Colorado's secretary of state said that Trump supporters are 'chipping away' at secure elections as they are placed in election roles across the country

November 30, 2021

Colorado's secretary of state said that Trump supporters are 'chipping away' at secure elections as they are placed in election roles across the country

Former President Donald Trump.
Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Jena Griswold sounded a warning about upcoming elections.
She told The Washington Post there was a bid to place Trump allies in roles overseeing elections.
Trump has sought to pressure elections officials to subvert President Joe Biden's victory.

Republicans are "chipping away" at safe and secure elections so they can falsely claim victory in the event of close results in the 2022 midterms or 2024 presidential election, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold told The Washington Post.

Griswold's claim come as Republican lawmakers and activists in some states have in recent months placed loyalists to former President Donald Trump in key positions overseeing elections.

In October, Detroit News reported that Republican lawmakers in Michigan were seeking to replace officials on canvassing boards with loyalists, some of whom supported Trump's bogus election fraud claims. Among the responsibilities of canvassing boards is the certification of election results.
The Atlantic reported in November that Trump supporters had been elected to the posts of judge of elections and inspector of elections in Pennsylvania. Those officials monitor election spaces, and ensure ballots are properly tabulated.
Colorado officials told The Post there was a campaign on conservative social media channels to encourage Trump supporters to apply for vacancies on election offices.
State and local election officials also told The Post that Trump supporters were seeking to place loyalists into voluntary local election positions, such as poll watchers, as well as elected positions like county clerks and state attorney general.

Griswold told The Post that the attempt to place Trump allies in roles overseeing elections was part of a bid to subvert election results that don't go the way of Republicans in the future.

"The attacks right now are no longer about 2020," Griswold told The Post. "They're about 2022 and 2024. It's about chipping away at confidence and chipping away at the reality of safe and secure elections. And the next time there's a close election, it will be easier to achieve their goals. That's what this is all about."

Trump has repeatedly refused to accept his defeat in last year's presidential election, and in the wake of his defeat waged a monthslong battle to pressure election officials in states such as Georgia to overturn President Joe Biden's victory.

He has continued to repeat his baseless claim that the election was stolen from him in public appearances and rallies, as he stirs rumors of a 2024 presidential bid.

There is no evidence to substantiate Trump's claims, but they have been embraced by many of his grassroots supporters nonetheless.

Read the original article on Business Insider