Trump encourages North Carolina residents to try voting twice and see what happens


President Trump on Wednesday suggested that voters in North Carolina test how secure their state's elections systems are by mailing in a ballot and then going to the polls on Election Day to vote in person.
"Let them send it in and let them go vote, and if their system's as good as they say it is, then obviously they won't be able to vote," he told reporters. "If it isn't tabulated, they'll be able to vote. That's the way it is. And that's what they should do."
Over the last few weeks, Trump has privately shared his plan, which is illegal, with aides, The New York Times reports. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, many states are expanding mail-in voting, in order to ensure that people can cast their ballots safely. Trump has railed against this, falsely claiming that it will result in widespread fraud. His advisers are concerned that he is scaring his own supporters, the Times reports, and want him to tone down the rhetoric.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Patrick Gannon, a spokesman for the North Carolina State Board of Elections, told the Times "intentional willful double voting is a felony," and there are several measures in place to prevent a person from voting more than once. Gannon said if a person in North Carolina mails in an absentee ballot and then goes to vote at a polling place on Election Day, records will show poll workers that they voted already. If someone votes in person on Election Day and then their absentee ballot later arrives in the mail, it will be considered "spoiled" and not counted.
Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman (R) told the Times in an interview last year that her state, which conducts its elections by mail, has a way to check for people who may have voted more than once. In 2018, 3.5 million ballots were cast, and "it appears that roughly 100 people may have voted more than once," Wyman said. "Counties are checking. Is it perfect? No. Is there rampant fraud? No. Do people sometimes make mistakes? Yes."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Kirsty Coventry: the former Olympian and first woman to lead the IOC
In the Spotlight Coventry, a former competitive swimmer, won two Olympic gold medals
-
Critics' choice: Carrying the flag
Feature The best barbecue in town, Bradley Cooper's cheesesteak restaurant, and more
-
Film review: Materialists
Feature Two suitors seek to win over a jaded matchmaker
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders
-
Mamdani upsets Cuomo in NYC mayoral primary
Speed Read Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani beat out Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary
-
Supreme Court clears third-country deportations
Speed Read The court allowed Trump to temporarily resume deporting migrants to countries they aren't from
-
Judges order release of 2 high-profile migrants
Speed Read Kilmar Ábrego García is back in the US and Mahmoud Khalil is allowed to go home — for now
-
US assessing bomb damage to Iran nuclear sites
Speed Read Trump claims this weekend's US bombing obliterated Tehran's nuclear program, while JD Vance insists the US is 'not at war with Iran'
-
Trump's LA deployment in limbo after court rulings
Speed Read Judge Breyer ruled that Trump's National Guard deployment to Los Angeles was an 'illegal' overreach. But a federal appellate court halted the ruling.
-
Marines, National Guard in LA can detain Americans
speed read The troops have been authorized to detain anyone who interferes with immigration raids
-
Trump vows 'very big force' against parade protesters
Speed Read The parade, which will shut down much of the capital, will celebrate the US Army's 250th anniversary and Trump's 79th birthday