Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford (D) warned on Wednesday that President Trump was telling supporters during a presidential debate the night before to intimidate voters at polling locations.
During the debate Tuesday, Trump told supporters to go to polls and “watch very carefully,” once again insinuating that fraud may run rampant during this year’s election. Trump’s comments were widely interpreted among Democrats to suggest his supports participate in voter intimidation.
“But he wasn’t talking about poll watching. He was talking about voter intimidation,” Ford said. “FYI — voter intimidation is illegal in Nevada. Believe me when I say it: You do it, and you will be prosecuted.”
Trump also suggested that poll watchers in Philadelphia were kicked out of polling locations in the primary.
“There was a big problem, in Philadelphia they went in to watch, they’re called poll watchers, very safe very nice thing — they were thrown out, they weren’t allowed to watch,” Trump said, adding, “You know why? Because bad things happen in Philadelphia, bad things.”
Poll watchers are typically registered voters in those states who observe polling operations on behalf of the Democratic and Republican parties. Rules vary on who qualifies to be a poll watcher in individual states, though according to The Philadelphia Inquirer the so-called poll watchers referenced by Trump were not approved.
No poll watchers from the Republican National Committee have been approved to observe polling locations in Philadelphia, the Inquirer reported.
Both Nevada and Pennsylvania are key battleground states in the upcoming presidential election.