TAMPA (NBC) – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell heads a growing list of Republicans pushing back against President Trump’s suggestion that the November election possibly be delayed.
He notes that federal elections have taken place on time during a broad range of crises including the Civil War and this year will be no different.
“Well never in the history of the country through wars, depressions and the Civil War have we not had a federally scheduled election on time. And we’ll find a way to do that again this November 3rd,” McConnell said.
A series of other GOP senators also brushed aside any suggestion of an election delay and New Hampshire Republican Governor Chris Sununu tweeted that “Make no mistake” his state will be voting November 3.
President Trump on Thursday floated the idea of delaying the Nov. 3 presidential election on Twitter.
“With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history,” Trump tweeted Thursday. “It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote-?”
The date of the presidential election – the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in every fourth year – is enshrined in federal law and would require an act of Congress to change.
There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud through mail-in voting, even in states with all-mail votes.
