Contact: David Beltran
323-365-5754
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Secretaries of State Release Statement on Trump’s Calls to Postpone the Nov. Election
Today, Democratic Association of Secretaries of State (DASS) Chair and California Secretary of State Alex Padilla issued the following statement on President Donald Trump’s call to postpone the November 3, 2020 elections.
“As Chief Election officers of our respective states, we must be clear, the President of the United States does not have the authority to change or delay the General Election. The election will proceed on November 3rd, despite President Trump’s relentless efforts to suppress the vote and undermine our democracy.
Throughout our nation’s history, presidential elections have been held in times of peace, in times of war, in good economic times, and during economic recessions — including during the Great Depression — and even during the pandemic of 1918.
Secretaries of State know the measures necessary to ensure an accessible, secure, and safe election, but we need the resources in order to implement them.
If Trump is genuinely concerned about the ability of states to administer the election in a safe and secure manner, he should urge Senate Republicans to approve $3.6B in election funding for states. This would allow states to expand no-excuse vote by mail options for all voters and offer safe in-person opportunities to vote both on and before Election Day.
Sadly, Trump has failed in his response to the COVID-19 pandemic and his failed leadership has resulted in the worst economic quarter in our nation’s history.
We will not allow our democracy to be a casualty of this pandemic. We will uphold our oath of office by ensuring the integrity of our elections and not forcing voters into having to choose between exercising their right to vote and protecting their health.”
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