New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said the state won’t back down from its plan to hold a mostly vote-by-mail election in November despite a legal challenge from the Trump campaign, Politico reports.
During a Wednesday press conference in Trenton, he told the Trump campaign to “bring it on.”
“As the president and his team try to delegitimize our election and impact the health and safety of millions of New Jerseyans, we will defend our rights vigorously, and we will not back down,” Murphy said. “So as they say, ‘Bring it on.‘”
Murphy ripped the president’s campaign for its “full-throated propaganda” lawsuit.
On Tuesday night, the Trump campaign filed a lawsuit against the state’s election plan. The suit claims that New Jersey’s July 7 primary violated the U.S. Constitution’s Electors and Elections Clauses as well as the 14th Amendment. The suit argues that only the state legislature can enact large changes to elections, and that Murphy is bypassing that process by issuing an executive order.
The lawsuit references several cases of voter fraud conducted through mail-in ballots in New Jersey over the years. It cites Paterson’s May municipal elections as the most recent example.
“The Governor’s inconsistencies, coupled with the Order’s timing amid a nationwide push by the Democratic Party for the same measures, reveal that the Order is less about protecting the health of New Jerseyans and more about protecting the electoral prospects of the Governor’s political party,” the lawsuit states.
Last week, Murphy signed an executive order to send 6.2 million registered voters mail-in ballots, citing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. New Jersey voters will be permitted to cast provisional ballots at a polling site or hand poll workers their already-filled out mail-in ballots, according to Politico.
The Trump campaign’s suit questions Murphy’s use of health as the reason for the election plans. The Trump campaign notes that Murphy has permitted retail shops, hair salons and swimming pools to reopen.
But Murphy said his election plan “will move forward.” He then blasted Trump’s mail-in ballot in Florida.
“If vote-by-mail is good enough for our president, it is good enough for all of us,” Murphy said.
Trump votes absentee ballot, which is a method of voting he has praised while slamming mail-in voting.
According to Politico, the Murphy administration has not responded to the suit yet.
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