls because, they say, the 2016 US election could be rigged. There is no statistical evidence&nbsp;to support this contention. While election fraud isn&#39;t literally zero, all evidence suggests that it is statistically negligible.&nbsp;

The concerted, repeated efffort to say otherwise&nbsp;has been widely perceived as a theat that could undermine&nbsp;America&#39;s democractic integrity.

<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/29/voter-fraud-iowa-trump-supporter">The Guardian</a>&nbsp;reports that according to a study by the Loyola Law School, there have been 31 cases of voter impersonation in more than a billion ballots cast from the year 2000 to 2014. The Guardian also reports&nbsp;that Trump&#39;s assertions of voter fraud in Philadelphia in 2012 have also been debunked, by no less than Republican officials in the city.

<a href="http://www.factcheck.org/2016/10/trumps-bogus-voter-fraud-claims/">Here</a> is an updated and thorough debunking&nbsp;of Donald Trump&#39;s claims related to voter fraud.

While voter fraud is pretty close to non existent, a <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/poll-41-percent-of-voters-say-the-election-could-be-stolen-from-trump-229871">Politico/Morning Consult poll</a> suggests that Trump&#39;s repeated assertion that the elections will be &quot;rigged&quot; are taking hold in the American populace: As many as 73 per cent of Republicans think the election could be stolen from him, while 17 per cent of Democrats agree with the basic idea that there could be massive voter fraud.

 
Perhaps because it takes this threat seriously, the court order demands affidavits from several parties, including those with personal knowledge of the Republican National Committee&#39;s effort with the Trump campaign to monitor voting stations around America, &quot;as indicated by Kellyanne Conway.&quot;

The Court ordered affidavits from several Republican operatives from various states who are said to be planning to enact&nbsp;state-wide &quot;voter fraud&quot; monitoring and poll monitoring. These include RNC member Rob Gleason&#39;s efforts to recruit persons to act as poll watchers in Philadelphia, and another RNC member Ronna Romney McDaniel&#39;s attempt in Michigan to prepare, in her words, a &quot;massive statewide anti-voter fraud effort&quot;.

Republicans must also answer in court for Governor Mike Pence&#39;s remarks, that the Trump campaign is working with state officials to ensure &quot;ballot integrity&quot;.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) failed a lawsuit against the RNC for violating a court order from 1982 intended to prevent voter indimidation. Donald Trump&#39;s baseless assertion that the election and rigged and that supporters need to go to other polling stations was widely-considered to be barely-veiled call&nbsp;to intimidate voters.

(WION)

Republicans will have to explain comments inciting their base to monitor polls to guard against 'voter fraud'

PoliticusUSA reports that the United States District Court in New Jersey ordered discovery on both Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee's (RNC) poll monitoring efforts. The hearing will be on November 4th, just days before the November 8 election. Read the full court ruling here. Donald Trump, his running mate Mike Pence, a campaign spokesman Kellyanne Conway have all made statements encouraging Trump supporters to guard the polls because, they say, the 2016 US election could be rigged. There is no statistical evidence to support this contention. While election fraud isn't literally zero, all evidence suggests that it is statistically negligible. The concerted, repeated efffort to say otherwise has been widely perceived as a theat that could undermine America's democractic integrity. The Guardian reports that according to a study by the Loyola Law School, there have been 31 cases of voter impersonation in more than a billion ballots cast from the year 2000 to 2014. The Guardian also reports that Trump's assertions of voter fraud in Philadelphia in 2012 have also been debunked, by no less than Republican officials in the city. Here is an updated and thorough debunking of Donald Trump's claims related to voter fraud. While voter fraud is pretty close to non existent, a Politico/Morning Consult poll suggests that Trump's repeated assertion that the elections will be "rigged" are taking hold in the American populace: As many as 73 per cent of Republicans think the election could be stolen from him, while 17 per cent of Democrats agree with the basic idea that there could be massive voter fraud. Perhaps because it takes this threat seriously, the court order demands affidavits from several parties, including those with personal knowledge of the Republican National Committee's effort with the Trump campaign to monitor voting stations around America, "as indicated by Kellyanne Conway." The Court ordered affidavits from several Republican operatives from various states who are said to be planning to enact state-wide "voter fraud" monitoring and poll monitoring. These include RNC member Rob Gleason's efforts to recruit persons to act as poll watchers in Philadelphia, and another RNC member Ronna Romney McDaniel's attempt in Michigan to prepare, in her words, a "massive statewide anti-voter fraud effort". Republicans must also answer in court for Governor Mike Pence's remarks, that the Trump campaign is working with state officials to ensure "ballot integrity". The Democratic National Committee (DNC) failed a lawsuit against the RNC for violating a court order from 1982 intended to prevent voter indimidation. Donald Trump's baseless assertion that the election and rigged and that supporters need to go to other polling stations was widely-considered to be barely-veiled call to intimidate voters. (WION)

US court orders discovery on Donald Trump and Republican's 'poll monitoring' efforts