Trump Says He Wants To Use 'Sheriffs' As Poll Watchers On Election Day

[appalachiablue]

Source: NBC News

By Dareh Gregorian, Aug. 21, 2020, 1:02 AM EDT. Republicans are planning their largest poll watching effort in decades.

President Donald Trump, who's repeatedly railed against mail-in voting, said Thursday he has concerns about in-person voting as well, and wants to use law-enforcement as poll watchers on Election Day.

In a phone interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News during the Democratic National Convention, Trump was asked if he planned to have poll watchers on Election Day with the "ability to monitor, to avoid fraud and cross check whether or not these are registered voters, whether or not there's been identification to know if it's a real vote from a real American?"

Trump said, "We're going to have everything. We're going to have sheriffs and law enforcement and we're going to have, hopefully, U.S. attorneys, and we're going to have everybody, and attorney generals, but it's very hard."
Marc Elias, a top lawyer for the Democrats on voting rights, tweeted that such a move by Trump would be challenged in court by Democrats.

As Trump has watched his poll numbers slide, he has increasingly argued, without evidence, that the November election is at risk of being derailed by fraud. Democrats are pushing for more expansive voting by mail, a response to the pandemic that continues to plague the country. Trump, in response, has argued Democrats are trying to cheat the election...

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-says-he-wants-use-sheriffs-poll-watchers-election-day-n1237621

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Previously NBC News has reported that the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee are recruiting an estimated 50,000 volunteers to act as poll watchers - the GOP's first national poll-patrol operation in nearly 40 years...




- President Donald Trump holds a roundtable in Belleair, Florida, on July 31, 2020.Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images file.

[TeamPooka]

1. Trump wants bloodshed at polling places.

[ZZenith]

2. Look at the flop sweat on that orangutan!

Wonder what he’s so nervous about...

[JohnnyRingo]

3. Sheriff Joe is looking for a job.

He knows how to spot 'em.

Voter intimidation is coming one way or another. I'm sure he'll be just as pleased if The Proud Boys stood at urban polling places with assault rifles.

[Scarsdale]

4. Old lizard eyes

looks stoned. Did they change his meds, I wonder?

[JustAnotherGen]

5. Tom Kean Sr all over again

So THAT'S what he discussed at his Atlantic City rally with Tom Kean Jr.

Like father like son.

Off to make good trouble with the NJ 7th citizens.

This needs to be a Malinowski ad.

[SharonClark]

6. Our very Democratic county sheriff won't go along

with that nonsense.

[WePurrsevere]

7. "President Donald Trump, who's repeatedly railed against mail-in voting,..."

While using it himself and encouraging it in key battleground states like Florida and Ohio... There, I fixed it for you NBC.

This needs to be pointed out by the media every dang time him blathers on about "mail-in voting". Mail-in voting is essentially the same as Absentee voting, which has been done with almost no fraud for decades (and the tiny handful of attempts have been caught and dealt with). Paper ballots like Mail-in/Absentee are currently the most secure way for us to vote and have our vote counted. They can't be hacked by Putin, etc and THAT is why Trump is attacking them.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

43. Trump doesn't trust the USPS, ballot drop boxes and in-person voting.

Is there anything else?

[WePurrsevere]

51. Oh I think he trusts them... if he actually wins...

Otherwise, nope.

I suspect the reason he looked 'surprised' when he was declared the winner was he didn't think Putin would actually help and/or pull it off so he was figuring he, his grifting family and the 'cons be able to milk his cult followers and the the "it was rigged" for a few years.

[Snoopy 7]

8. Who's paying?

He claims we don't have money to pay for assistance, other than for billionaires, and many states said they can't afford the addional $100 to complete the $400 unemployment that trump screwed people over. So whos(?) paying for it?????????????

[Bayard]

31. He probably thinks he can make the states pay for it

I think sheriffs departments ultimately report to their governors--not the feds.

[ancianita]

34. Sheriffs are not under governors' authority. BUT governors and counties have budgets over sheriffs.

The feds don't have authority over sheriffs, either.

A sheriff is known as the highest law enforcer of the county and has law enforcement powers exceeding that of any other state or federal official.

[Mr.Bill]

44. And like any other elected official,

they can be fired by the voters.

[ancianita]

46. Sure. But not in time, THIS time, to suppress the vote. Which is why the earlier the vote,

the less they can suppress.

[Mr.Bill]

47. A Sheriff has no right to supress the vote.

He/She would be violating the law if they did, and t Every one talks about all the power a Sheriff has, but they have no power to violate the law. And they know it.

[ancianita]

49. It's not anything a sheriff will admit to, is it. Instead, he'll have deputies there to "secure"

the vote, won't he. How would they likely do that in a way that anyone but a lawyer would know is illegal?

Any challenge to his "breaking" the law would be the accuser's word against his.

Not all sheriffs are dishonest. But the Tenth Movement has enough of them oriented to challenging any other legal entities from stopping what they decide to do, such that they have a lot of influence about what the feds can or can't make happen.

From one New Yorker article in 2018:

One group, the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, or C.S.P.O.A., claims about five thousand members.

C.S.P.O.A. members believe that the sheriff has the final say on a law’s constitutionality in his county. Every law-enforcement officer has some leeway in choosing which laws to enforce, which is why it’s rare to get a ticket for jaywalking, for example. But, under this philosophy, the supremacy clause of the Constitution, which dictates that federal law takes precedence over state law, is irrelevant. So is the Supreme Court... To the most dogmatic, there’s only one way to interpret the country’s founding documents: pro-gun, anti-immigrant, anti-regulation, anti-Washington....

In addition to official misconduct, a third-degree felony, Finch was charged with falsifying public records, a misdemeanor. Jack Campbell, the prosecutor in the case, told me, “To me, it was always a public-records case. If you want to stop enforcing a law, O.K., I guess you can. You can fire all your deputies and just sit over there in your office all day, if that’s what you want to do.” He continued, “But you’re the sheriff: you can’t hide and not tell people what you’re doing.”

Finch’s trial started just before Halloween....“Sheriff Finch,” Campbell said, “do you think you’re above the law?”

“No, sir.”

“Do you think your judgment trumps everybody else’s in the court system?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Do you believe that you had the authority as a constitutional sheriff to do away with this case, on your own authority?” Campbell asked.

“Absolutely,” Finch replied...

The jury deliberated for about an hour, and found Finch not guilty on both counts.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/30/the-renegade-sheriffs

[Bengus81]

9. He primed this pump in 2016, in 2020 he's in overdrive.

He knows he's toast and each day comes another Russia style tactic to keep people from voting against him and Republicans.

[beachbumbob]

10. this is the start of trump's promoting violence as NO evidence of voter fraud ever been

established and this a clear case of voter intimation that we simple can not allow. His next statements will be to encourage "local patriots" to insure voting "integrity", simple code word for preventing people from voting. Be prepared in battleground states for sure where we may see actual battles at the polling spots. Time to throw all this back on the shoulders of the GOP

[Roy Rolling]

11. Loony

Exactly what action will these camouflaged and armed Trump poll watchers perform? What is there specific job description?

I don’t want Trump’s armed goons near anybody’s polling voting locations.

Especially if they’re only there to distract us from the Senate report detailing how the last Trump campaign colluded—yeah, I used the word—with Russia.

Trump is the first president in history to convince Americans their elections needed armed poll watchers. He convinced us by stealing the previous election.

Fuck him. He will need a dozen armed poll watchers to keep voters away. And taxpayers are smart enough to apply resources where votes are counted.

[BadgerKid]

12. Next up: delay voting by "challenging" voters

I don't think I am giving the rwnjs any new ideas.They go lower than I expected all on their own.

[Lonestarblue]

13. People in every state need to know what poll watchers can and cannot do.

Trump turns everything into a nightmare!

[Bengus81]

14. Request a mail in ballot NOW if you haven't. Check to see if you have a ballot drop off box

at your court house,which eliminates any DeJoy mail delays. If they don't then fill it out and mail it back that day or the next.

[lagomorph777]

28. I will drop off at the County Registrar in Virginia.

Starting date is September 18th (or whatever day my ballot arrives in DeMail).

[appleannie1]

15. We've always had poll watchers from both parties in PA

I have been a poll watcher. My husband was too when he was alive. I have also been a poll worker. In more recent elections no one wanted to sit and be bored watching people sign in and vote for over 12 hours without pay. It wasn't because they were not allowed, it was because no one wanted to do it.

[louzke9]

16. JUST MORE BULLSHIT....!

Nothing more! He can't direct a Kindergarten recital, let alone County Sheriffs. Just trying to prop up his phony narrative so he can declared the results of the election was fraudulent.

[Botany]

17. Trump doesn't have a clue about government.

Sheriffs work for the county government not the federal government.

[ancianita]

35. But many are white supremacists who will still take his cues and decide on poll "security."

The logistics of that will be tricky, though. So if they decide to "protect" polls, they'll have to deputize. Wonder who they'll deputize.

[Botany]

36. Not that it matters but if these "law dogs" are within 100' of the front door of the polling ...

... place they would be breaking the law and then the local police could remove them.

[ancianita]

37. Which, in and of itself, could meet the goal of voter suppression, couldn't it. It's the provocation

and intimidation they're betting will work, nothing else needed. That's why the 3 Percenters think they're enough to control populations.

Notice how protesters aren't out protesting anymore?

Armed fascists' whole "might makes right" approach can show everyone that it's stupid to take a poll supervisor to an armed standoff.

Is it theater? Do we want to test that out?

[machoneman]

18. As usual, he has no idea how things work at all.

Yes, sheriffs can't be called out by Trumpy. The SS, FBI and goons at Homeland Security also can't be called out.

What will happen is that RNC lawyers, unwashed 'volunteers' and goons will attempt to impeded voters in various ways. No way the goons will ever get inside a polling place but lawyers and credentialed poll watchers will. The goons will stand outside and hoot and holler at any black, Asian or otherwise non-pure Caucasian.

[Mr.Bill]

45. In California any registered voter

has the right to enter any polling place and observe for as long as they want. They also have the right to look at the voter rolls and see who has and who has not voted. They are not allowed to interfere with any voter or poll worker or promote any candidate or ballot measure in any way. You can't even wear a campaign button or MAGA hat in any polling place.

[machoneman]

52. O.K. but that's not true in many, many states as the actual poll workers can attest to the law....

and kick out those who are not allowed in.

[Illumination]

19. LOL! Saw this coming. Sean Hannity calls this mob boss & fake "pres" "Bat SH** CRAZY!

[Blue Owl]

20. Well fuck that sack of boat sewage

n/t

[Initech]

21. Someone really needs to take Fox News away from Trump.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

22. "Whoa, whoa BLM-shirt! Where do ya think you're goin'?"

"Show me your ID!"

Trump can't order it anyway, as others mentioned.

[SWBTATTReg]

23. I will vote proudly in person at my polling place, w/o fear and will walk in front of rump's brown

booted thugs if any of the cowards are around (they never have been yet, despite rump's threats), and go into my polling place and vote.

I'll also call my neighbors and friends and make sure that they vote too. I promised myself that I would make 10 calls and/or emails and/or help to get people to vote but this time around, it's going to be definitely easier. I can tell. I'm hearing (I don't tell folks how to vote but they are seemingly eager to tell me that they want to get rid of the POS in the WH, I think people are finally sick and tired of trump's mouth, always going...doesn't he ever shut up!?

trump is again, arguing that tired, fake claim that massive fraud will be committed, with in-person voting.

And as usual, with no evidence to back up his claim.

And these so called trump/republican plans to have 50,000 republican 'poll watchers'? Yeah, right. I doubt rump is even capable of doing anything other than snorting crap up his nose. I seem to recall that he's made the same threat before in the 2016 election, so big f**king deal. Go fly a kite, or jump off a cliff, or "Duhhhh, I'm scared!". This makes me (and I'm sure other DUers too) more and more determined to ensure that I go vote, that I get my quota of 10 voters to the polls to wipe this filthy stain out of our lives.

[onetexan]

24. Bravo sir. I'm planning to work the polls so covid & brown shirts be damned, we will man the polls

to make sure everyone who comes to the polls get to vote.

[Evolve Dammit]

25. I'm actaully a bit concerned over 45 humpers coughing and getting in peoples faces as

means of intimidation at polling sites, or other? In which case, having some local boys in blue to haul them off would be welcomed. Just envisioning what kind of ugliness will be promoted by the lunatic fringe. And you know they will. QAnon will tell them to.

[appalachiablue]

26. A genuine concern, hyper LE maybe maskless

[lagomorph777]

27. Since mainly his own MAGATs will do in-person voting, this will backfire.

[BlueIdaho]

29. State Election Laws

Determine who and how polling places are monitored. It’s not up to Shitler cuz ya know states rights and all... Look at your state’s election laws, I’ll bet you a doughnut Trump would be violating your state’s laws and overstepping his bounds.

We’ll see you in court asshole.

[dreamland]

30. Who didn't see this coming? If he can't get the sheriffs to ...

...cooperate, he'll be bringing in his militia and wanabees to post the polling stations.

[ancianita]

39. That's the idea, really -- warm up Americans 2 the reality that he'll take guns 2 a political fight.

[Roc2020]

32. pure fear

yeah. stew in it big boy.

[Bayard]

33. One more ploy

Whoever he gets to do his dirty deeds (and it won't be county sheriffs departments), will come up with tons of voters trying to cheat, so he can claim its not a legitimate election.

SO...... Who can remove his storm troopers ON election day for intimidation and interfering with voters? Filing lawsuits ain't gonna get it. Perhaps county sheriff departments?

[ga_girl]

38. Last time we had a poll watcher in my precinct

She was limited to a small area to observe from. My precinct is physically limited, especially so with social distancing requirements. If LEO or anyone else comes in to poll watch, they will be limited to where they can go in the room.

From my training manual, poll watchers can't interfere with the conduct of the election. They are prohibited from:
A) talking to voters B) Checking any electors lists C) Using a cell phone or other electronic devices D) Participating in any type of campaigning and D) Questioning the poll officials.

[Baked Potato]

40. He is very oily and appears near collapse.

[riversedge]

41. We do NOT need sheriffs and law officers watching us vote Mr. Trump. You are stupid and mean.

[ancianita]

42. The logistics will make it hard. The US had 174,252 precincts and 113,754 polling places in 2004.

That's the only count I could find, and likely any changes have been to eliminate rather than add polling places since then.

So, with 3,081 sheriffs in the U.S., there'll have to be a lot of "deputizing" and a lot of poll watchers to notify police when those deputies show up.

Only the most hardcore red states would go along with this suppression shitshow. But fearmongering
is his intent. Rigging the vote count requires suppression.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

48. If you have a smartphone, get the ACLU Mobile Justice app.

They have one for each of the following states' residents:

1.Arizona
2.California
3.Colorado
4.Georgia
5.Maryland
6.Michigan
7.Minnesota
8.Mississippi
9.Missouri
10.Nebraska
11.New Jersey
12.New Mexico
13.North Carolina
14.Oklahoma
15.Oregon
16.Pennsylvania
17.Virginia
18.Washington, D.C.

It allows you to quickly start recording a video (mainly to record police brutality) and when you're done, it immediately sends it to the ACLU.

If I don't vote by mail (and drop off my ballot, not send it through the post office) I'm going to have this app primed and ready to record (but properly stowed, as you can't take pictures or videos of your ballot) in case some jackboot MAGAt tries to stop me.

On edit: here's the link: ACLU Mobile Justice

[maveric]

50. Like the Hells Angels at Altamont?

What could possibly go wrong?