Could Trump delay the 2020 election? Biden thinks he will try
During a virtual fundraiser Thursday evening, Joe Biden told supporters that he thinks President Donald Trump could try to delay the November election.
“Mark my words: I think he is gonna try to kick back the election somehow, come up with some rationale why it can’t be held,” Biden said during a question and answer session with former Democratic candidate Pete Buttigieg.
“Imagine threatening not to fund the post office. Now what in God’s name is that about? Other than trying to let the word out that he’s going to do all he can to make it very hard for people to vote. That’s the only way he thinks he can possibly win,” Biden said, according to a pool report.
The president has not said publicly that he wants to delay the general election.
Many Democrats have been pushing to increase funding so states can do more voting by mail so people will be able to continue social distancing measures if the coronavirus outbreak in the United States lasts until the election in November.
“If you notice Trump was talking about not even funding the post office any longer. And why is that? Because he is already trying to undermine the election with false claims of voter fraud and threatening to block essential COVID assistance if any extra funds go to US Postal Service. It’s un-American,” the former vice president said.
“As president, I’m going to restore the full Voting Rights Act, support automatic same-day voter registration, pass the Safe Elections Act to boost funding for states to file a new secure, paper-based ballot voting systems,” he said.
According to the Congressional Research Service, “Congress has enacted more than 100 statutes identifying special powers that the President may exercise during a national emergency, but none include the power to postpone or cancel any state’s chosen method of appointing presidential Electors.”
“During previous episodes of war, pandemic, or other deadly crises in American history, the presidential election date has never been changed in response to an emergency,” the CRS said.
