A draft emergency executive order to declare a national emergency to allow President Donald Trump to take unprecedented control over voting is being circulated by anti-voting activists who said they are in coordination with the White House.

Voting rights experts, democracy advocates, and at least one state election chief said Trump doesn’t have the authority to claim such powers — and any attempt would be blatantly unconstitutional.

The draft order — which is said to be based on a conspiracy theory that China interfered with the 2020 election — would allow Trump to unilaterally ban mail-in ballots and voting machines on the basis that they are susceptible to foreign interference.

The order comes from MAGA activists who have been coordinating with the White House. One of the advocates for the order is Peter Ticktin, the attorney for Tina Peters, the former GOP Colorado county clerk who is currently serving a nine-year state prison sentence for her role in a 2021 voting system breach, in an attempt to find voter fraud based on election conspiracies.

The Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution explicitly gives states — not the president — sole authority over elections.

  • doesit@sh.itjust.works
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    6 hours ago

    Doesn’t really matter. They have plenty of options. Here some options based on what we know already.
    Influencing elections trough social media. Mercer and Bannon were succesful through facebook to make brexit a thing. Now, with the technological advancements and all the DOGE data this is very realistic.
    Or going to war with Canada right before the elections.
    Or, in 1 year or so, ICE ($85 billion budget) will be fully staffed. They’ll be operational to fulfill their true militia role.
    They stormed the Capitol, jfc. Those goons are ICE now.
    We can be sure of 1 thing. Either way, power will not be handed over.

    • Stormy@thelemmy.club
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      4 hours ago

      Or going to war with Canada right before the elections

      Mexico. They’re stirring shit in Mexico right now. had a cartel guy killed, shut down the air space near the border for drone and strikes about a week ago, and are and running a psyop about whats really happening in the us right now.