Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Trump Blasts Michigan Over Absentee Voting Plan

Ken Bredemeier

   WASHINGTON - Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. President Donald
   Trump picked a fight Wednesday with the key electoral swing state of
   Michigan over its expanded plan for absentee voting in the November
   presidential election.

   An election official in the midwestern state, Secretary of State
   Jocelyn Benson, announced Tuesday that absentee ballot applications are
   being sent to all 7.7 million registered voters in the state, The plan,
   she said, is to give Michigan voters an opportunity to vote by mail in
   upcoming Democratic and Republican party primary elections in August
   and the national election Nov. 3, instead of having to go to public
   polling sites during the coronavirus crisis.

   Trump voted by mail himself in a Florida election earlier this year,
   but he immediately objected to the Michigan absentee voting plan.

   "This was done illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary
   of State," he said on Twitter. "I will ask to hold up funding to
   Michigan if they want to go down this Voter Fraud path!" He also
   suggested that voting by mail was illegal in the western state of
   Nevada.

     Breaking: Michigan sends absentee ballots to 7.7 million people
     ahead of Primaries and the General Election. This was done illegally
     and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State. I will ask
     to hold up funding to Michigan if they want to go down this Voter
     Fraud path!..
     -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) [1]May 20, 2020

   Benson quickly rebuffed Trump's claim that her action was anything
   unusual.

   "Hi! I also have a name, it's Jocelyn Benson. And we sent applications,
   not ballots. Just like my (Republican) colleagues in Iowa, Georgia,
   Nebraska and West Virginia."