Threatens federal funding.. Of course...

Trump threatens federal funding for Michigan over mail-in voting push

Mail-in ballots would allow Michiganders to participate in the state’s upcoming elections without fear of contracting the coronavirus.

By QUINT FORGEY

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday his intention to block federal funding to Michigan if election officials there do not retreat from measures meant to facilitate mail-in voting.

The threat from the White House comes as Michigan, a state crucial to Trump’s reelection chances later this year, combats the fallout from a particularly severe coronavirus outbreak.

“Breaking: Michigan sends absentee ballots to 7.7 million people ahead of Primaries and the General Election,” Trump tweeted. “This was done illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State. I will ask to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path!”

The president’s social media post — which was followed up by another message mentioning the official Twitter accounts for acting White House budget director Russ Vought, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and the Treasury Department — was in reference to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s announcement Tuesday that all of the state’s 7.7 million registered voters would be mailed absentee ballot applications.

Those applications would allow Michiganders to participate in the state’s August primary and November’s general election without fear of contracting the highly infectious disease which has endangered polling places and election workers across the country.

Responding to the president, the secretary tweeted that “I also have a name, it’s Jocelyn Benson,” and noted that her office “sent applications, not ballots” to Michigan voters. “Just like my GOP colleagues in Iowa, Georgia, Nebraska and West Virginia,” Benson, a Democrat, added.

A spokesperson for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, also a Democrat, did not immediately return a request for comment on Trump’s tweet.

The president similarly threatened Nevada later Wednesday morning, tweeting: “State of Nevada ‘thinks’ that they can send out illegal vote by mail ballots, creating a great Voter Fraud scenario for the State and the U.S. They can’t! If they do, ‘I think’ I can hold up funds to the State. Sorry, but you must not cheat in elections.”

Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, a Republican, previously announced in March that the state’s June 9 primary would be conducted entirely by mail. Earlier this month, county election officials began sending absentee ballots to all active registered voters.

Although numerous states have delayed their primary contests as a result of the ongoing public health crisis, Wisconsin controversially proceeded with its election on April 7 after the state Supreme Court blocked Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ last-minute executive order postponing in-person voting.

At least three dozen Wisconsin voters and poll workers have since tested positive for Covid-19, state health officials reported late last month.

Still, Trump has fought fiercely in recent weeks against efforts to expand mail-in voting, suggesting that such a shift in ballot-casting practices would yield unfavorable electoral results for the Republican Party and result in widespread corruption at the polls.

Although election experts acknowledge there are slightly higher levels of voter fraud perpetrated through mail-in voting than in-person voting, they agree overall cases of voter fraud are rare and that local officials can take steps to thwart illegal activity.