President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday that he would ask for a “major investigation” into voter fraud, after telling lawmakers that 3 million to 5 million “illegal” voters had cost him the popular vote. Multiple organizations have found no evidence to back up this claim.
“Depending on results, we will strengthen up voting procedures!” he wrote.
I will be asking for a major investigation into VOTER FRAUD, including those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal and....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2017
even, those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time). Depending on results, we will strengthen up voting procedures!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2017
No state election organization has found any evidence of widespread fraud. No fraud was found by a coalition of journalism organizations monitoring the election and PolitiFact gave Trump a “pants on fire” rating for claims of rigging that he alleged took place on Nov. 8.
The examples of voter fraud Trump listed also pertained specifically to registration — those registered to vote twice, those registered to vote illegally, or those registered to vote even though they are deceased — and not to actual voter fraud. According to a 2012 study, the voting registration system in the country is rife with inaccurate addresses and deceased voters, largely resulting from outdated systems that fail to update voter rolls when voters move away or die.
Among those who are registered to vote twice is Trump’s own senior adviser Stephen Bannon, who according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune has an active voter registration in Florida though he cast an absentee ballot in the 2016 election as a voter from New York City.
Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted also weighed in on Twitter shortly after Trump’s early morning pronouncement, saying the state — which Trump won — was conducting a 2016 election review and had also done so in 2012.
“Easy to vote, hard to cheat,” he wrote.
We conducted a review 4 years ago in Ohio & already have a statewide review of 2016 election underway. Easy to vote, hard to cheat #Ohio https://t.co/OpDrPUX6Ev
— Jon Husted (@JonHusted) January 25, 2017
Trump has claimed repeatedly since the election that undocumented voters were responsible for tipping the popular vote against him, which he lost by nearly 3 million votes to Hillary Clinton.
In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016
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