Amid continued spat with the Election Commission over allegations of vote fraud, the INDIA Opposition bloc is considering bringing a motion to remove the Chief Election Commissioner. The impeachment motion is to be brought in the monsoon session of Parliament against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, reported ANI, citing sources.&nbsp;Congress Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain speaking to the news agency said all available rules in the Indian democarcy will be looked at if such a need arises.&nbsp;“If there is a need, we will use all the weapons of democracy under the rules. We have not had any discussions (about impeachment) as of now, but if needed, we can do anything," Hussain was quoted as saying by the news agency.&nbsp;Can the Opposition really impeach the EC, what is the process?&nbsp;Impeachment is the process about deciding to remove a person in a position from exercising all the powers and responsibilities he or she holds. The Indian constitution uses the word (impeachment) only for President under article 61 where 2/3 majority of total membership of each house will be required.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-buys-30-uk-schools-in-span-of-ten-years-what-is-the-reason-behind-this-rapid-acquisition-1755497779709">China buys 30 UK schools in span of ten years; what is the reason behind this rapid acquisition?</a>&nbsp;Removal is permitted only on grounds of proven misbehaviour or incapacity.&nbsp;However, CJI and judges of SC, CJ of HC and judges of HC, CAG and CEC are also removed following the same process. It is only different in terms of majority required. In all these impeachements 2/3 of members present and absolute majority of each house will be required.&nbsp;Here, in the case of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, the Opposition does not have the numbers to move an impeachment motion. It rather looks like a pressure tactics being used by the INDIA block led by Congress against the CEC.&nbsp;On Sunday, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar slammed Rahul Gandhi in a media briefing for the “vote theft” claims and demanded an apology from him.&nbsp;"An affidavit will have to be given or an apology should be made to the country. Teesra koi vikalp nahi (There is no third option.) If the affidavit is not received within seven days, it means that all these allegations are baseless." CEC Gyanesh Kumar said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The India constitution uses the word (impeachment) only for President, however, there are other positions that are removed through the same process.

Amid continued spat with the Election Commission over allegations of vote fraud, the INDIA Opposition bloc is considering bringing a motion to remove the Chief Election Commissioner. The impeachment motion is to be brought in the monsoon session of Parliament against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, reported ANI, citing sources. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain speaking to the news agency said all available rules in the Indian democarcy will be looked at if such a need arises. “If there is a need, we will use all the weapons of democracy under the rules. We have not had any discussions (about impeachment) as of now, but if needed, we can do anything," Hussain was quoted as saying by the news agency. Can the Opposition really impeach the EC, what is the process? Impeachment is the process about deciding to remove a person in a position from exercising all the powers and responsibilities he or she holds. The Indian constitution uses the word (impeachment) only for President under article 61 where 2/3 majority of total membership of each house will be required. Also Read: China buys 30 UK schools in span of ten years; what is the reason behind this rapid acquisition? Removal is permitted only on grounds of proven misbehaviour or incapacity. However, CJI and judges of SC, CJ of HC and judges of HC, CAG and CEC are also removed following the same process. It is only different in terms of majority required. In all these impeachements 2/3 of members present and absolute majority of each house will be required. Here, in the case of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, the Opposition does not have the numbers to move an impeachment motion. It rather looks like a pressure tactics being used by the INDIA block led by Congress against the CEC. On Sunday, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar slammed Rahul Gandhi in a media briefing for the “vote theft” claims and demanded an apology from him. "An affidavit will have to be given or an apology should be made to the country. Teesra koi vikalp nahi (There is no third option.) If the affidavit is not received within seven days, it means that all these allegations are baseless." CEC Gyanesh Kumar said.

The India constitution uses the word (impeachment) only for President, however, there are other positions that are removed through the same process.

INDIA bloc threatens impeachment motion against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, WION explains possibility

Amidst constant attacks by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding fudging voter data, the Election Commission on Thursday (August 14) said rather than resorting to manufacturing false narrative with the help of "dirty words" like 'vote chori' (vote theft), evidence should be produced. In a statement, the EC said the "one person one vote" law is already in place since the first elections in 1951-1952. "If anyone has any proof of any person actually voting twice in any election, it should be shared with ECI with a written affidavit rather than colouring all the electors of India as 'chor' without any proof," it said. &nbsp;The poll body said that attempting to build a false narrative through the employment of "dirty words" such as "vote chori" against Indian voters is not only an attack on the crore of Indian voters directly but also an attack on the integrity of lakhs of election officials.&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi, Lok Sabha opposition leader, last week referenced data to make the claim that over one lakh votes were 'stolen' in Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha's Mahadevpura assembly constituency in the 2024 elections, leading to the loss of a Congress candidate. The Election Commission had instructed Gandhi to present a written statement in support of his allegations.&nbsp;&nbsp;Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (August 13) claimed that he had a special experience of sharing tea with some "dead" voters from Bihar and thanked the Election Commission (EC) for it. Seven Bihar voters approached the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha at his residence and narrated their experience of how the EC had declared them "dead" and deleted their names from electoral rolls.&nbsp;“There have been many interesting experiences in life, but I never got the chance to have tea with 'dead people'. For this unique experience, thank you Election Commission!,” Gandhi wrote in a post in Hindi on social media platform X. He also posted a video of his interaction with the "dead" voters. In it, Rahul Gandhi can be heard instructing them to walk around and look at Delhi since the "dead" cannot even be issued tickets.

Stop false narrative and give proof Election Commission slams Rahul Gandhi over voter fraud claims

Amidst constant attacks by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding fudging voter data, the Election Commission on Thursday (August 14) said rather than resorting to manufacturing false narrative with the help of "dirty words" like 'vote chori' (vote theft), evidence should be produced. In a statement, the EC said the "one person one vote" law is already in place since the first elections in 1951-1952. "If anyone has any proof of any person actually voting twice in any election, it should be shared with ECI with a written affidavit rather than colouring all the electors of India as 'chor' without any proof," it said. The poll body said that attempting to build a false narrative through the employment of "dirty words" such as "vote chori" against Indian voters is not only an attack on the crore of Indian voters directly but also an attack on the integrity of lakhs of election officials. Rahul Gandhi, Lok Sabha opposition leader, last week referenced data to make the claim that over one lakh votes were 'stolen' in Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha's Mahadevpura assembly constituency in the 2024 elections, leading to the loss of a Congress candidate. The Election Commission had instructed Gandhi to present a written statement in support of his allegations. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (August 13) claimed that he had a special experience of sharing tea with some "dead" voters from Bihar and thanked the Election Commission (EC) for it. Seven Bihar voters approached the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha at his residence and narrated their experience of how the EC had declared them "dead" and deleted their names from electoral rolls. “There have been many interesting experiences in life, but I never got the chance to have tea with 'dead people'. For this unique experience, thank you Election Commission!,” Gandhi wrote in a post in Hindi on social media platform X. He also posted a video of his interaction with the "dead" voters. In it, Rahul Gandhi can be heard instructing them to walk around and look at Delhi since the "dead" cannot even be issued tickets.

The leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, last week cited data to allege that more than one lakh votes were 'stolen' in Mahadevpura assembly constituency of Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha in 2024 elections, resulting in the defeat of a Congress candidate

'Stop false narrative and give proof’: Election Commission slams Rahul Gandhi over 'voter fraud' claims

The controversy surrounding an Indian private university over the controversial research paper is refusing to die down as another faculty professor has quit, sparking a strong response from other faculty members who have threatened to quit en masse.

According to reports, Pulapre Balakrishnan, an economics professor at Ashoka University, put his papers on Tuesday (Aug 15) in protest against the varsity’s decision to accept the resignation of Sabyasachi Das, whose research work suggesting voter manipulation in 2019 elections sparked a major political controversy with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Following Balakrishnan’s exit, his colleagues have written to the university’s governing body threatening a faculty exodus if Das is not reinstated. The English and Creative Writing departments have also extended their support to the demand, reports PTI news agency.

<h2>'Won't carry out teaching obligations'</h2>

In a joint statement, they said that they would not be able to carry out their teaching obligations "unless questions regarding basic academic freedoms are resolved before the Monsoon 2023 semester".

"The offer of resignation by our colleague Prof. Sabyasachi Das and its hasty acceptance by the University has deeply ruptured the faith that we in the faculty of the Department of Economics, our colleagues, our students, and well-wishers of Ashoka University everywhere, had reposed in the university's leadership," the letter said.

"We urge the governing body to address this immediately, but no later than August 23, 2023. Failure to do so will systematically wreck the largest academic department at Ashoka and the very viability of the Ashoka vision," it added.

Furthermore, the professors have put out two demands. One, Professor Das' unconditional return to his position at Ashoka University, and second, the governing body to play no role in evaluating faculty research through any committee or any other structure.

&nbsp;"Unless these questions regarding basic academic freedoms are resolved before the start of the Monsoon 2023 semester, faculty members of the department will find themselves unable to carry forward their teaching obligations in the spirit of critical enquiry and the fearless pursuit of truth that characterise our classrooms,” the letter stated.

<h2>What was the controversy about?</h2>

The university had earlier distanced itself from Das’ research paper ‘Democratic Backsliding in the World's Largest Democracy’ after it came under immense criticism.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-ashoka-university-distances-itself-from-disputed-paper-that-questioned-integrity-of-indias-elections-621555">India's Ashoka University distances itself from disputed paper that questioned integrity of India's elections</a>

On social media, the varsity stated that social media activity or public activism by Ashoka faculty, students or staff in their “individual capacity” does not reflect its stand.

Das later resigned and the university accepted his resignation.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-33-academicians-demand-removal-of-names-from-rationalised-ncert-textbooks-604808">India: 33 academicians demand removal of names from 'rationalised' NCERT textbooks</a>

According to Das’ paper, the “disproportionate” wins were never observed in past elections by BJP or Congress, and also that they were mainly seen in states ruled by BJP at that time.

His paper cites that the reasons for this could be that either the BJP committed electoral fraud or it was able to accurately predict closely contested seats and mobilise party workers to campaign more intensively.

(With inputs from agencies)

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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

The controversy surrounding an Indian private university over the controversial research paper is refusing to die down as another faculty professor has quit, sparking a strong response from other faculty members who have threatened to quit en masse.

The controversy surrounding an Indian private university over the controversial research paper is refusing to die down as another faculty professor has quit, sparking a strong response from other faculty members who have threatened to quit en masse. According to reports, Pulapre Balakrishnan, an economics professor at Ashoka University, put his papers on Tuesday (Aug 15) in protest against the varsity’s decision to accept the resignation of Sabyasachi Das, whose research work suggesting voter manipulation in 2019 elections sparked a major political controversy with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Following Balakrishnan’s exit, his colleagues have written to the university’s governing body threatening a faculty exodus if Das is not reinstated. The English and Creative Writing departments have also extended their support to the demand, reports PTI news agency. 'Won't carry out teaching obligations' In a joint statement, they said that they would not be able to carry out their teaching obligations "unless questions regarding basic academic freedoms are resolved before the Monsoon 2023 semester". "The offer of resignation by our colleague Prof. Sabyasachi Das and its hasty acceptance by the University has deeply ruptured the faith that we in the faculty of the Department of Economics, our colleagues, our students, and well-wishers of Ashoka University everywhere, had reposed in the university's leadership," the letter said. "We urge the governing body to address this immediately, but no later than August 23, 2023. Failure to do so will systematically wreck the largest academic department at Ashoka and the very viability of the Ashoka vision," it added. Furthermore, the professors have put out two demands. One, Professor Das' unconditional return to his position at Ashoka University, and second, the governing body to play no role in evaluating faculty research through any committee or any other structure. "Unless these questions regarding basic academic freedoms are resolved before the start of the Monsoon 2023 semester, faculty members of the department will find themselves unable to carry forward their teaching obligations in the spirit of critical enquiry and the fearless pursuit of truth that characterise our classrooms,” the letter stated. What was the controversy about? The university had earlier distanced itself from Das’ research paper ‘Democratic Backsliding in the World's Largest Democracy’ after it came under immense criticism. Also read | India's Ashoka University distances itself from disputed paper that questioned integrity of India's elections On social media, the varsity stated that social media activity or public activism by Ashoka faculty, students or staff in their “individual capacity” does not reflect its stand. Das later resigned and the university accepted his resignation. Also read | India: 33 academicians demand removal of names from 'rationalised' NCERT textbooks According to Das’ paper, the “disproportionate” wins were never observed in past elections by BJP or Congress, and also that they were mainly seen in states ruled by BJP at that time. His paper cites that the reasons for this could be that either the BJP committed electoral fraud or it was able to accurately predict closely contested seats and mobilise party workers to campaign more intensively. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Ashoka University: Another professor quits, faculty members threaten exodus over research paper row

Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump’s former lawyer, and ex-mayor of New York City, has admitted that he made false statements when he accused two Georgia election workers of committing ballot fraud.

The confession came during a late night Tuesday filing before a federal court in response to a lawsuit filed in 2021 by a mother-daughter duo—Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, who were accused of ballot-stuffing to help Joe Biden win Georgia.

During their testimony to the US House of Representatives select committee probing the Capitol riot last year, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss said that they received threats over the false claims.

In the court filing, Giuliani conceded that after the 2020 vote, he made statements that “carry meaning that is defamatory per se” and that he doesn’t contest Moss and Freeman’s accusations.

<h2>'Remarks protected under&nbsp;freedom of speech'</h2>

He, however, maintained that his statements were protected by freedom of speech, and also refused to acknowledge that his smear campaign caused emotional distress to the mother and daughter.

"While Giuliani does not admit to plaintiffs' allegations, he, for purposes of this litigation only, does not contest the factual allegations," his lawyer Joseph Sibley told the court.

Giuliani’s aide Ted Goodman said his confession was an effort to bypass the fact-gathering stage and move on to legal arguments about whether he can be held liable for the damages the mother-daughter duo is seeking.

“Mayor Rudy Giuliani did not acknowledge that the statements were false but did not contest it in order to move on to the portion of the case that will permit a motion to dismiss,” Goodman said.

“This is a legal issue, not a factual issue. Those out to smear the mayor are ignoring the fact that this stipulation is designed to get to the legal issues of the case.”

<h2>Victims' lawyer welcomes confession&nbsp;</h2>

On Wednesday, Judge Beryl A Howell of the DC District Court, acknowledged Giuliani’s concessions in the lawsuit and ordered him to pay more of Moss and Freeman’s legal fees, after previously ordering him to pay them $90,000.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-are-we-truly-alone-in-the-universe-619909">Explained | Are we truly alone in universe, after US hearing on UFOs &amp; aliens?</a>

He is currently still weighing parts of Giuliani’s filings, which also try to provide explanations for why he didn’t search his records more thoroughly.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-repels-major-attack-in-south-as-ukraine-resumes-intensive-offensive-619791">Russia repels attack near Zaporizhzhia as Kyiv resumes 'intensive offensive'</a>

Meanwhile, lawyers for Moss and Freeman welcomed Giuliani’s confession and called it a “major milestone” in the case.

“Giuliani’s stipulation concedes what we have always known to be true—Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss honorably performed their civic duties in the 2020 presidential election in full compliance with the law, and the allegations of election fraud he and former-President Trump made against them have been false since day one,” their lawyer Michael J Gottlieb, said in a statement.

&nbsp;

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Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump’s former lawyer, and ex-mayor of New York City, has admitted that he made false statements when he accused two Georgia election workers of committing ballot fraud.

Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump’s former lawyer, and ex-mayor of New York City, has admitted that he made false statements when he accused two Georgia election workers of committing ballot fraud. The confession came during a late night Tuesday filing before a federal court in response to a lawsuit filed in 2021 by a mother-daughter duo—Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, who were accused of ballot-stuffing to help Joe Biden win Georgia. During their testimony to the US House of Representatives select committee probing the Capitol riot last year, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss said that they received threats over the false claims. In the court filing, Giuliani conceded that after the 2020 vote, he made statements that “carry meaning that is defamatory per se” and that he doesn’t contest Moss and Freeman’s accusations. 'Remarks protected under freedom of speech' He, however, maintained that his statements were protected by freedom of speech, and also refused to acknowledge that his smear campaign caused emotional distress to the mother and daughter. "While Giuliani does not admit to plaintiffs' allegations, he, for purposes of this litigation only, does not contest the factual allegations," his lawyer Joseph Sibley told the court. Giuliani’s aide Ted Goodman said his confession was an effort to bypass the fact-gathering stage and move on to legal arguments about whether he can be held liable for the damages the mother-daughter duo is seeking. “Mayor Rudy Giuliani did not acknowledge that the statements were false but did not contest it in order to move on to the portion of the case that will permit a motion to dismiss,” Goodman said. “This is a legal issue, not a factual issue. Those out to smear the mayor are ignoring the fact that this stipulation is designed to get to the legal issues of the case.” Victims' lawyer welcomes confession On Wednesday, Judge Beryl A Howell of the DC District Court, acknowledged Giuliani’s concessions in the lawsuit and ordered him to pay more of Moss and Freeman’s legal fees, after previously ordering him to pay them $90,000. Also read | Explained | Are we truly alone in universe, after US hearing on UFOs & aliens? He is currently still weighing parts of Giuliani’s filings, which also try to provide explanations for why he didn’t search his records more thoroughly. Also read | Russia repels attack near Zaporizhzhia as Kyiv resumes 'intensive offensive' Meanwhile, lawyers for Moss and Freeman welcomed Giuliani’s confession and called it a “major milestone” in the case. “Giuliani’s stipulation concedes what we have always known to be true—Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss honorably performed their civic duties in the 2020 presidential election in full compliance with the law, and the allegations of election fraud he and former-President Trump made against them have been false since day one,” their lawyer Michael J Gottlieb, said in a statement. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Ex-Donald Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani admits to lying about Georgia voter fraud

Reprising the rigged-election belief that has become a mantra among their supporters, Republican politicians in at least three states are proposing to establish police forces to hunt exclusively for voter fraud and other election crimes, a category of offenses that experts say is tiny at best.

The plans are part of a new wave of initiatives that Republicans say are directed at voter fraud. They are being condemned by voting rights advocates and even some local election supervisors, who call them costly and unnecessary appeasement of the Republican base that will select primary-election winners for this November’s midterms and the 2024 presidential race.

The next round of voting clashes comes after the apparent demise of Democratic voting rights legislation in Washington on Thursday. It is a reminder that although the Democratic agenda in Washington seems dead, Republican state-level efforts to make voting harder show no sign of slowing down.

Supporters say the added enforcement will root out instances of fraud and assure the public that everything possible is being done to make sure that American elections are accurate and legitimate. Critics say the efforts can easily be abused and used as political cudgels or efforts to intimidate people from registering and voting. And Democrats say the main reason Republican voters have lost faith in the electoral system is because of the incessant Republican focus on almost entirely imagined fraud.

The most concrete proposal is in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis asked the state Legislature last week for $5.7 million to create a 52-person “election crimes and security” force in the secretary of state’s office. The plan, which DeSantis has been touting since fall, would include 20 sworn police officers and field offices statewide.

That was followed Thursday by a pledge by David Perdue, the former Georgia senator who is a Republican candidate for governor, to create his own force of election police “to make Georgia elections the safest and securest in the country.” Perdue, who lost his Senate seat in 2020, claimed that Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican seeking reelection, weakened election standards and refused to investigate claims of fraud after President Joe Biden’s narrow win in the state.

In Arizona, state Sen. Wendy Rogers, a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump’s lies about a stolen election, has filed legislation to establish a $5 million “bureau of elections” in the governor’s office with the power to subpoena witnesses and impound election equipment.

Rogers' bill probably faces an uphill road in the Legislature, where Republicans are only narrowly in control and have been battered for their support of a widely ridiculed multimillion-dollar inquiry into 2020 election results. Prospects for the Florida and Georgia proposals are less clear.

The proposals are the latest twist in a decadeslong crusade by Republicans against election fraud that has grown rapidly since Trump’s election loss in 2020 and his false claim that victory was stolen from him.

DeSantis took a tough line in November when he unveiled his proposal, saying the new unit would chase crimes that local election officials shrug at. “There’ll be people, if you see someone ballot harvesting, you know, what do you do? If you call into the election office, a lot of times they don’t do anything,” he said at an appearance in West Palm Beach.

“I guarantee you this,” he added. “The first person that gets caught, no one is going to want to do it again after that.”

None of the three states — and for that matter, none of the other 47 and the District of Columbia — reported any more than a minuscule number of election fraud cases after the 2020 races. DeSantis said after the 2020 vote that his was “the state that did it right and that other states should emulate.” The only notable hint of irregularity in Florida was the recent arrest on fraud charges of four men in a retirement complex north of Orlando. At least two of them appeared to be winter Floridians accused of casting ballots both there and in more frigid states to the north.

But DeSantis and Perdue say their strike forces are still needed to root out other election irregularities and to bolster their constituents’ sagging faith in the honesty of the vote. The same rationale has powered so-called audits of election results and clampdowns on election rules by Republican-run legislatures across the country.

Sweeping election-law revisions enacted by Florida and Georgia legislators last spring sharply limit the use of popular drop boxes for submitting absentee ballots, require identification to obtain mail-in ballots, make it harder to conduct voter-registration drives, and restrict or ban interactions — such as handing out snacks or water — with voters waiting in line to cast ballots.

Trump comfortably won Florida by about 370,000 votes in 2020, and his narrow losses in Arizona and Georgia were confirmed by expert audits, recounts and even the notorious Cyber Ninjas inquiry into the vote in Maricopa County.

“We don’t need further investigations into elections that are freely and fairly conducted,” said Alex Gulotta, Arizona director of the advocacy group All Voting Is Local. “We’ve established that again and again and again. This is more pablum to the people who believe in fraud and conspiracy theories and lies that the last election was stolen.”

Neither the new laws nor election autopsies appear to have shaken the conviction of many Trump supporters that the election system is suspect. Some scholars say they see the police forces as the latest bid by politicians to scratch that itch.

Bids to curb so-called fraud are becoming standard for Republican candidates who want to win over voters, Barry Burden, director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said in an interview. “Whoever is the nominee in 2024, whether it’s Trump or anyone else, it will likely be part of their platform,” Burden said.

The idea of an election police force is not new, even in the states where they are being proposed. In Georgia, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger already oversees 23 investigators whose purview includes election irregularities, and an assistant state attorney general exclusively prosecutes crimes in elections, the judiciary and local governments. The Arizona attorney general manages a relatively new “election integrity” investigative unit, and Florida election violations are prosecuted by both state and local authorities, as is true in most states.

Reprising the rigged-election belief that has become a mantra among their supporters, Republican politicians in at least three states are proposing to establish police forces to hunt exclusively for voter fraud and other election crimes, a category of offenses that experts say is tiny at best.

Reprising the rigged-election belief that has become a mantra among their supporters, Republican politicians in at least three states are proposing to establish police forces to hunt exclusively for voter fraud and other election crimes, a category of offenses that experts say is tiny at best. The plans are part of a new wave of initiatives that Republicans say are directed at voter fraud. They are being condemned by voting rights advocates and even some local election supervisors, who call them costly and unnecessary appeasement of the Republican base that will select primary-election winners for this November’s midterms and the 2024 presidential race. The next round of voting clashes comes after the apparent demise of Democratic voting rights legislation in Washington on Thursday. It is a reminder that although the Democratic agenda in Washington seems dead, Republican state-level efforts to make voting harder show no sign of slowing down. Supporters say the added enforcement will root out instances of fraud and assure the public that everything possible is being done to make sure that American elections are accurate and legitimate. Critics say the efforts can easily be abused and used as political cudgels or efforts to intimidate people from registering and voting. And Democrats say the main reason Republican voters have lost faith in the electoral system is because of the incessant Republican focus on almost entirely imagined fraud. The most concrete proposal is in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis asked the state Legislature last week for $5.7 million to create a 52-person “election crimes and security” force in the secretary of state’s office. The plan, which DeSantis has been touting since fall, would include 20 sworn police officers and field offices statewide. That was followed Thursday by a pledge by David Perdue, the former Georgia senator who is a Republican candidate for governor, to create his own force of election police “to make Georgia elections the safest and securest in the country.” Perdue, who lost his Senate seat in 2020, claimed that Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican seeking reelection, weakened election standards and refused to investigate claims of fraud after President Joe Biden’s narrow win in the state. In Arizona, state Sen. Wendy Rogers, a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump’s lies about a stolen election, has filed legislation to establish a $5 million “bureau of elections” in the governor’s office with the power to subpoena witnesses and impound election equipment. Rogers' bill probably faces an uphill road in the Legislature, where Republicans are only narrowly in control and have been battered for their support of a widely ridiculed multimillion-dollar inquiry into 2020 election results. Prospects for the Florida and Georgia proposals are less clear. The proposals are the latest twist in a decadeslong crusade by Republicans against election fraud that has grown rapidly since Trump’s election loss in 2020 and his false claim that victory was stolen from him. DeSantis took a tough line in November when he unveiled his proposal, saying the new unit would chase crimes that local election officials shrug at. “There’ll be people, if you see someone ballot harvesting, you know, what do you do? If you call into the election office, a lot of times they don’t do anything,” he said at an appearance in West Palm Beach. “I guarantee you this,” he added. “The first person that gets caught, no one is going to want to do it again after that.” None of the three states — and for that matter, none of the other 47 and the District of Columbia — reported any more than a minuscule number of election fraud cases after the 2020 races. DeSantis said after the 2020 vote that his was “the state that did it right and that other states should emulate.” The only notable hint of irregularity in Florida was the recent arrest on fraud charges of four men in a retirement complex north of Orlando. At least two of them appeared to be winter Floridians accused of casting ballots both there and in more frigid states to the north. But DeSantis and Perdue say their strike forces are still needed to root out other election irregularities and to bolster their constituents’ sagging faith in the honesty of the vote. The same rationale has powered so-called audits of election results and clampdowns on election rules by Republican-run legislatures across the country. Sweeping election-law revisions enacted by Florida and Georgia legislators last spring sharply limit the use of popular drop boxes for submitting absentee ballots, require identification to obtain mail-in ballots, make it harder to conduct voter-registration drives, and restrict or ban interactions — such as handing out snacks or water — with voters waiting in line to cast ballots. Trump comfortably won Florida by about 370,000 votes in 2020, and his narrow losses in Arizona and Georgia were confirmed by expert audits, recounts and even the notorious Cyber Ninjas inquiry into the vote in Maricopa County. “We don’t need further investigations into elections that are freely and fairly conducted,” said Alex Gulotta, Arizona director of the advocacy group All Voting Is Local. “We’ve established that again and again and again. This is more pablum to the people who believe in fraud and conspiracy theories and lies that the last election was stolen.” Neither the new laws nor election autopsies appear to have shaken the conviction of many Trump supporters that the election system is suspect. Some scholars say they see the police forces as the latest bid by politicians to scratch that itch. Bids to curb so-called fraud are becoming standard for Republican candidates who want to win over voters, Barry Burden, director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said in an interview. “Whoever is the nominee in 2024, whether it’s Trump or anyone else, it will likely be part of their platform,” Burden said. The idea of an election police force is not new, even in the states where they are being proposed. In Georgia, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger already oversees 23 investigators whose purview includes election irregularities, and an assistant state attorney general exclusively prosecutes crimes in elections, the judiciary and local governments. The Arizona attorney general manages a relatively new “election integrity” investigative unit, and Florida election violations are prosecuted by both state and local authorities, as is true in most states.

Republicans want new tool in elusive search for voter fraud: Election police

Since his historic loss in US election 2020, the former American president Donald Trump has been trying to prove that the sole reason behind his loss was voter fraud.<o:p></o:p>

The former reality TV star has time and again claimed that Joe Biden and his Democratic party manipulated votes. He has, without any proof, alleged his opponents of voter fraud.<o:p></o:p>

However, a Republican-funded review has claimed that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Trump’s</a> baseless claims may just be that, and Biden’s win was legally correct.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;W<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/with-last-us-military-flight-out-of-kabul-trump-slams-worst-withdrawal-from-war-in-history-409560">ith last US military flight out of Kabul, Trump slams worst withdrawal from war in history</a></o:p>

Cyber Ninjas, a Florida-based cybersecurity firm has claimed that after studying the data and a hand count, Biden won the Maricopa County by about 45,000 votes — which was the original number stated too.<o:p></o:p>

"This means the tabulation equipment counted the ballots as they were designed to do, and the results reflect the will of the voters," Republican board chairman Jack Sellers said in a statement.&nbsp;"That should be the end of the story. Everything else is just noise."<o:p></o:p>

However, the review was conducted by Cyber Ninjas who have no previous experience in election audits. Some believe Trump is bound to rubbish this review’s findings due to the lack of experience of the cybersecurity firm in election audits and reviews.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-gets-booed-on-advising-alabama-rally-supporters-to-take-covid-vaccine-shot-407760">Trump gets booed on advising Alabama rally supporters to take Covid vaccine shot</a></o:p>

Trump has not yet commented on this development.<o:p></o:p>

The Democratic National Committee, however, has labelled this review as a waste of public funds and have warned that this was a "dangerous attempt by extremist Republicans" to undermine democracy.<o:p></o:p>

"Every Republican peddling election misinformation will have to explain to their constituents why they spent their time undermining democracy on behalf of Donald Trump instead of delivering for their constituents," spokesman Ryan Thomas said<o:p></o:p>

Since his historic loss in US election 2020, the former American president Donald Trump has been trying to prove that the sole reason behind his loss was voter fraud.

Since his historic loss in US election 2020, the former American president Donald Trump has been trying to prove that the sole reason behind his loss was voter fraud. The former reality TV star has time and again claimed that Joe Biden and his Democratic party manipulated votes. He has, without any proof, alleged his opponents of voter fraud. However, a Republican-funded review has claimed that Trump’s baseless claims may just be that, and Biden’s win was legally correct. Also read | With last US military flight out of Kabul, Trump slams worst withdrawal from war in history Cyber Ninjas, a Florida-based cybersecurity firm has claimed that after studying the data and a hand count, Biden won the Maricopa County by about 45,000 votes — which was the original number stated too. "This means the tabulation equipment counted the ballots as they were designed to do, and the results reflect the will of the voters," Republican board chairman Jack Sellers said in a statement. "That should be the end of the story. Everything else is just noise." However, the review was conducted by Cyber Ninjas who have no previous experience in election audits. Some believe Trump is bound to rubbish this review’s findings due to the lack of experience of the cybersecurity firm in election audits and reviews. Also read | Trump gets booed on advising Alabama rally supporters to take Covid vaccine shot Trump has not yet commented on this development. The Democratic National Committee, however, has labelled this review as a waste of public funds and have warned that this was a "dangerous attempt by extremist Republicans" to undermine democracy. "Every Republican peddling election misinformation will have to explain to their constituents why they spent their time undermining democracy on behalf of Donald Trump instead of delivering for their constituents," spokesman Ryan Thomas said

'Biden won US election against Trump in fair ways,' Republican-funded review claims

The US&nbsp;State Department said on Tuesday that Peru's recent presidential election was 'a model of democracy',&nbsp;despite efforts by conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori to get ballots thrown out while raising accusations of voter fraud. 
 
Peruvians went to the polls on June 6. Electoral authorities are still evaluating challenges to some ballots while preliminary results narrowly favour socialist Pedro Castillo over Fujimori, daughter of jailed ex-President Alberto Fujimori. 
 
"We congratulate the Peruvian authorities for safely administering another round of free, fair, accessible and peaceful elections, even amid the significant challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement released in Washington. 
 
"These recent elections are a model of democracy in the region. We support giving the electoral authorities time to process and publish the results in accordance with Peruvian law.

The US State Department said on Tuesday that Peru's recent presidential election was 'a model of democracy', despite efforts by conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori to get ballots thrown out while raising accusations of voter fraud.

The US State Department said on Tuesday that Peru's recent presidential election was 'a model of democracy', despite efforts by conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori to get ballots thrown out while raising accusations of voter fraud. Peruvians went to the polls on June 6. Electoral authorities are still evaluating challenges to some ballots while preliminary results narrowly favour socialist Pedro Castillo over Fujimori, daughter of jailed ex-President Alberto Fujimori. "We congratulate the Peruvian authorities for safely administering another round of free, fair, accessible and peaceful elections, even amid the significant challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement released in Washington. "These recent elections are a model of democracy in the region. We support giving the electoral authorities time to process and publish the results in accordance with Peruvian law.

US calls Peru election 'fair' despite Fujimori claims of voter fraud

The former US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a> lawyer Rudy Giuliani is facing criticism now, more than ever, since his boss and friend completed his term of presidency.

A group of prominent lawyers have now asked the New York's judiciary to suspend Giuliani's law license and has alleged him of making false claims post US election.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-tried-replacing-attorney-general-for-personal-needs-reports-358769">Donald Trump tried replacing attorney general for personal needs: Reports</a>

He has also been alleged of motivating Trump supporters to engage in "trial by combat" after the former President diverted them to riot inside the US Capitol.

The group, Lawyers Defending American Democracy, has also called for an investigation for the past works of the tainted lawyer. He has earlier served as a federal prosecutor and a New York City mayor, before being hired as a personal attorney for Trump.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-tried-replacing-attorney-general-for-personal-needs-reports-358769">Donald Trump tried replacing attorney general for personal needs: Reports</a>

"This complaint is about law, not politics," the group of lawyers claimed in their letter to the attorney grievance committee for the New York supreme court.

The letter has been signed by more than 40 lawyers who are expecting this letter will be taken into consideration by the committee and can have serious consequences for Guiliani. The committee has the power to censure and suspend lawyers, in addition to revoking law licenses.

Giuliani has been the torch-bearer of the recent lawsuits filed against several state governments with the aim of overturning the US election result in which Trump had lost to the new US President<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden"> Joe Biden.</a>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-ex-president-trumps-impeachment-trial-postponed-to-february-358759">WATCH|</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-ex-president-trumps-impeachment-trial-postponed-to-february-358759/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Dozens of lawsuits were filed, and lost, within a span of nearly a month, by Giuliani's team, following which Biden's historic win against Trump was confirmed.

Trump is now set to appear for his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-impeachment-trial-put-off-until-early-february-358797">second impeachment trial</a> — which is the first time for any US President — which was set in motion by the US Senate after Trump urged his supporters to march to the US Capitol, resulting in a deadly riot and destruction of federal property.&nbsp;The leaders of the US Senate have now, however, agreed to push back his&nbsp;impeachment trial by two weeks.

He has also been recently alleged of working with a Justice Department lawyer to&nbsp;replace the then-acting US attorney general Jeffrey A. Rosen with a candidate of his choice to help him turn out the results of the Georgia state in the recently-concluded US election 2020.

The former US President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani is facing criticism now, more than ever, since his boss and friend completed his term of presidency. A group of prominent lawyers have now asked the New York's judiciary to suspend Giuliani's law license and has alleged him of making false claims post US election.

The former US President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani is facing criticism now, more than ever, since his boss and friend completed his term of presidency. A group of prominent lawyers have now asked the New York's judiciary to suspend Giuliani's law license and has alleged him of making false claims post US election. Also read| Donald Trump tried replacing attorney general for personal needs: Reports He has also been alleged of motivating Trump supporters to engage in "trial by combat" after the former President diverted them to riot inside the US Capitol. The group, Lawyers Defending American Democracy, has also called for an investigation for the past works of the tainted lawyer. He has earlier served as a federal prosecutor and a New York City mayor, before being hired as a personal attorney for Trump. Also read| Donald Trump tried replacing attorney general for personal needs: Reports "This complaint is about law, not politics," the group of lawyers claimed in their letter to the attorney grievance committee for the New York supreme court. The letter has been signed by more than 40 lawyers who are expecting this letter will be taken into consideration by the committee and can have serious consequences for Guiliani. The committee has the power to censure and suspend lawyers, in addition to revoking law licenses. Giuliani has been the torch-bearer of the recent lawsuits filed against several state governments with the aim of overturning the US election result in which Trump had lost to the new US President Joe Biden. WATCH| Dozens of lawsuits were filed, and lost, within a span of nearly a month, by Giuliani's team, following which Biden's historic win against Trump was confirmed. Trump is now set to appear for his second impeachment trial — which is the first time for any US President — which was set in motion by the US Senate after Trump urged his supporters to march to the US Capitol, resulting in a deadly riot and destruction of federal property. The leaders of the US Senate have now, however, agreed to push back his impeachment trial by two weeks. He has also been recently alleged of working with a Justice Department lawyer to replace the then-acting US attorney general Jeffrey A. Rosen with a candidate of his choice to help him turn out the results of the Georgia state in the recently-concluded US election 2020.

Group of lawyers call for suspension of Rudy Giuliani's law license

Christopher Krebs, the Department of Homeland Security director who had spearheaded a campaign to counter rumours about voter fraud, has been fired by US President Donald Trump.

Trump Fires CISA Director Chris Krebs after correcting voter fraud disinformation

In Pennsylvania, much of President Donald Trump’s attention since the election has focused on Philadelphia, where he has baselessly insisted there is a “mountain of corruption.” In Michigan, litigation by Trump’s campaign has concentrated on Detroit, where Republican poll watchers say they felt intimidated by election workers in Black Lives Matter apparel. And in Wisconsin, legal challenges and rumors have circled around Milwaukee, where one internet conspiracy turns on a briefly misplaced flash drive of election results.

That these three cities would become the chief sites of Republican claims of fraud in this election is unsurprising. All three are heavily Democratic. They have large African American populations. And in their respective states, they have long been targets of racialized charges of corruption.

But in one revealing way, the fixation this year is misplaced. All three cities voted pretty much the same way they did in 2016. Turnout barely budged, relative to other areas in these states. Joe Biden saw no remarkable surge in support — certainly nothing that would bolster claims of ballot stuffing or tampered vote tallies. Trump even picked up marginally more votes this year in all three cities than he did four years ago.

Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Detroit, in other words, were not decisive in explaining why the Northern battleground states flipped from Trump four years ago to Biden in 2020. Voters&nbsp;outside&nbsp;of these cities made the difference.

But the president and his allies have said little about those voters — in places like the Milwaukee suburbs of Ozaukee County, or in predominantly white Kent County, Michigan.

“From a partisan perspective, Trump’s vilification of cities makes no sense,” Barry Burden, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said in an email. “It has little to do with his loss in Wisconsin, which resulted mostly from small shifts in the white vote outside of the city, particularly the suburbs, Dane County, and other parts of Milwaukee County.”

Instead, Burden said, the president appears to be practicing thinly veiled race-baiting, by blaming communities of color for his loss.

Michigan’s attorney general, Dana Nessel, concluded the same in criticizing lawsuits brought by the president’s campaign and allies.

“Really the themes that we see, that persist, are this: Black people are corrupt, Black people are incompetent and Black people can’t be trusted,” Nessel said during a call with reporters last week.

These cities did prove central to Trump’s defeat in more symbolic ways.

Biden’s vote count in Wisconsin jumped in the middle of the night after Election Day when the city of Milwaukee completed its count of mail-in ballots about 3:30 a.m. That helped explain why many Americans woke up Wednesday morning to a different picture of the race in Wisconsin.

In Michigan, the TCF Center in Detroit became a center of pro-Trump protests as election workers tallied votes in the city and as Biden’s lead continued to grow on the Friday after the election.

And in Pennsylvania, it was a tabulation of votes in Philadelphia on Saturday that pushed Biden across the threshold where many media outlets were prepared to call the state — and the election — for him. Philadelphia, too, was the scene of some of the most raucous celebrations that followed.

In the unofficial results, however, these cities shifted little from 2016 in their vote tallies for the Democrat, unlike many surrounding suburbs. And Trump picked up about 3,000 additional votes in Milwaukee, about 5,000 in Detroit, and about 21,000 in Philadelphia, in counts that are not yet completed.

Part of what makes these cities perennial targets is their size, said Andra Gillespie, a political scientist at Emory University. Because of that, they’re slower to count ballots, feeding suspicions about late-changing results. And if a campaign is looking to narrow vote margins through litigation, it makes more sense to go after the county with half a million voters than one with only a few hundred.

But Gillespie said the racial implications of these fraud claims would not be lost on African American voters.

“In one minute, he’s talking about how he’s the greatest president for Black people since Abraham Lincoln, which is historically inaccurate,” she said. “And then in the next breath, you now are trying to disqualify voters in cities with large Black populations, in ways that look like disenfranchisement and voter suppression.”

Recent lawsuits in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin proposed doing exactly that — excluding millions of votes cast in these large urban centers (including Atlanta) from vote totals in these states. Collectively, those legal challenges are highly unlikely to go anywhere. But they’re notable for how literally they embrace the common partisan claim that urban votes shouldn’t count as much as votes from rural America — that Republicans win Wisconsin, if you just take away Milwaukee and Madison; that Trump wins the popular vote, if you just lop off California and New York.

Such arguments about fraud are clearly alluring for many Americans. Political science research suggests that resentment of immigrants and minorities is correlated with beliefs about voter fraud, said Nyron Crawford, a professor at Temple University in Philadelphia. Once you believe African Americans or immigrants are more likely to be corrupt or criminal, it’s not such a stretch to believe their communities steal elections.

“It’s easier to lay those claims if you already harbor some resentment toward the group,” Crawford said.

It would be harder to argue there’s something fishy about the entire eastern half of Pennsylvania, where counties of all kinds shifted toward Biden this year.

(STORY CAN END HERE. OPTIONAL MATERIAL FOLLOWS.)

On a map of how the state changed from 2016, Philadelphia actually stands out as the lone county in eastern Pennsylvania where Trump improved on his margins this year. Turnout in the city was below expectations, in part because many college students didn’t vote on campus during the pandemic. But turnout was also down in predominantly Black and Hispanic wards. Hispanic parts of North Philadelphia both turned out less and swung toward Trump, as did a number of other Hispanic communities around the country.

Those results didn’t match what local organizers believed would happen this year.

“I’ve never seen such enthusiasm from voters,” said Carol Jenkins, who is a longtime Democratic ward leader in Philadelphia and a retired professor. “Everybody was calling me asking: ‘What can I do? I’ll do anything that I can to help, we’ve got to defeat this man.’” She thought that would mean much higher turnout this year. She anticipated lower numbers in her own ward, normally full of college students.

“But I did not expect it in the rest of the city,” she said. “It was disappointing.”

Broad disruption in Philadelphia this year from the pandemic and protests over police brutality may have affected the results, Crawford suggested, including the unrest after the police shooting of a Black man in the last week before the election. Those events may have both dampened Black turnout and bolstered appeal for Trump among residents who believed the protest movement and pandemic restrictions this year had gone too far.

If, as expected, none of the fraud claims by Republicans change the election result, party leaders appear to be gambling they may at least energize conservative voters vital to one last election this cycle — the January runoffs in Georgia that will determine both of that state’s Senate seats and which party controls the chamber.

But it is possible, too, that Democratic voters in and around Atlanta will be motivated by what has often looked like an attack on African American voters. And Atlanta, unlike these northern battleground cities, did see a surge in turnout this year that was crucial to handing Biden the state.

“If you did not have African Americans being as loyal as they have been to Democratic candidates,” Todd Shaw, a political scientist at the University of South Carolina, said about Georgia, “then you would have no base from which the college-educated white vote would build upon to make a majority.”

In Pennsylvania, much of President Donald Trump’s attention since the election has focused on Philadelphia, where he has baselessly insisted there is a “mountain of corruption.

In Pennsylvania, much of President Donald Trump’s attention since the election has focused on Philadelphia, where he has baselessly insisted there is a “mountain of corruption.” In Michigan, litigation by Trump’s campaign has concentrated on Detroit, where Republican poll watchers say they felt intimidated by election workers in Black Lives Matter apparel. And in Wisconsin, legal challenges and rumors have circled around Milwaukee, where one internet conspiracy turns on a briefly misplaced flash drive of election results. That these three cities would become the chief sites of Republican claims of fraud in this election is unsurprising. All three are heavily Democratic. They have large African American populations. And in their respective states, they have long been targets of racialized charges of corruption. But in one revealing way, the fixation this year is misplaced. All three cities voted pretty much the same way they did in 2016. Turnout barely budged, relative to other areas in these states. Joe Biden saw no remarkable surge in support — certainly nothing that would bolster claims of ballot stuffing or tampered vote tallies. Trump even picked up marginally more votes this year in all three cities than he did four years ago. Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Detroit, in other words, were not decisive in explaining why the Northern battleground states flipped from Trump four years ago to Biden in 2020. Voters outside of these cities made the difference. But the president and his allies have said little about those voters — in places like the Milwaukee suburbs of Ozaukee County, or in predominantly white Kent County, Michigan. “From a partisan perspective, Trump’s vilification of cities makes no sense,” Barry Burden, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said in an email. “It has little to do with his loss in Wisconsin, which resulted mostly from small shifts in the white vote outside of the city, particularly the suburbs, Dane County, and other parts of Milwaukee County.” Instead, Burden said, the president appears to be practicing thinly veiled race-baiting, by blaming communities of color for his loss. Michigan’s attorney general, Dana Nessel, concluded the same in criticizing lawsuits brought by the president’s campaign and allies. “Really the themes that we see, that persist, are this: Black people are corrupt, Black people are incompetent and Black people can’t be trusted,” Nessel said during a call with reporters last week. These cities did prove central to Trump’s defeat in more symbolic ways. Biden’s vote count in Wisconsin jumped in the middle of the night after Election Day when the city of Milwaukee completed its count of mail-in ballots about 3:30 a.m. That helped explain why many Americans woke up Wednesday morning to a different picture of the race in Wisconsin. In Michigan, the TCF Center in Detroit became a center of pro-Trump protests as election workers tallied votes in the city and as Biden’s lead continued to grow on the Friday after the election. And in Pennsylvania, it was a tabulation of votes in Philadelphia on Saturday that pushed Biden across the threshold where many media outlets were prepared to call the state — and the election — for him. Philadelphia, too, was the scene of some of the most raucous celebrations that followed. In the unofficial results, however, these cities shifted little from 2016 in their vote tallies for the Democrat, unlike many surrounding suburbs. And Trump picked up about 3,000 additional votes in Milwaukee, about 5,000 in Detroit, and about 21,000 in Philadelphia, in counts that are not yet completed. Part of what makes these cities perennial targets is their size, said Andra Gillespie, a political scientist at Emory University. Because of that, they’re slower to count ballots, feeding suspicions about late-changing results. And if a campaign is looking to narrow vote margins through litigation, it makes more sense to go after the county with half a million voters than one with only a few hundred. But Gillespie said the racial implications of these fraud claims would not be lost on African American voters. “In one minute, he’s talking about how he’s the greatest president for Black people since Abraham Lincoln, which is historically inaccurate,” she said. “And then in the next breath, you now are trying to disqualify voters in cities with large Black populations, in ways that look like disenfranchisement and voter suppression.” Recent lawsuits in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin proposed doing exactly that — excluding millions of votes cast in these large urban centers (including Atlanta) from vote totals in these states. Collectively, those legal challenges are highly unlikely to go anywhere. But they’re notable for how literally they embrace the common partisan claim that urban votes shouldn’t count as much as votes from rural America — that Republicans win Wisconsin, if you just take away Milwaukee and Madison; that Trump wins the popular vote, if you just lop off California and New York. Such arguments about fraud are clearly alluring for many Americans. Political science research suggests that resentment of immigrants and minorities is correlated with beliefs about voter fraud, said Nyron Crawford, a professor at Temple University in Philadelphia. Once you believe African Americans or immigrants are more likely to be corrupt or criminal, it’s not such a stretch to believe their communities steal elections. “It’s easier to lay those claims if you already harbor some resentment toward the group,” Crawford said. It would be harder to argue there’s something fishy about the entire eastern half of Pennsylvania, where counties of all kinds shifted toward Biden this year. (STORY CAN END HERE. OPTIONAL MATERIAL FOLLOWS.) On a map of how the state changed from 2016, Philadelphia actually stands out as the lone county in eastern Pennsylvania where Trump improved on his margins this year. Turnout in the city was below expectations, in part because many college students didn’t vote on campus during the pandemic. But turnout was also down in predominantly Black and Hispanic wards. Hispanic parts of North Philadelphia both turned out less and swung toward Trump, as did a number of other Hispanic communities around the country. Those results didn’t match what local organizers believed would happen this year. “I’ve never seen such enthusiasm from voters,” said Carol Jenkins, who is a longtime Democratic ward leader in Philadelphia and a retired professor. “Everybody was calling me asking: ‘What can I do? I’ll do anything that I can to help, we’ve got to defeat this man.’” She thought that would mean much higher turnout this year. She anticipated lower numbers in her own ward, normally full of college students. “But I did not expect it in the rest of the city,” she said. “It was disappointing.” Broad disruption in Philadelphia this year from the pandemic and protests over police brutality may have affected the results, Crawford suggested, including the unrest after the police shooting of a Black man in the last week before the election. Those events may have both dampened Black turnout and bolstered appeal for Trump among residents who believed the protest movement and pandemic restrictions this year had gone too far. If, as expected, none of the fraud claims by Republicans change the election result, party leaders appear to be gambling they may at least energize conservative voters vital to one last election this cycle — the January runoffs in Georgia that will determine both of that state’s Senate seats and which party controls the chamber. But it is possible, too, that Democratic voters in and around Atlanta will be motivated by what has often looked like an attack on African American voters. And Atlanta, unlike these northern battleground cities, did see a surge in turnout this year that was crucial to handing Biden the state. “If you did not have African Americans being as loyal as they have been to Democratic candidates,” Todd Shaw, a political scientist at the University of South Carolina, said about Georgia, “then you would have no base from which the college-educated white vote would build upon to make a majority.”

The cities accused in fraud conspiracies didn’t cost Trump the election

At least<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-probes-vote-rigging-allegations-in-election-hit-by-violence-187362"> three voters in southeast Bangladesh</a>, including a journalist, told Reuters on Sunday that they were barred from entering polling booths or were told their ballot papers had already been filled in, hours after voting began in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-polls-ten-killed-in-election-day-clashes-following-violent-campaign-187334">nation's general election.</a>

The journalist, who declined to be identified for fear of reprisals, said activists of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League party in Chittagong, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/polls-close-in-bangladesh-election-marred-by-violence-12-dead-187346">Bangladesh's</a> second-largest city, warned him and other voters at the polling centre not to go inside.

"They said we didn't need to go inside as our votes had already been cast," the journalist told Reuters by phone, adding that there were five other voters around him at the time at the polling centre set up at the national primary school in Chittagong's Kotwali area.

"I am hearing the same thing happening at several other polling booths in Chittagong," the journalist said.

His comments add to accusations by several leaders of the country's main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) who have alleged rigging and vote manipulation by the Awami League.

The Awami League said opposition supporters were wrongly accusing the party.

The Election Commission said it had received complaints of rigging that it was investigating. "Allegations are coming from across the country and those are under investigation," the agency's spokesman SM Asaduzzaman said. “If we get any confirmation from our own channels then measures will be taken as per rules”.

At least 10 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in political clashes on Sunday by the time voting ended at 1000 hours GMT. At least six candidates of the opposition National Unity Front alliance said they had pulled out alleging rigging.

When Rasel, a 34-year-old voter in Chittagong, went down to the polling centre set up at a local polytechnic college in his area, he said about 30 people stopped him from entering the booth. He knew at least one of them was an Awami League activist, he said.

"They told me that 'voting is going on nicely, you don’t need to go inside'. If you try to enter, you will be in trouble'," Rasel, who declined to give his second name fearing reprisals, told Reuters by phone. He turned back without voting.

Hasina has promised to conduct a "free and fair" election and earlier this month said in a public speech that she would not try to win the election using "unfair means." She is seeking a third straight term in power.

At a polling centre in the Umkhali south of Chittagong, a cab driver named Ali said his family had to turn back from the polling centre as ruling party workers there told them their votes had already been cast.

"I am very disappointed that there will not be a fair result in this election," he told Reuters by phone.

'They said we didn't need to go inside as our votes had already been cast,' a journalist told Reuters by phone.

At least three voters in southeast Bangladesh, including a journalist, told Reuters on Sunday that they were barred from entering polling booths or were told their ballot papers had already been filled in, hours after voting began in the nation's general election. The journalist, who declined to be identified for fear of reprisals, said activists of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League party in Chittagong, Bangladesh's second-largest city, warned him and other voters at the polling centre not to go inside. "They said we didn't need to go inside as our votes had already been cast," the journalist told Reuters by phone, adding that there were five other voters around him at the time at the polling centre set up at the national primary school in Chittagong's Kotwali area. "I am hearing the same thing happening at several other polling booths in Chittagong," the journalist said. His comments add to accusations by several leaders of the country's main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) who have alleged rigging and vote manipulation by the Awami League. The Awami League said opposition supporters were wrongly accusing the party. The Election Commission said it had received complaints of rigging that it was investigating. "Allegations are coming from across the country and those are under investigation," the agency's spokesman SM Asaduzzaman said. “If we get any confirmation from our own channels then measures will be taken as per rules”. At least 10 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in political clashes on Sunday by the time voting ended at 1000 hours GMT. At least six candidates of the opposition National Unity Front alliance said they had pulled out alleging rigging. When Rasel, a 34-year-old voter in Chittagong, went down to the polling centre set up at a local polytechnic college in his area, he said about 30 people stopped him from entering the booth. He knew at least one of them was an Awami League activist, he said. "They told me that 'voting is going on nicely, you don’t need to go inside'. If you try to enter, you will be in trouble'," Rasel, who declined to give his second name fearing reprisals, told Reuters by phone. He turned back without voting. Hasina has promised to conduct a "free and fair" election and earlier this month said in a public speech that she would not try to win the election using "unfair means." She is seeking a third straight term in power. At a polling centre in the Umkhali south of Chittagong, a cab driver named Ali said his family had to turn back from the polling centre as ruling party workers there told them their votes had already been cast. "I am very disappointed that there will not be a fair result in this election," he told Reuters by phone.

Didn't need to go inside, votes already been filled in: Voters in Bangladesh allege being barred from polling

US President Donald Trump admitted that Russia may have interfered in the 2016 US election of which he was proclaimed the winner, but said that other countries may also have been involved, AFP reports.&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;ve said it very simply. I think it could very well have been Russia. I think it could well have been other countries. I won&#39;t be specific. But I think a lot of people interfere,&quot; Trump said while in Warsaw.

On January 10, 2017, Trump&nbsp;told reporters, &quot;as far as hacking, I think it was Russia,&quot; reports the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/us/politics/trumps-press-conference-highlights-russia.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a>, marking the first time he agreed with multiple&nbsp;US intelligence agencies which&nbsp;conclude&nbsp;that Russia interfered in the election&nbsp;to help him, Trump, win.

But then moments later Trump&nbsp;compared US intelligence agencies to Nazis&nbsp;and dodged questions about whether he or anyone on his team had contact with Russia during the election. &quot;They said it totally never happened,&quot; Trump said of Russia denying their involvement in the hack.&nbsp;&quot;I respected the fact that he said that,&quot; Trump said of Russia&#39;s denial,&nbsp;adding, &quot;it could have been others also&quot;.&nbsp;

About the fact that there was an&nbsp;election breach, Trump has shown little outrage, then or since.

Another major NATO&nbsp;power&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/angela-merkel-warns-of-possible-russian-interference-in-german-elections-8547" target="_blank">Germany</a>&nbsp;has since said they fear Russian interference in their election. Emmanuel Macron&#39;s campaign team has also blamed Russia for a &quot;<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/05/macron-campaign-blasts-massive-hacking-attack-ahead-french-presidential/" target="_blank">massive hacking attack</a>&quot; days before the French election, that he eventually won.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Election fraud or voter suppression?

Trump has launched an investigation into alleged voter fraud, in what he called without evidence a &quot;rigged&quot; election, in order to prove that Clinton, who won the popular vote by about 3 million votes, did not really&nbsp;win the popular vote.

Donald Trump lost the popular vote by more than any US president in American history.

President Trump&#39;s&nbsp;commission has sought to obtain the personal data of voters, including the &quot;name, address, date of birth, party affiliation, last four Social Security number digits and voting history back to 2006 of potentially every voter in the state&quot;, reports the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/06/30/voting-hypocrisy-on-the-right-rebellion-from-the-states/?utm_term=.7b2da12e367b" target="_blank">Washington Post.</a>

So far 44 states have refused. Virginia&#39;s judge issued a blunt denial, along with the reasoning behind it:

&quot;I have no intention of honouring this request. Virginia conducts fair, honest, and democratic elections, and there is no evidence of significant voter fraud in Virginia.

&quot;This entire commission is based on the specious and false notion that there was widespread voter fraud last November. At best this commission was set up as a pretext to validate Donald Trump&#39;s alternative election facts, and at worse is a tool to commit large-scale voter suppression.&quot;

&nbsp;

In January Trump had conceded 'as far as hacking, I think it was Russia', but then compared US intelligence agencies who agreed to Nazis

US President Donald Trump admitted that Russia may have interfered in the 2016 US election of which he was proclaimed the winner, but said that other countries may also have been involved, AFP reports. "I've said it very simply. I think it could very well have been Russia. I think it could well have been other countries. I won't be specific. But I think a lot of people interfere," Trump said while in Warsaw. On January 10, 2017, Trump told reporters, "as far as hacking, I think it was Russia," reports the New York Times, marking the first time he agreed with multiple US intelligence agencies which conclude that Russia interfered in the election to help him, Trump, win. But then moments later Trump compared US intelligence agencies to Nazis and dodged questions about whether he or anyone on his team had contact with Russia during the election. "They said it totally never happened," Trump said of Russia denying their involvement in the hack. "I respected the fact that he said that," Trump said of Russia's denial, adding, "it could have been others also". About the fact that there was an election breach, Trump has shown little outrage, then or since. Another major NATO power Germany has since said they fear Russian interference in their election. Emmanuel Macron's campaign team has also blamed Russia for a "massive hacking attack" days before the French election, that he eventually won. Election fraud or voter suppression? Trump has launched an investigation into alleged voter fraud, in what he called without evidence a "rigged" election, in order to prove that Clinton, who won the popular vote by about 3 million votes, did not really win the popular vote. Donald Trump lost the popular vote by more than any US president in American history. President Trump's commission has sought to obtain the personal data of voters, including the "name, address, date of birth, party affiliation, last four Social Security number digits and voting history back to 2006 of potentially every voter in the state", reports the Washington Post. So far 44 states have refused. Virginia's judge issued a blunt denial, along with the reasoning behind it: "I have no intention of honouring this request. Virginia conducts fair, honest, and democratic elections, and there is no evidence of significant voter fraud in Virginia. "This entire commission is based on the specious and false notion that there was widespread voter fraud last November. At best this commission was set up as a pretext to validate Donald Trump's alternative election facts, and at worse is a tool to commit large-scale voter suppression."

Russia 'could have' interfered with 2016 US election, says US President Trump

Donald Trump said on Sunday he is creating a commission headed by Vice President Mike Pence to investigate what the US leader portrays&nbsp;as&nbsp;massive voter fraud in the 2016 election.

No public evidence has emerged of large-scale illegal voting in the November election, and Trump and the White House have failed to substantiate the president&#39;s claim. In fact there is positive proof that the voter fraud Trump is talking about is virtually <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/26/fact-check-trumps-bogus-voter-fraud-claims-revisited/97080242/" target="_blank">non-existent</a>, USA Today reports.

In fact US intelligence claims&nbsp;that Russia&nbsp;meddled in the presidential vote by hacking Democratic Party emails as part of a pro-Trump campaign. Senators have launched a bipartisan investigation. Trump has not said that Pence&#39;s investigation will address Russia&#39;s involvement.

But Trump listed the ways he says he believes&nbsp;voter fraud occurred during an interview with Fox News&#39;s Bill O&#39;Reilly which aired before the Super Bowl on Sunday.

The fraud was apparent, Trump said, &quot;when you look at the registration and you see dead people that have voted, when you see people that are registered in two states that voted in two states, when you see other things, when you see illegals -- people that are not citizens -- and they are on the registration rolls.&quot;

&quot;It&#39;s really a bad situation. It&#39;s really bad,&quot; Trump said. Trump&#39;s own lawyers have stated in legal filings that there was no evidence of fraud in the November 8 election. On Sunday the president promised, &quot;to set up a commission to be headed by Vice President Mike Pence and we&#39;re going to look at it very, very carefully&quot;.

&nbsp;

Voter fraud vs&nbsp;voter suppression

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) President and CEO Cornell William Brooks has said that voter fraud is a myth, voter suppression, however, is not. Citing studies conducted by the Washington Post and the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, Arizona, he said it has been proven that voter suppression is almost non-existent.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The Washington Post&rsquo;s 2015 study showed that between 2000 and 2014 there were only 31 alleged cases of in-person voter fraud among the over 1 billion votes cast in the United States during that time period. Yet, this supposed widespread voter fraud is consistently used as justification for voting restrictions that suppress the votes of African-Americans and Latinos,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;

He also added that a number of federal courts across the US have determined that certain states, like Texas, enacted voting restrictions that discriminated against Black and Latino Americans.

Trump has previously claimed--again, despite solid evidence to the contrary--that were it not for illegal immigrants voting&nbsp;he would have won not just the electoral college but also the popular vote, which was taken by Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

A <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/23/us/politics/donald-trump-congress-democrats.html">New York Times </a>article claims that Trump, who in business and politics&nbsp;is always conscious of his&nbsp;brand and reputation,&nbsp;was angry about&nbsp;reports that correctly claimed that&nbsp;Clinton earned about 2.8&nbsp;million more votes than Trump.

Despite Trump&#39;s claim that he won the election in a &quot;landslide&quot;, he is only the fourth-ever president to win office despite losing the popular vote.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Proof confirms that the voter fraud Trump claims happened basically does not exist. Critics claim Trump is trying to suppress voting rights

Donald Trump said on Sunday he is creating a commission headed by Vice President Mike Pence to investigate what the US leader portrays as massive voter fraud in the 2016 election. No public evidence has emerged of large-scale illegal voting in the November election, and Trump and the White House have failed to substantiate the president's claim. In fact there is positive proof that the voter fraud Trump is talking about is virtually non-existent, USA Today reports. In fact US intelligence claims that Russia meddled in the presidential vote by hacking Democratic Party emails as part of a pro-Trump campaign. Senators have launched a bipartisan investigation. Trump has not said that Pence's investigation will address Russia's involvement. But Trump listed the ways he says he believes voter fraud occurred during an interview with Fox News's Bill O'Reilly which aired before the Super Bowl on Sunday. The fraud was apparent, Trump said, "when you look at the registration and you see dead people that have voted, when you see people that are registered in two states that voted in two states, when you see other things, when you see illegals -- people that are not citizens -- and they are on the registration rolls." "It's really a bad situation. It's really bad," Trump said. Trump's own lawyers have stated in legal filings that there was no evidence of fraud in the November 8 election. On Sunday the president promised, "to set up a commission to be headed by Vice President Mike Pence and we're going to look at it very, very carefully". Voter fraud vs voter suppression The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) President and CEO Cornell William Brooks has said that voter fraud is a myth, voter suppression, however, is not. Citing studies conducted by the Washington Post and the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, Arizona, he said it has been proven that voter suppression is almost non-existent. “The Washington Post’s 2015 study showed that between 2000 and 2014 there were only 31 alleged cases of in-person voter fraud among the over 1 billion votes cast in the United States during that time period. Yet, this supposed widespread voter fraud is consistently used as justification for voting restrictions that suppress the votes of African-Americans and Latinos,” he said. He also added that a number of federal courts across the US have determined that certain states, like Texas, enacted voting restrictions that discriminated against Black and Latino Americans. Trump has previously claimed--again, despite solid evidence to the contrary--that were it not for illegal immigrants voting he would have won not just the electoral college but also the popular vote, which was taken by Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. A New York Times article claims that Trump, who in business and politics is always conscious of his brand and reputation, was angry about reports that correctly claimed that Clinton earned about 2.8 million more votes than Trump. Despite Trump's claim that he won the election in a "landslide", he is only the fourth-ever president to win office despite losing the popular vote. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Trump to create commission investigating non-existent voter fraud

A US&nbsp;judge in Ohio ordered Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump&#39;s campaign on Friday not to intimidate voters, in a victory for Democrats who sought to prevent Election Day harassment in one of the nation&#39;s most politically competitive states.

The order also deals a blow to a Trump-allied &quot;exit poll&quot; that aims to mobilise supporters to ask voters whether they had cast a ballot for the Republican real-estate mogul or Democrat Hillary Clinton.

On the campaign trail, Trump has said the election will be &quot;rigged&quot;. He has called on supporters to keep an eye on voting activity for possible signs of fraud in large cities.

The ruling does not prevent the state Republican Party from sending trained volunteers into polling places to make sure election laws are being followed. However, it does apply to Trump supporters who may take it on themselves to monitor voting activity independent of the party. It prevents them from verbally harassing voters near polling stations, or taking pictures of them.

Trump&#39;s vague call for&nbsp;supporters to go to &quot;other&quot; polling stations and watch out for funny activity was widely interpreted as a dog whistle encouraging white supporters to intimidate minority voters. Trump has invoked the threat of voter fraud and a &quot;rigged election&quot;. While there isn&#39;t a complete absence of it, the notion that the kind of fraud Trump talks about influences the election even slightly has been repeatedly debunked in numerous studies.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/01/opinion/voting-suppression-videogame.html?_r=3">As the New York Times</a> writes in their introduction to an interactive video game aimed at showing users what voter suppression looks like for different people, &quot;thanks to laws passed by Republicans to fight&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/08/06/a-comprehensive-investigation-of-voter-impersonation-finds-31-credible-incidents-out-of-one-billion-ballots-cast/">the nonexistent threat of voter fraud</a>, the perils will be great.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.brennancenter.org/publication/election-day-long-lines-resource-allocation">Long lines</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/17/us/some-republicans-acknowledge-leveraging-voter-id-laws-for-political-gain.html">voter ID laws,</a>&nbsp;not to mention&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/18/donald-trump-volunteer-election-observers-voter-intimidation">pro-Trump election observers</a>, will try to keep these voters from the polls&quot;.&nbsp;

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From chair of Maricopa County (AZ) Democratic Party... <a href="https://t.co/Ri1VLz4zJd">pic.twitter.com/Ri1VLz4zJd</a>
&mdash; Andrei Cherny (@AndreiCherny) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndreiCherny/status/794675151849721856">November 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Democrats have said that could encourage Trump supporters to harass minority voters and have launched a legal blitz in six states to prevent that from happening.

Democrats declared the judge&#39;s decision a victory, saying it would prevent Trump supporters from interfering with voters in one of the most competitive US&nbsp;states during the November&nbsp;8 election.

&quot;We&#39;re pleased that the judge announced he will be issuing an order to prevent any harassment of voters along the lines that have been suggested by the Trump campaign,&quot; Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper said in a prepared statement. The ruling also applies to groups supporting Clinton&#39;s presidential bid.

It also shuts down an exit poll organised by former Trump aide and Republican operative&nbsp;Roger Stone, who said he aims to uncover examples of vote manipulation. Stone told Reuters on Monday that participants are trained not to harass voters. Some 118 people in Ohio have signed up to participate through a web site called Stop the Steal. Stone did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Stone&#39;s name has been&nbsp;in connection with&nbsp;another important and seemingly&nbsp;related incident. The&nbsp;FBI is&nbsp;reviewing&nbsp;a seven-page electronic document that has been identified as a fake by the Clinton campaign, but&nbsp;carries the logos of Democratic pollster Joel Benenson&rsquo;s firm, the Benenson Strategy Group, and the Clinton Foundation, a person with knowledge of the matter said.

The fake document&nbsp;claims poll ratings had plunged for Clinton and called for &ldquo;severe strategy changes for November&rdquo; that could include &ldquo;staged civil unrest&rdquo; and &ldquo;radiological attack&rdquo; with dirty bombs to disrupt the vote.

Where the document originated from or how it begun to circulate is not immediately clear, but on October&nbsp;20,&nbsp;Stone&nbsp;linked to a copy of it on Twitter with the tag, &ldquo;If this is real: OMG!!&rdquo;&nbsp;Stone did not respond to emails from Reuters requesting comment.

Ohio Republicans and the Trump campaign also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

(With inputs from Reuters)

The candidate talking of 'rigged elections' and 'make America Great again' has been close to sketchy, un-American voter suppression efforts

A US judge in Ohio ordered Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign on Friday not to intimidate voters, in a victory for Democrats who sought to prevent Election Day harassment in one of the nation's most politically competitive states. The order also deals a blow to a Trump-allied "exit poll" that aims to mobilise supporters to ask voters whether they had cast a ballot for the Republican real-estate mogul or Democrat Hillary Clinton. On the campaign trail, Trump has said the election will be "rigged". He has called on supporters to keep an eye on voting activity for possible signs of fraud in large cities. The ruling does not prevent the state Republican Party from sending trained volunteers into polling places to make sure election laws are being followed. However, it does apply to Trump supporters who may take it on themselves to monitor voting activity independent of the party. It prevents them from verbally harassing voters near polling stations, or taking pictures of them. Trump's vague call for supporters to go to "other" polling stations and watch out for funny activity was widely interpreted as a dog whistle encouraging white supporters to intimidate minority voters. Trump has invoked the threat of voter fraud and a "rigged election". While there isn't a complete absence of it, the notion that the kind of fraud Trump talks about influences the election even slightly has been repeatedly debunked in numerous studies. As the New York Times writes in their introduction to an interactive video game aimed at showing users what voter suppression looks like for different people, "thanks to laws passed by Republicans to fight the nonexistent threat of voter fraud, the perils will be great. Long lines and voter ID laws, not to mention pro-Trump election observers, will try to keep these voters from the polls". From chair of Maricopa County (AZ) Democratic Party... pic.twitter.com/Ri1VLz4zJd — Andrei Cherny (@AndreiCherny) November 4, 2016 × Democrats have said that could encourage Trump supporters to harass minority voters and have launched a legal blitz in six states to prevent that from happening. Democrats declared the judge's decision a victory, saying it would prevent Trump supporters from interfering with voters in one of the most competitive US states during the November 8 election. "We're pleased that the judge announced he will be issuing an order to prevent any harassment of voters along the lines that have been suggested by the Trump campaign," Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper said in a prepared statement. The ruling also applies to groups supporting Clinton's presidential bid. It also shuts down an exit poll organised by former Trump aide and Republican operative Roger Stone, who said he aims to uncover examples of vote manipulation. Stone told Reuters on Monday that participants are trained not to harass voters. Some 118 people in Ohio have signed up to participate through a web site called Stop the Steal. Stone did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Stone's name has been in connection with another important and seemingly related incident. The FBI is reviewing a seven-page electronic document that has been identified as a fake by the Clinton campaign, but carries the logos of Democratic pollster Joel Benenson’s firm, the Benenson Strategy Group, and the Clinton Foundation, a person with knowledge of the matter said. The fake document claims poll ratings had plunged for Clinton and called for “severe strategy changes for November” that could include “staged civil unrest” and “radiological attack” with dirty bombs to disrupt the vote. Where the document originated from or how it begun to circulate is not immediately clear, but on October 20, Stone linked to a copy of it on Twitter with the tag, “If this is real: OMG!!” Stone did not respond to emails from Reuters requesting comment. Ohio Republicans and the Trump campaign also did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (With inputs from Reuters)

Ohio judge orders Trump campaign to avoid voter intimidation

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

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