US President Donald Trump for the first time floated a delay to November’s Presidential election, as he made unsubstantiated allegations that increased mail-in voting will result in fraud.
The dates of federal elections are set by Congress, and the Constitution makes no provisions for a delay to the 20 January, 2021 Presidential inauguration.
Trump suggested – without providing evidence – that mail-in voting, as it is known in the US, would be susceptible to foreign interference. “The (Democrats) talk of foreign influence in voting, but they know that Mail-In Voting is an easy way for foreign countries to enter the race,” he said.
Trump also said postal voting was already proving to be a catastrophic disaster in areas where it was being tried out.
However, top Republicans have rejected Donald Trump’s suggestion. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy both dismissed the idea. Trump does not have the authority to postpone the election. Any delay would have to be approved by Congress, they said.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refused to be drawn on Trump’s suggestion. He said he would not enter a legal judgement on the fly. The justice department would make that legal determination. We want an election that everyone is confident in, he said. Protecting democracy should be the first priority.