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The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is warning that Russia is trying to undermine Americans’ confidence in the safety and validity of mail-in voting.
In a bulletin labelled “For official use only” circulated on Thursday, the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis stated Russia was “likely to continue amplifying criticism of vote by mail and shifting voting processes amidst the Covid-19 pandemic to undermine public trust in the electoral process.”
The bulletin stated that in mid-August, Russian state media retailers and proxy web sites printed criticism of widespread mail-in voting, “claiming ineligible voters could receive ballots due to out-of-date voter rolls, leaving a vast amount of ballots unaccounted for and vulnerable to tampering.”
It stated that since March, Russian retailers additionally sought to undermine confidence in mail-in voting processes, alleging that they supply “vast opportunities for voter fraud.”
The bulletin stated Russia is probably to step up trolling by selling allegations of US election system corruption, failures and “foreign malign interference” to undermine public belief in US elections. It famous that following the Iowa caucuses earlier this yr, Russian retailers claimed that the outcome was “fixed in favor of establishment candidates” and that voting system issues had resulted in “ballot manipulation.”
The Department of Homeland Security had no instant remark. Russia has denied interfering in US elections.
Adam Schiff, the Democrat who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, stated the bulletin validated his concern that Russia is searching for to “sow distrust in our democratic process.”
By attacking US mail-in poll integrity, Schiff stated, “Russia is echoing destructive and false narratives around vote by mail that President Trump and his enablers, including Attorney General (William) Barr, have been aggressively promoting.”
Trump has repeatedly criticized mail-in voting, saying in one July 30 Tweet: “With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history.”
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