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‘I will challenge an unlawful attempt to delay the election’ AG Ferguson says to Trump

SEATTLE — Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued a response Thursday after President Trump floated an idea of delaying the election amid his claims of mail-in voting fraud.

The dates of federal elections are set by Congress and the Constitution makes no provisions for a delay to the January 20, 2021 presidential inauguration.

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On Thursday morning Trump tweeted:

“President Trump’s statement that he may unlawfully delay the November election is undemocratic, un-American, and, sadly, entirely predictable,” Ferguson said in a news release.

The attorney general asserted there is no evidence that mail-in ballots increase voter fraud and said his legal team has been preparing for the possibility that Trump might attempt to delay the election for months.

“If that happens, we will see President Trump in court — and we will win,” Ferguson said.

Later Thursday, Secretary of State Kim Wyman echoed Ferguson in a statement of her own:

“The 2020 General Election will take place Nov. 3 as required by law. Only an act of Congress can change that, and comments from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have assured the American people that the election will take place as planned.

“The President’s and Attorney General’s continued consternation with vote-by-mail is precisely why I invite them to come to Washington state to see firsthand how my office and Washington’s 39 county election officials have worked diligently to build in robust security measures so people can vote safely this fall.”

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.