GOP Sen. Rand Paul, of Kentucky, is being mocked online after he accused Democrats of “stealing” elections by legally persuading people to vote for them, Raw Story reports.
“How to steal an election,” Paul wrote before adding: “Seeding an area heavy with potential Democratic votes with as many absentee ballots as possible, targeting and convincing potential voters to complete them in a legally valid way, and then harvesting and counting the results” while sharing an article from the Washington Examiner about how Democrats carried Wisconsin in 2020.
Naturally, Twitter users were quick to point out to him that’s simply how democracy works.
“Convincing potential voters to cast legal ballots is how you win elections in a democracy.” CNN’s White House correspondent John Harwood wrote.
Georgia State Law professor Anthony Michael Kreis replied: “This is what we call—wait for it— voting.”
“They really believe it’s a scandal to help legal voters who might oppose them to participate in democracy,” replied Georgetown University political scientist Donald Moynihan.
Read Paul’s tweet and some of the responses below.
How to steal an election: “Seeding an area heavy with potential Democratic votes with as many absentee ballots as possible, targeting and convincing potential voters to complete them in a legally valid way, and then harvesting and counting the results.”https://t.co/LwE3MdeWeG
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) December 27, 2021
That is called “an election”. Look it up in a dictionary or something. Which part of “give ballots to people, ask them to complete them in a legally valid way, and count them” do you take issue with, exactly?
— Tony Bradley (@RealTonyBradley) December 27, 2021
That’s literally just winning more votes. Legally. That’s how elections work.
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) December 28, 2021
Just pass the voter protection act. It stops gerrymandering. Everyone should be encouraged to vote. It isn't harvesting, when the ballots are "legally valid." It's counting legal votes. Absentee ballots should go out to every US registered voter. Regardless of party.
— Toughone (@Toughone6) December 27, 2021
So legal voters are given ballots, which are filled out properly and then counted?
I'm confused. Where's the crime?
— Pé (@4everNeverTrump) December 27, 2021
The crime is a Republican lost. That’s not supposed to happen. Ever.
— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid 😷 (@JoyAnnReid) December 28, 2021
I still can’t believe that republicans let Trump walk on treason. That’s gonna fester in me forever. They let him attack the US Capitol in broad daylight to try to overthrow the election/government. Their gall is matched only by their contempt for the American people they failed
— Luke Zaleski (@ZaleskiLuke) December 28, 2021
I don't condone, support, or defend your neighbor. I just understand him.
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) December 28, 2021
You literally described the legal voting method. That's not stealing you idiot. It's called letting American's vote. It feels like stealing because your party is shrinking into nothing.
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) December 27, 2021
