CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner commented Wednesday on remarks made by President Donald Trump during Tuesday night’s debate on alleged voter fraud in the Mountain State.
On the topic of voting by mail Trump said, “Take a look at West Virginia, mailmen selling the ballots. They are being sold. They are being dumped in rivers. This is a horrible thing for our country.”
What actually happened in West Virginia is a postal carrier in Pendleton County, Thomas Cooper, 47, of Dry Fork, was charged and later convicted for altering absentee ballot applications. There were no actual ballots involved.
In a statement released by Warner’s office Wednesday, Warner said the Election Anti-Fraud Task Force he organized had a confession from the postal carrier within days.
“The timely prosecution of election fraud in the 2020 Primary election cycle in West Virginia shows that we take election fraud seriously, that the system we have in place works well. Voters should be confident that this election will be safe, secure, and fair,” Warner said.
Warner said he shares Trump’s concern about the increase of election fraud in states where ballots are mailed to voters who haven’t requested them. Voters have to request mail-in ballots in West Virginia either through Warner’s online portal or by calling their county clerk. The clerks sent application postcards to all registered voters for the June election.
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin took the opportunity Wednesday to criticize the debate comments by President Trump.
“It’s plain wrong that President Trump would mislead Americans to think mail-in voter fraud is happening in West Virginia. There is no widespread voter fraud in West Virginia and any claim to the contrary is false,” Manchin said.