Putin: Voting by mail in the US is fraudulent

President Putin said that fraud had occurred in previous elections in the US, due to the way voting was done by mail.

"Anything can be falsified. Just like previous elections in the US were rigged through mail-in voting. They bought ballots for $10, filled them out and threw them in the mailbox without anyone watching. That's all," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview on January 16, comparing the election system in Russia and the US.

The Russian President made the comment in response to a question about voting in Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Lugansk, four Ukrainian territories that Russia annexed in 2022. According to Mr. Putin, elections in these regions were honest and transparent because people voted directly, unlike in the US.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting in the town of Odintsovo, Moscow region on January 16. Photo: Reuters — Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting in the town of Odintsovo, Moscow region on January 16. Photo: *Reuters*

"No one forced or forbade people there to be present at the polling station. They simply voted. What is this if not democracy? Democracy is when people express their will," the Russian president said. However, he did not provide evidence for the accusation of election fraud in the US.

Mr Putin is running for re-election as Russian president. If he wins the election in March, he will become Russia's longest-serving leader since 1953.

Russians elect their president in two rounds, through direct voting. A second round is held if no candidate wins a majority of the vote, but this scenario has never happened.

In recent years, voting by mail has become a popular form of election for many Americans, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, many American politicians believe that voting by mail has the potential for fraud.

Former US President Donald Trump has repeatedly alleged fraud in early voting and mail-in voting, without providing evidence. In May 2020, Trump stepped up his attacks on the mail-in voting system, as more states pushed for it amid the Covid-19 pandemic. However, his lawsuits alleging election fraud were dismissed by US courts at all levels, affirming that there was no widespread fraud as Trump alleged.

During his recent campaign, Mr. Trump encouraged Republicans to vote early and vote by mail, his strongest endorsement yet of the practice, saying “we have to beat the Democrats at their own game.”

Huyen Le (According to Reuters , Hill , RT )

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