Topline
Members of President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign have been filming Philadelphia voters as they put their ballots in drop boxes, which poll watchers are not permitted to do in Pennsylvania and could be an act of illegal voter intimidation, according to The New York Times.
A voter casts his early voting ballot at drop box outside of City Hall on Oct. 17, 2020 in ... [+]
Key Facts
According to the Times, the Trump campaign has been warned by the Pennsylvania attorney general that their actions could constitute voter intimidation.
The Trump campaign made a formal complaint to the city of Philadelphia on Oct. 16, saying they had spotted voters putting two or three ballots in drop boxes at a time, including photographs of three voters depositing ballots, according to the Times.
The Trump campaign had previously said it would film voters at drop boxes, but would not make an issue out of voters bringing in an extra ballot, only large numbers of ballots.
The city rejected the campaign’s claim, saying that third-party ballot delivery is sometimes allowed, like in a case where a disabled person needs assistance getting their ballot to a drop-off location.
Crucial Quote
“Pennsylvania law permits poll watchers to carry out very discrete and specific duties — videotaping voters at drop boxes is not one of them,” state Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D) told the Times.
Chief Critics
In a statement to Forbes, the Trump campaign said: “It is categorically absurd to say that filming a drop box—especially when news outlets do the same—is voter intimidation. President Trump fought and won to protect voters and make sure ballot harvesting remained illegal in Pennsylvania. It is the height of hypocrisy that Democrats and the mainstream media first claim there is zero evidence of illegal voting, then cry foul when Republicans transparently provide evidence.”
Key Background
Trump has repeatedly claimed that mail-in voting is vulnerable to widespread fraud, citing small, sometimes questionable examples to back up his claim even though years of evidence have shown that expanded mail-in voting has not led to rampant fraud. Trump has also called on his supporters to become poll watchers, which requires official certification through the Republican Party. There are concerns that his call for poll watchers will result in his militant, far-right supporters showing up at poll places and intimidating voters on Election Day.
What To Watch For
Pennsylvania is a critical state for the Trump campaign, but polls consistently show Trump trailing Democratic challenger Joe Biden. The latest RealClearPolitics polling average showed Biden leading Trump by 4.9 percentage points.
Further Reading
Trump Campaign Draws Rebuke for Surveilling Philadelphia Voters (The New York Times)
These Five States Are At Highest Risk Of Heightened Militia Activity Around The Election (Forbes)
Voter Intimidation Ramping Up As Election Day Approaches—Here Are The Claims Being Investigated (Forbes)
