Former Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell and ex-GOP Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell on Thursday clashed on a Supreme Court decision that allows Pennsylvania to count mailed-in ballots received up to three days after the Nov. 3 election in the key battleground state.
In remarks to Newsmax TV’s “The Chris Salcedo Show,” McDonnell noted with new procedures, there’s always a chance for “mischief,” while Rendell advocated for the expansion of voting efforts.
Rendell also dismissed concerns about ballots that are received up to three days after Nov. 3.
“Believe me if, if [the ballot] arrived three days after the election, it was sent out before the third [of November],” he insisted.
“And that's only fair,” he said, offering as an example, a family emergency such as a sudden death of a relative that forced someone to mail in their vote on the Monday before Election Day.
Rendell said he believed if anything, the nation needs to expand voting efforts, not restrict them.
“We should expand voting to anybody who wants to legally cast a vote,” Rendell said. “That’s America. Democracy should be available to all.”
But McDonnell was more cautious, lamenting in his own state the repeal of a bill he signed as governor that required photo identification of every voter.
“I think that's really a mistake,” he said. “You need a photo ID to do just about anything… it's not a heavy burden. Repealing that opens up some opportunity for mischief.”
McDonnell said he has confidence for the most part in the mail-in balloting process.
“I think the mail in ballots overall are going to be handled fine — I did it the other day myself, dropped it off and the polling place,” he said.
“Any time because you have new machines or new procedures, like 42 states now have with absentee ballots…. there's a little bit more chance for mischief, but but I really do think we have good election officials," he added.
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