(Tucson, AZ) – Today, Rep. Kirkpatrick responds to President Trump’s comments opposing mail-in ballots for voting in the November election. In a series of tweets, the President falsely said the state of Michigan was sending out ballots (and not ballot applications), and because of that, its federal funding was at risk. He made a similar threat to Nevada, which is also using absentee ballots for its upcoming all-mail elections.
Though President Trump votes by mail, he has been a long standing opponent of the practice for others. He claims vote-by-mail is fraudulent and favors Democrats, despite there not being evidence to prove the veracity of these arguments. Yesterday, Press Secretary McEnany responded to criticism of the President’s own mail-in voting practice saying, “The President is, after all, the President.”
“As an appropriator, the President’s comments are worrisome. Not only is it illegal for President Trump to withhold money from states with the purpose of impeding people’s right to vote, it is completely unAmerican and downright unacceptable,” said Rep. Kirkpatrick. “If the President himself votes by mail, there is no reason why Americans cannot. During a global pandemic, we cannot ask people to congregate at polling places and risk getting sick. Southern Arizonans should not have to choose between risking their health and participating in our democratic process.”
In light of President Trump and the GOP’s constant battle against expanding vote-by-mail, Rep. Kirkpatrick submitted an op-ed to the Green Valley News advocating for increased funding and efforts for this cause. She wrote, “Free and fair elections are the foundation of our Democracy. They are what differentiate us from authoritarian-ruled countries like Russia and China. If we don’t act immediately, the right to vote will be significantly impaired and the foundation of our democracy will begin to crumble. Especially in a time of crisis, we cannot compromise the sanctity of our elections.”