CONNECTICUT, USA — The Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill released a statement regarding President Donald Trump's comments on mail-in voting and election results.
During the first presidential debate Tuesday night, President Trump made a volley of claims about in mail-in voting. At one point, he asked his supporters, "to go into the polls and watch very carefully."
Merrill said in a written statement Wednesday, state and federal laws do not allow intimidating or threatening voters. The Secretary of the State also took the time to address concerns over mail-in voting, saying Connecticut voters can safely vote by any means they choose to, and their vote will be counted.
Read the full statement below:
"The president's comments regarding elections in last night's debate are cause for considerable concern for election officials. I want to make crystal clear that Connecticut and federal law prohibits intimidating or threatening voters for the purpose of interfering with their right to vote. In Connecticut, we take voter intimidation extremely seriously and our laws explicitly restrict access to the polling places to voters and people who are appointed by the local registrars of voters to perform specific Election Day rolls.
"My office has also seen a significant uptick in complaints, questions, and concerns from voters who are scared that the President of the United States will be invalidating their absentee ballots. The president's misrepresentations regarding absentee ballots have caused a flurry of fear that Connecticut voters will not be able to exercise their right to vote unless they put their health at risk by going to a polling place, even if they are vulnerable to COVID-19.
"Connecticut voters should know that the president's claims are baseless and that every valid vote cast in Connecticut will be a vote counted. Connecticut voters can confidently and safely cast their votes by the method of their choosing, either by absentee ballot or in a socially distanced polling place, knowing that their votes will be counted by their local election officials.
"The president's comments are wildly irresponsible, not rooted in facts or evidence, and could result in discouraging voters from participating in our democratic process. No voter should ever have to choose between protecting their health and exercising their right to vote, or feel intimidated by casting their vote in person, and in Connecticut they absolutely will not."
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