Ballot harvesting. Stuffing ballot boxes. Tampering with voting equipment. Stealing ballots. Censoring candidates. These were some of the concerns raised, notably by former President Donald Trump, in the aftermath of the 2020 election.
As we approach 2024, how great a concern is election security for the 2024 presidential candidates? The Epoch Times submitted questions to major candidates in both parties to find out.
The questions centered on three concerns: Did election tampering affect the outcome of the 2020 presidential election? What should be done to ensure a fair election in 2024? Will you accept the outcome of the 2024 contest?
Former Ambassador Nikki Haley responded directly to our questions. Representatives of former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis referred us to their previously published views on the matter.
No response was received from the campaigns of Republican candidates Trump, Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, or Democrat candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The views of Trump, Scott, Ramaswamy, and Biden were available through media interviews and public statements.
Here’s what they said.
Impact of Fraud in 2020
Trump made broad claims of election interference immediately after the 2020 election and stands by them.
“That was a rigged election, and it’s a shame that we had to go through it. It’s very bad for our country. All over the world, they looked at it, and they saw exactly what everyone else saw,” Trump said in a May 11 town hall-style meeting on CNN.
Trump claimed election interference causes a difference of 16 percentage points in the outcome of the election.
The former president cited censorship on Twitter and “millions of votes” caught on camera in cases of “stuffing ballot boxes.” He referred to alleged evidence from government cameras as proof.
DeSantis acknowledged some election tampering in a May 26 interview on MSN but said much of the fault lies with Trump.
