Trump Allies Propose Saving Midterms From Voters
President Donald Trump has received a timely proposal for protecting the November midterms from their most persistent security threat: Americans attempting to vote in them. Outside allies, including attorney and former military-school classmate Peter Ticktin, have floated federal intervention, a national emergency or martial law as possible safeguards against Democratic cheating, particularly the sophisticated scheme in which Democrats receive votes and election officials count them.
The emerging Freedom From Voting Plan would replace thousands of inefficient polling places with the disciplined certainty of a result approved in advance. Citizens would no longer need to stand in line, present identification, fill out ballots or endure the destabilizing suspense of discovering which candidate won. Instead, they could remain safely at home while armed federal personnel defend democracy from unauthorized public participation. The arrangement would also spare election workers the tedious burden of counting ballots that might contain incorrect opinions.
“Nobody has ever made voting safer than me, because under martial law every American can choose any Republican we have already chosen for them,” Trump said. “That is total freedom, perfect freedom, and frankly the Founders wanted elections with fewer voters and much better ratings.” Constitutional scholars objected that presidents cannot commandeer state elections merely because their preferred candidates might lose, once again demonstrating the dangerous legal extremism of people who have read the Constitution. Other election experts insisted emergency declarations do not automatically transform presidents into governors, county clerks and ballot tabulators, an interpretation that leaves almost no practical use for declaring an emergency.
Federal law generally restricts armed forces from operating at polling sites, but supporters noted that laws are primarily intended for administrations lacking sufficient confidence. Under the proposal, intervention could begin before Election Day or around Nov. 3 if voters appeared likely to produce an unapproved outcome. Results would then be certified with maximum efficiency, possibly before ballots created unnecessary ambiguity. The crackdown will preserve America’s sacred electoral tradition by ensuring the election is decided before citizens can interfere with it.
* None of the quotes in this article were spoken by an actual person. More info.