CT GOP look to raise ‘ an army’ for poll watching
Connecticut’s Republican leadership is looking to intensify the poll- watching operation on Nov. 3, part of a national strategy to put the voting process under intense scrutiny.
Republican party state chairman J. R. Romano sent an email to party members this week, calling for volunteers to monitor voting, while President Donald Trump continues to push unsubstantiated claims that mail fraud is rampant.
Romano sent an email stating, “Our goal is to cover every polling place in our state with smart and trusted volunteers like you! JOIN the EDO [ Election Day Operation] Army For Trump NOW to get started and one of our team members will contact you with more information.”
President Trump has been raising the issue that mail- in ballots are a means to rig the election outcome repeatedly. He Tweeted earlier this summer, “Because of the new and unprecedented massive amount of unsolicited ballots which will be sent to ‘ voters’, or wherever, this year, the Nov 3rd Election result may NEVER BE ACCURATELY DETERMINED, which is what some want.”
Democratic party leaders, meanwhile, say concerns about mail- in balloting is significantly overstated.
Romano said the Republican party in Connecticut had a longstanding tradition of poll- watching and ensuring voting was free from interference.
“We do this every year,” he said on Saturday, “This is not new, it’s been happening for decades.”
But since mail- in ballots are likely to be far more widespread this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Romano said, extra scrutiny was necessary.
“Fifty percent of the votes will be cast by absentees, so we need more people that have some time to be poll watchers and monitor that’s everything is fair,” the GOP leader said.
“I’ve consistently said that the system is not as pure as the Democrats make it out to be. There are massive amounts of problems that can occur. I’ve consistently said Connecticut was not prepared to do this, mass balloting.”
Romano said human error could play a role, not necessarily “anything nefarious.”
“My father is a recovering alcoholic. He said to me, ‘ I didn’t always get in trouble when I was drunk, but whenever I did get into trouble, I was drunk.’ Same goes for absentee balloting,” Romano said. “Fraud doesn’t always happen in the mail, but when it does happen, it’s in the mail.. ... The reality is whenever you do something via mail, there’s a risk that it’s not going to be done that way you need it to. That’s human error, not necessarily intentional.”
Romano said he has been receiving reports about irregularities involving absentee- ballot requests. A Republican state representative had received an application “for the person he bought the home from 22 years ago,” Romano said.