WASHINGTON — President Trump’s Justice Department is warning election officials in all 50 states to preserve voting records or face possible jail time.
asserted
Department → warn → time
Days before Tuesday’s midterm elections, Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter sent formal letters nationwide telling state officials they must preserve election records for at least 22 months — or else risk criminal prosecution for failure to comply with federal law.
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they → send → law
Violating Section 20701 — or willfully stealing, destroying, concealing, mutilating, or altering the records — is a federal crime punishable by up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.
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Violating → violate → prison
McCotter said officials are merely ensuring all citizens’ votes count.
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votes → say → ?
He and other Justice Department officials, in a briefing with reporters on Thursday, said that a vote cast by a non-citizen cancels the vote of an actual citizen.
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vote → say → citizen
“Despite what some may say, cracking down on illegal voting, investigating these cases, this is not a threat to elections.
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this → say → elections
It’s not a threat to democracy.
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It → ’ → democracy
It’s not a threat to election officials.
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It → ’ → officials
Exactly the opposite,” he said.
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he → say → ?
“We’re trying to ensure that every citizen who votes has their vote counted, and that it’s not canceled out in effect by someone voting who’s not allowed to.”
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who → try → someone
The records election officials must preserve include all documents related to determining the voting eligibility of the person casting the ballot, including registration forms, poll books, sign-in sheets, identification papers submitted, requests for mail-in ballots, and envelopes containing those ballots.
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officials → preserve → ballots
Strict enforcement of voting laws and the prevention of non-citizens from casting a ballot are President Trump’s top priorities for Election Day.
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enforcement → cast → Day
He and his team have launched a multi-prong approach to set the stage for legal challenges.
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He → launch → challenges
It’s all part of an army of poll monitors from both parties that will descend on voting places across the country on Election Day.
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that → ’ → Day
Additionally, several hundred lawsuits have already been filed as both Republicans and Democrats prepare for a contentious midterm contest.
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Republicans → file → contest
The federal government and Republican National Committee are running on parallel tracks to ensure the legality of every vote cast.
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government → run → vote
The Department of Justice will have 1,000 monitors spread across 50 states to watch for any legal issues, although their staff tend to focus on federal law, such as making sure ADA requirements are met and no one is trying to unduly influence voters.
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one → have → voters
These monitors will not interfere with voting, department spokeswoman Kiersten Pels told The Post.
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Pels → interfere → Post
“Every monitor has the same role: observe for potential violations of federal law and report concerns to the Department, which the Department will review after Election Day and act where appropriate,” she said.
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she → have → Day
The Republican National Committee will also have election monitors on the ground and lawyers ready to file suit if any shenanigans are observed.
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shenanigans → have → suit
Monitors cannot speak with voters, interact with election equipment or otherwise interfere with the election — they can merely observe and report to their superiors.
The Trump administration argues these actions are about ensuring safe, free and fair elections.
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actions → speak → elections
Trump has long claimed to be the victim of election fraud, falsely saying he won the 2020 presidential election.
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he → claim → election
And when he was asked earlier this week if he’ll accept the election results, he responded: “I will, if they’re honest.”
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they → ask → results
On the other side of the aisle, Democrats are also making their preparations.
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Democrats → make → preparations
They — and their Democratically aligned outside voting groups — will have monitors around polling locations to watch for any interference.
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They → align → interference
“We have grown our voter protection program, with staff based in more than 35 states to train and support election observers all across the country.
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staff → grow → country
The DNC’s first-ever in-house litigation team is working tirelessly to defeat attacks on our voting rights,” a Democratic National Committee spokesperson told The Post.
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spokesperson → work → Post
Additionally, lawmakers, elected officials and legal experts have run table top scenarios of different situations — including ballots being seized by feds, Homeland Security agents questioning voters, allegations of foreign interference, and any AI fake propaganda.
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lawmakers → elect → interference
Officials are deeply worried pranksters will cause chaos by posting online fake, AI-generated photos allegedly showing federal agents arresting voters.
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agents → worry → voters
Democrats are deeply concerned the administration may target jurisdictions where voting materials are available in multiple languages.
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materials → concern → languages
But, despite Democratic fears, the Department of Homeland Security said its Immigration and Customs Enforcement staff will not be patrolling those areas.
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staff → say → areas
“ICE is not planning operations targeting polling locations,” a spokesperson told The Post.
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spokesperson → plan → Post
“ICE conducts intelligence-driven targeted enforcement, and if an active public safety threat endangers a polling location, they may be arrested as a result of that targeted enforcement action.
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they → conduct → action
But any non-citizen who votes will face charges, the department warns.
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department → vote → charges
“Our message to aliens who vote in American elections is clear: we will find you, arrest you, and you will face the consequences — including criminal charges and deportation,” the spokesperson said.
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spokesperson → vote → charges
At least 16 states have provided complete statewide voter registration lists, according to the Brennan Center.
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states → provide → Center
The federal government has sued 30 states and Washington, DC, for not complying but 27 of those lawsuits have been dismissed.
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27 → sue → lawsuits
The Justice Department, over the past two months, has charged 154 foreign nationals across 23 states with unlawful voting, fraudulent voter registration and election-related offenses.
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Department → charge → voting
North Carolina leads the list with 18 defendants while Minnesota is close behind with 11.
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Minnesota → lead → 11
Trump is already questioning Tuesday’s outcome, warning election results may not be trusted in the Minnesota Senate race.
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results → question → race
…and 18 more, not listed.
The Aporia
