Trump again tells supporters to commit electoral fraud

State officials say president’s calls for supporters to carry-out poll watching is ‘distressing’

Pennsylvania officials deny Trump claims on poll watchers and fraud (REUTERS)

Donald Trump not only called out to white supremacists as he debated with Joe Biden this week, but urged his supporters “to go into the polls and watch” proceedings take place.

In making that plea on Tuesday night, the president once again alluded to widespread election fraud taking place across the United States, without any basis, as he called on his base to stage an intervention.

For Trump supporters to do so, would amount to election fraud of its own, with official poll workers typically requiring certification.  

The president’s critics and Democratic opponents argue that those assertions are aimed at delegitimizing the 3 November election long before votes are counted.

Taking to the stage in Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday night, Mr Trump complained that apparent “poll watchers” had been thrown from polling stations in Philadelphia, in claims that state officials have since been rebuked.

"I am encouraging my supporters to go into the polls and watch very carefully, because that's what has to happen — I am urging them to do it," he said on Tuesday.

"There was a big problem, in Philadelphia they went in to watch, they're called poll watchers, very safe very nice thing — they were thrown out, they weren't allowed to watch," he claimed, adding, "You know why? Because bad things happen in Philadelphia, bad things."

But any “poll watchers” Mr Trump referenced on Tuesday do not exist, because there are no registered Republican or Trump campaign poll watchers in Pennsylvania, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

At the same time, there are no polling stations open in the city where poll watchers could be thrown out.

Pennsylvania’s secretary of state, Kathy Boockvar, said in response: “There are no poll watchers yet. They are officially appointed a few days before Election Day. They literally don’t exist now”.

Whilst each state has different rules for poll watchers, most are paid workers registered by campaigns or national committees to observe potential polling issues.

Steve Simon, secretary of state for Minnesota, said to Axios on Wednesday as Mr Trump campaigned in the state that he was concerned about any large mobilisation of self described “poll watchers”.  

"What is distressing about the president’s remarks is I fear his supporters will take it upon themselves to mobilise large numbers to go to the polls" as poll watchers,” he said.