Trump announces reward for voter fraud tips ahead of US midterms

Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he will offer a $1 million reward to anyone who reports voter fraud that leads to an arrest and conviction, days before the November 3 midterm elections.

Speaking to reporters on Monday before boarding Air Force One, Trump also said his administration was “starting that process” on deporting non-citizens who vote.

“I’m also going to be issuing $1 million bonus or reward or whatever you want to call it, for anybody that reports voter fraud, leading to the arrest and conviction of somebody. We’re giving that person $1 million,” Trump said.

A reporter told the President that he had “made it very clear that any non-citizen that votes would be automatically deported,” and asked whether that would “clean up elections” and whether he should say so at all his rallies.

“Well, I think so. And we do that and we’re starting that process,” Trump replied.

The White House has not released details of how the reward would be paid, which agency would administer it, or what legal authority it would rest on.

Voting by non-citizens in federal elections is already a federal crime. Under existing law, it can lead to fines, imprisonment and removal from the country.

The remarks are expected to draw attention from immigrant communities, including the large number of Indian nationals living in the US on green cards and temporary work visas. They are not eligible to vote in federal elections. Community groups have previously voiced concern that aggressive voter-roll checks could wrongly flag naturalised citizens.

The announcement comes as Trump steps up his campaign travel before the midterms. He is scheduled to hold rallies in Corpus Christi and Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday, while Vice President JD Vance campaigns in Howell, Michigan.

Trump has repeatedly questioned the integrity of US elections, and his remarks on Monday also touched on elections abroad. He said the vote count in Brazil “had a very bad look.” On Israel, he defended issuing two endorsements in its election.

Democrats have accused the administration of using law enforcement to intimidate voters ahead of the polls.

Election officials in several states have said cases of non-citizen voting are rare.

The midterm elections will decide control of the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate, and several Indian American candidates are on the ballot across the country.

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