In response to Donald Trump’s false allegations that there will have been “large scale” voter fraud “if he doesn’t win,” Minister Leslie Watson Malachi, People For the American Way (PFAW) Director of African American Ministers In Action, released the following statement:
“Donald Trump’s dangerous, wildly inaccurate assertions that this election will be rigged serves to undermine American democracy. We know that voter fraud is almost nonexistent in American democracy, as study after study has shown.
“For decades, Republicans have pushed false claims of voter fraud in order to enact laws that courts have found—and some Republicans have openly admitted—are explicitly designed to infringe upon the voting rights of African Americans and people of color. Now, Donald Trump has taken this idea to the extreme, going so far as to encourage his supporters to engage in voter intimidation by showing up to polling sites in cities with large populations of people of color. How shameful it is that some of his supporters have taken the bait, saying they’ll use ‘racial profiling’ to make some voters ‘a little bit nervous.’
“Our communities have a long history of fighting for the right to vote. That history is the reason why voter suppression laws and hypocritical tactics to disenfranchise voters is not discouraging but actually encouraging, in that it inspires us even more to make our voices heard through voting. The fight continues today until the rights for all are protected against those who would gain through deceit. We will show up in record numbers on Election Day, move beyond obstacles that stand in the way, and step into voting booths for those of the past, present and the future and vote because it is our constitutional right as citizens of an America that’s already great.”
To schedule an interview with Minister Leslie Watson Malachi, please email [email protected].
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and defend constitutional values including free expression, religious liberty, equal justice under the law, and the right to meaningfully participate in our democracy.
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