We expected him on Iran or Ukraine. Donald Trump chose to talk about the polls. Rather rarely, the president solemnly addressed the nation to denounce the flaws in the electoral system. A little over a hundred days from midtermsthe Republican’s ulterior motive is obvious: to tighten rules whose laxity sometimes borders on burlesque.
Trump relied on several hundred pages of declassified documents posted online by the White House which, according to him, demonstrate Chinese attempts to influence the 2020 presidential election. Beijing would have notably recovered the data of 220 million voters: names, addresses, telephone numbers and political preferences.
Vulnerability of electoral files
Emails between U.S. intelligence officials show that some intentionally avoided linking Chinese operations to the 2020 election in memos to Trump. The president sees this as proof of a cover-up and calls for an investigation into this “shadow government”.
The multiple recounts and legal appeals initiated after Joe Biden’s victory did not, however, establish the existence of fraud capable of reversing the results. But these latest revelations highlight the vulnerability of electoral files and the differences within federal agencies over China’s intentions.
The president wants to drastically limit postal voting
In the immediate future, the president mainly wants to impose the “Save America Act”. Adopted in February by the House of Representatives, the text got bogged down in the Senate, failing to gather the 60 votes necessary for its adoption. It would require proof of citizenship when registering on the electoral roll, an identity document with a photograph when voting and regular checks, in order to exclude foreigners.
The president also wants to drastically limit postal voting, except for the military, people who are sick or absent from their state. Since the 2020 pandemic, this voting method has become one of his political obsessions. In the United States, where the organization of elections is largely the responsibility of the states, any attempt at federal standardization inevitably triggers a political and legal war.
On November 3, the 435 seats in the House and 35 senators’ seats will be put into play. Three districts would be enough for the Democrats to take back the House. If Trump is still dwelling on 2020, it is because he is already trying, again and again, to ward off a possible rout.
