US election campaign: Trump stirs up fears of election fraud – “bunch of fraudsters”

Shortly before the US presidential election, Republican candidate Donald Trump is stoking fears of voter fraud without any evidence. “You’re fighting so hard to steal this damn thing. Look at what’s going on. Look at what’s happening in your state every day,” Trump said at a campaign appearance in Lititz, in the hotly contested state of Pennsylvania. “We have a bunch of scammers who are just thinking about how to cheat.” The result of the election must be known “at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday evening,” Trump continued.

Trump: Anyone who doesn’t vote is stupid

“With paper ballots you would have the answer at nine o’clock in the evening. It’s a damn shame and I’m the only one talking about it,” the 78-year-old continued to rage. Machines should never be used in elections; there should only be paper ballots. In the past, Trump has repeatedly linked voting machines to fraud without any evidence. At the same time, Trump said to his supporters: “And if you don’t vote, you’re stupid.”

Trump’s propaganda is systematic. It is likely that the result of the US elections on Tuesday (November 5th) will not be known in the hours after the polls close. There are several ways to cast your vote in the USA: early at certain locations, by postal vote or directly at the polling station on November 5th. Each state has its own rules for deadlines and proof of identity. The technology also varies: from classic handwritten ballot papers to voting computers.

Counting votes can take time

Postal votes in particular delay the counting process in some states because they are often only allowed to be opened and processed on election day. In US history, there have been more elections in which the winner was determined only after days. Four years ago, Trump spent days stoking false claims of voter fraud as counting dragged on in several states. On election night, the then president declared himself the winner – and called for a stop to the counting of votes when he was temporarily ahead of his challenger Joe Biden.

It is expected that Trump could do something similar again this time. That is why he is already raising doubts about the legality of the elections. In recent days, his unsubstantiated allegations of fraud have increased again. Observers suspect that this could also be because the 78-year-old could be behind his Democratic rival Kamala Harris in surveys that his campaign team commissioned and which are not published – or at least does not have a significant lead in the so-called swing states .