Trump and the midterm elections
I’m grateful for the investigative reporters bringing this to our attention, though it’s un-fun to think about:
Reuters says it’s uncovered a “broader‑than‑previously known” Trump administration effort to gain federal control over elections, in at least eight states: Arizona, Ohio, Colorado, Missouri, Connecticut, Nevada, Georgia and Michigan.
Even though elections are run by states and local governments, “Trump administration officials and investigators have fanned out across the country, seeking confidential records, pressing for access to voting equipment and re-examining voter-fraud cases that courts and bipartisan reviews have already rejected,” Reuters says.
Meanwhile, ProPublica reports that at least 75 career officials who once had roles at federal agencies related to election integrity and safety now are gone. Two dozen appointees — including many who either worked to reverse the 2020 election or are associates of those people — have been hired to replace them.
As the midterm elections approach, current and former government officials and election security experts have expressed concerns that Trump appointees who’ve espoused debunked conspiracy theories about balloting are now in positions to control the narrative around the vote, ProPublica says.
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