President Donald Trump, saying Florida’s election system is “safe and secure,” is encouraging people in the state to vote by mail.
The president’s comments came in a Tuesday afternoon tweet.
He wrote: “Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure, Tried and True. Florida’s Voting system has been cleaned up (we defeated Democrats attempt at change), so in Florida I encourage all to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail! #MAGA”
The president has pushed back on mail-in voting several times this year as states grapple with how to handle in-person voting during the pandemic. He has said the practice is rife with fraud.
Asked about mixed messages on mail-in voting, CNN reported that White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said: "Well the President's always said that absentee voting for a reason is different than mass mail-out voting like what Nevada is seeking to do, which leads to mass fraud."
The Hill noted Florida is a key battleground state that Trump won in 2016. But recent polls in the state have Biden ahead.