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Voting rights activists have filed dozens of lawsuits around the
country to increase universal vote-by-mail and other ballot
access measures, which Democrats say are needed to reduce long
lines at polling sites that could increase the spread of
COVID-19.
But Republican Party officials argue election fraud would
increase if more voters are not required to appear in person to
cast a ballot.
Biden, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, hired Rachana
Desai Martin as National Director for Voter Protection and
Senior Counsel, a campaign spokesman said on Twitter.
Martin, who was the Democratic National Committee's chief
operating officer, had previously overseen the party's national
voter protections efforts.
Advocates of expanding absentee voting contend
disproportionately minority, disabled and immuno-compromised
individuals who tend to vote Democratic could be disenfranchised
and the election thrown into chaos unless immediate steps are
taken to make it easier and safer to vote.
States have broad authority to set their own rules for voting,
and numerous studies have found little evidence of voter fraud
connected to voting by mail.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump reiterated his opposition to mail-in
ballots, calling them "substantially fraudulent," and arguing
they could be forged or robbed from mailboxes.
"This will be a Rigged Election. No way!" Trump tweeted.
Trump last week suggested he might withhold federal funding from
some states, such as Michigan and Nevada, for seeking to expand
voting by mail. But he dropped the threat after an avalanche of
criticism from Democrats.
Both states are pivotal to his re-election bid.
(Reporting by Michael Martina; Editing by Dan Grebler)
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