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Trump pledges to send 'sheriffs' and 'law enforcement' to polling places on Election Day, but it's not clear he can - CNNPolitics
This idiot doesn't know what he's suggesting is illegal, but expect his authoritarian supporters to wholeheartedly endorse the idea because Trump supporters hate democracy just like their dear leader.
18 U.S. Code SS 592 - Troops at polls | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute
(CNN)President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would send law enforcement officials to polling locations to guard against voter fraud in November's election, although it's not clear he has the authority to do so.
"We're going to have sheriffs, and we're going to have law enforcement, and we're going to have, hopefully, US attorneys, and we're going to have everybody and attorney generals (sic)," Trump said during an interview on Fox News with Sean Hannity.
Trump's comments come as his campaign works to recruit tens of thousands of volunteers for what Republican officials have said could be their largest poll-watching operation. Even before Trump's comments, his party's plans to monitor the polls have sparked charges from Democrats and voting-rights groups that Republicans are gearing up to suppress voting in key states. The President has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that voter fraud will undermine November's election results.
Trump has no authority to deploy local law enforcement officials to monitor elections, although his campaign could hire off-duty police to work the polls, said Rick Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California at Irvine. If Trump did so, it likely would trigger legal action from Democrats, who would claim the move amounted to a voter-suppression tactic. And it would have echoes of a case that resulted in a federal court decree that for decades sharply restricted the Republican National Committee's "ballot security" work without prior judicial approval.
This idiot doesn't know what he's suggesting is illegal, but expect his authoritarian supporters to wholeheartedly endorse the idea because Trump supporters hate democracy just like their dear leader.
18 U.S. Code SS 592 - Troops at polls | U.S. Code | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute
18 U.S. Code § 592.Troops at polls
Whoever, being an officer of the Army or Navy, or other person in the civil, military, or naval service of the United States, orders, brings, keeps, or has under his authority or control any troops or armed men at any place where a general or special election is held, unless such force be necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both; and be disqualified from holding any office of honor, profit, or trust under the United States.
This section shall not prevent any officer or member of the armed forces of the United States from exercising the right of suffrage in any election district to which he may belong, if otherwise qualified according to the laws of the State in which he offers to vote.