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Election security updates: Officials prepare for election day under threat cloud
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Election security updates: Officials prepare for election day under threat cloud

Former President Donald Trump’s final campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, appeared to urge supporters of the Republican presidential candidate to go to the polls while also once again casting doubt on the security of the election process.

Trump told his supporters multiple times throughout his speech to go to the polls “tomorrow.” But given that the rally was to be held after midnight, people in the crowd began chanting “today” and Trump then incorrectly said the election would be held on Wednesday.

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump gestures after a campaign rally at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on November 5, 2024.

Evan Vucci/AP

“It sounds a lot better when you say tomorrow is Wednesday,” Trump said. “But that’s okay. I want to tell the absolute truth on their behalf, but go out and vote today. And I think it doesn’t matter what time it is, seven o’clock or whatever, and we’re going to cast our biggest vote. The victory in the history of our country.”

Trump later suggested his supporters could be blamed if he failed to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris.

“There’s nothing Republicans can do if they join,” Trump said of his rivals. “In other words, we can only blame you for making you feel a little guilty.” Trump then claimed he had a “silent majority” and called on his supporters to “speak up.”

Although officials and experts confirmed the security of the election system, the former president once again cast doubt on the security of voting machines.

Claiming that paper votes would be cheaper, faster and more secure, Trump said, “Maybe I will be president in less than 24 hours, or maybe these machines we pay so much for will have to work for two weeks.”

“What’s going on inside these machines?” he continued. Trump quickly corrected himself and said, “If you wait, we want the answer tomorrow, tonight.” “We want your answer tonight.”

“You have to cheat,” Trump said of Democrats. “Who’s going to approve these things? Who’s going to prove that the borders are open when millions of criminals are pouring into our country? Now they have to cheat. They have to cheat, and they do it, and they actually do it very well.”

-ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa, Soo Rin Kim and Kelsey Walsh