>>> BECAUSE WE ARE IN THE MIDST
OF A ONCE IN A CENTURY PANDEMIC,
NOVEMBER IS GOING TO BE A
MAIL-IN ELECTION.
AND THAT IS WHY DONALD TRUMP
APPEARS TO BE ATTACKING MAIL-IN
VOTING.
IN FACT, DONALD TRUMP HAS BEEN
WAGING THIS WARTIME AND TIME
AGAIN, WEEK AFTER WEEK ON
TWITTER, TODAY ESCALATING AS
WELL.
BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE
BASICALLY TWO ASPECTS TO WHAT’S
GOING ON HERE.
HE SAYS MAIL-IN VOTING IS RIFE
WITH FRAUD.
THAT’S NOT TRUE.
IT IS INCREDIBLY
ADMINISTRATIVELY DIFFICULT.
WE WILL SEE VOLUMES THE LIKES OF
WHICH WE HAVE NEVER SEEN.
THERE IS SOME EVIDENCE, IN FACT,
THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO GIVE IN
LEGITIMATE MAIL-IN BALLOTS HAVE
THEM DISCOUNTED BECAUSE THEY
FORGOT TO SIGN IN THE RIGHT
PLACE.
MY WIFE AND I BOTH VOTED
RECENTLY IN AN ELECTION MAIL-IN
BALLOT IN NEW YORK AND WE HAD TO
CHECK IT THREE OR FOUR TIMES.
ALL OF THAT CREATES THE
CONDITIONS FOR DONALD TRUMP TO
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE ACTUAL
PROBLEMS BY TRYING TO FIGHT
AGAINST MAIL-IN BALLOTS.
HERE TO CLARIFY EXACTLY WHAT WE
COULD DO TO MAKE SURE THIS
ELECTION IS RUN AS SMOOTHLY AS
POSSIBLE IS MY FRIEND AND GREAT
REPORTER ON THIS TOPIC, THE
NUMBER ONE EXPERT, ARI RRKS IRKS
MOTHER JONES.
>> HEY, CHRIS.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THESE
TWO CATEGORIES BECAUSE DONALD
TRUMP CONFLATED THE TWO.
LIKE THE ODDS OF SOMEONE
CHEATING OR SYSTEMIC FRAUD FROM
A MAIL-IN BALLOT IS ZERO.
THE ODDS OF LOCAL OFFICIALS
BEING ABLE TO PROCESS THEM, SEND
THEM OUT IN TIME, GET THEM
THROUGH THE MAIL IN TIME AND
COUNT THEM IN TIME, THOSE ARE
REAL.
TALK ABOUT THOSE TWO DISTINCT
ISSUES.
>> YEAH.
THAT’S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
MAIL-IN BALLOT FRAUD IS VERY
UNLIKELY.
THEY DID A STUDY AND FOUND ONLY
143 CASES OF MAIL BALLOT FRAUD
OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS WHICH
EQUALLED OUT TO 0.0006% OF TOTAL
BALLOTS CAST.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE SYSTEM
COULD BECOME OVERWHELMED, THAT
PEOPLE MIGHT NOT GET MAIL
BALLOTS THAT THEY REQUESTED,
THAT THEY MIGHT BE SENT BACK IN
TIME, THAT THE POST OFFICE IS
FACING THIS UNPRECEDENTED THREAT
YOU HAVE COVERED ON THEIR SHOW
THAT THEY MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO
HANDLE THE VOLUME AND ELECTION
OFFICIALS MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO
COUNT THEM IN A PROPER AND
TIMELY FASHION.
THAT’S WHY WE SHOULD BE MAKING
IT EASIER TO VOTE BY MAIL, NOT
HARDER.
BUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS
WAGING THIS UNPRECEDENTED
CAMPAIGN TO MAKE IT MORE
DIFFICULT, WHICH WOULD INCREASE
THE RISK THAT BALLOTS WILL BE
THROWN OUT IN NOVEMBER.
>> RIGHT.
I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THIS
JUST IN HOW INSIDIOUS IT IS,
RIGHT?
THE IDEA IS TO MAKE IT HARDER TO
EXACERBATE PROBLEMS SO THAT YOU
COULD THEN TURN AROUND AND POINT
TO THE PROBLEMS AND CAST THE
LEGITIMACY IN QUESTION.
SO IF ELECTION NIGHT COMES AND
WE HAVE TO COUNT A BUNCH OF
BALLOTS AND IT MAKES A BUNCH OF
DAYS, THAT’S WHERE THE LAWSUITS
OR THE PRESIDENT RAILING AGAINST
ELECTION, THAT’S WHERE THE
RUBBER HITS THE ROAD.
>> EXACTLY.
AND TRUMP IS SAYING, ALL OF
THESE MAIL BALLOTS ARE GOING TO
BE THROWN OUT.
THEY WILL BE THROWN OUT BECAUSE
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IN
EVERY SINGLE SWING STATE IS
LITIGATING TO MAKE IT HARDER TO
VOTE BY MAIL.
SO THEY’RE SAYING THAT YOUR
BALLOT HAS TO ARRIVE BY ELECTION
DAY INSTEAD OF BEING POSTMARKED
BY ELECTION DAY OR THEY’RE
SAYING BALLOTS SHOULD BE THROWN
OUT FOR THINGS LIKE MISMATCHED
SIGNATURES OR ELECTION OFFICIALS
SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO CONTACT
YOU.
IN PENNSYLVANIA THEY HAVE GONE
AS FAR AS TO SAY YOU SHOULDN’T
BE ABLE TO DROP YOUR BALLOT OFF
AT DROP BOXES, WHICH IS THE
CRAZIEST THING I HAVE HEARD.
SO TRUMP IS CREATING THE
CONDITIONS FOR MAIL VOTING TO
FAIL.
>> WAIT A SECOND.
ONE OF THE THINGS I HAVE HEARD
IS THAT IF YOUR STATE ALLOWS YOU
TO DROP OFF YOUR ABSENTEE
BALLOT, GO DO THAT.
YOU ARE SAYING THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION IS SUING
PENNSYLVANIA WHO DON’T WANT YOU
TO BE ABLE TO DROP IT OFF IN A
DROP BOX?
>> NO.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS
SUING IN PENNSYLVANIA NO NOT
ALLOW YOU TO DROP YOUR BALLOT
OFF.
>> WHAT!
>> CLAIMING THAT IT WILL SOMEHOW
BE RIFE WITH FRAUD.
THE MISNOMER ABOUT VOTE BY MAIL
IS THAT EVERYONE PUTS IT THROUGH
THE MAIL.
WELL, IN OREGON, ACTUALLY, A LOT
OF PEOPLE DROP THEIR BALLOT OFF.
ONE THING ELECTION OFFICIALS ARE
TELLING YOU IS REQUEST YOUR
BALLOT EARLY AND DROP IT OFF IF
POSSIBLE LIKE THEY HAVE IN
OREGON AND COLORADO TO PUT LESS
STRESS ON THE POST OFFICE AT THE
TIME WHEN TRUMP IS DOING
EVERYTHING HE CAN TO DESTROY THE
POST OFFICE AT A TIME THEY’RE
NEEDED MORE THAN EVER.
>> THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS
OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL THAT WILL
DEPEND ON MOBILIZATION AND
LAWYERS.
BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS
THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO
UNDERSTAND FOR THEMSELVES.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF STATES HAVE
NO EXCUSE ABSENTEE BALLOTS RIGHT
NOW.
THERE ARE HOLDOUTS THERE.
AND THERE IS THIS IDEA I THOUGHT
OF FLATTEN THE CURVE.
IT IS BASED ON THE FLATTEN THE
CURVE WE SAW WITH THE PANDEMIC,
WHICH IS FLATTEN THE BALLOT
CURVE.
IF EVERYONE WAITS UNTIL THE LAST
MINUTE TO APPLY FOR A MAIL-IN
ABSENTEE BALLOT, YOU WILL
OVERWHELM THE LOGICAL CAPACITY
OF YOUR LOCAL ELECTION
ADMINISTRATORS.
BUT IF PEOPLE START DOING IT NOW
AND YOU SPACE IT OUT OVER TIME,
IT WILL BE A SMOOTHER OPERATION.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?
>> YEAH.
THAT’S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
FIRST OFF, YOU ARE CORRECT.
IN MORE THAN 40 STATES YOU CAN
VOTE BY MAIL FOR ANY REASON,
WHICH INCLUDES EVERY IMPORTANT
SWING STATE IN THE COUNTRY.
SO VOTE BY MAIL IS SET UP TO
WORK IN ALL OF THOSE STATES.
BUT YOU’RE RIGHT.
YOU HAVE TO REQUEST YOUR BALLOT
EARLY.
YOU HAVE TO RETURN IT EARLY.
THE POSTAL SERVICE IS SAYING DO
IT BEFORE THE ELECTION.
FILL IT OUT CAREFULLY.
MAKE SURE YOU SIGN YOUR BALLOT.
MAKE SURE YOU SIGN IT CLEARLY.
DROP IT OFF IF POSSIBLE.
IF PEOPLE ARE PROACTIVE AND
CAREFUL ABOUT VOTE BY MAIL, IF
STATES INVEST IN THE RESOURCES,
WE WILL HAVE A SMOOTH ELECTION.
IF WE DON’T DO ALL OF THOSE
THINGS, THERE IS A MAJOR
PROBLEM.
>> YEAH.
THE MAJOR PROBLEM, THAT IS THE
RISK HERE, THE THING TO BE
BATTLED AGAINST, NOT FRAUD.
BUT DISENFRANCHISEMENT IS THE
END RESULT THE PRESIDENT IS
TRYING TO BRING ABOUT THROUGH
THIS FORM.
ARI BERMAN WHO HAS BEEN RIGHTING