Donald Trump has hit out at a move by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro to introduce automatic voter registration in the key swing state while urging the GOP to "start suing now."
The former president was reacting to the September 19 announcement from Shapiro, a Democrat, that people in Pennsylvania will now be automatically registered to vote once they have received or renewed their driver's license or state I.D.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump, the frontrunner in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, said that automatic voter registration in Pennsylvania will be a "disaster" for the election hopes of Republicans and accused it of being a "totally Unconstitutional Act." Pennsylvania was one of several states which Trump and his allies repeatedly and falsely claimed the former president lost to Joe Biden in the 2020 election because of widespread voter fraud.
The issue of voter integrity looks certain to be a hot topic in the swing state over the next 13 months. Pennsylvania is not only set to play another major role in determining who the next president will be next year, but also which party will control both the Senate and the House of Representatives following the 2024 elections.
Studies have shown that automatic voter registration, which is authorized by both federal and state law, significantly increases the number of voters being registered, which could favor Democrats.
"Pennsylvania is at it again! The Radical Left Governor, Josh Shapiro, has just announced a switch to Automatic Voter Registration, a disaster for the Election of Republicans, including your favorite President, ME," Trump wrote. "This is a totally Unconstitutional Act, and must be met harshly by Republican Leadership in Washington and Pennsylvania."
Trump also suggested that the Republican National Committee (RNC) and its chairwoman Ronna McDaniel must "spend their time working on this" rather than the "meaningless" GOP primary debates. Trump did not take part in the first televised Republican primary debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on August 23 as he did not see the need because of his overwhelming lead in the polls.
"Start suing now, & get the right lawyers this time," Trump added. "The Pennsylvania Republican Party must likewise not let this happen.
"It will be a disaster for our Nation, which is being destroyed by these Lunatics, Marxists, & Fascists, whose only real ability is to CHEAT on Elections. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
In a statement to Newsweek, Shapiro spokesperson Manuel Bonder said that Trump's "obsession with spreading lies about our elections is dangerous."
"But facts matter—and it is abundantly clear this common sense, nonpartisan step to securely streamline voter registration and enhance election security is within the Governor's executive authority," Bonder added. "The Governor will remain focused on defending our democracy and empowering eligible Pennsylvanians to vote, no matter who they choose to support."
Pennsylvania has now joined 23 other states that have implemented automatic voter registration in a step it says will help promote election security and save taxpayers time and money.
Shapiro's office said that in other states, automatic voter registration has helped streamline the registration process for military families, who are more likely to move and change addresses than other Americans. The move to automatic voter registration also reduces the need for slower paper applications, with electronic registrations recorded during driver's license applications also more secure.
"Automatic voter registration is a common sense step to ensure election security and save Pennsylvanians time and tax dollars," Shapiro said in a statement.
"Residents of our Commonwealth already provide proof of identity, residency, age, and citizenship at the DMV—all the information required to register to vote—so it makes good sense to streamline that process with voter registration."
Update 09/25/2023, 9:46 a.m.: This article has been updated with comment from Governor Shapiro spokesperson Manuel Bonder.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, domestic policy ... Read more
