HELENA，Mont。-总统唐纳德·特朗普周三，在民主党州长史蒂夫·布洛克让各县选择进行11月选举后，共和党起诉了蒙大拿州选举在冠状病毒大流行期间完全通过邮件。
该诉讼声称布洛克的指令会削弱蒙大拿州的完整性选举系统。
这一法律挑战是特朗普阻止邮寄投票的最新尝试，他声称没有证据的邮寄投票会导致广泛的欺诈。上个月，他的竞选团队和共和党还就内华达州的一项新法律提起诉讼，该法律将自动向选民发送11月份的邮寄选票，称该计划将损害选举的完整性。
蒙大拿州的诉讼将布洛克和共和党国务卿科里·斯台普顿列为被告。
布洛克在一份声明中说:“这一诉讼模板似乎是共和党人在全国范围内限制大流行期间投票的诉讼模式的一部分。”“在蒙大拿州，通过邮件投票是安全的，这是由蒙大拿州选举官员组成的两党联盟所要求的，该联盟旨在降低新冠肺炎的风险，保障蒙大拿州人的安全和健康。”
布洛克不再竞选州长，但正试图将现任共和党参议员史蒂夫·戴恩斯赶下台。斯台普顿没有立即回复寻求置评的电子邮件和电话信息。
共和党全国委员会主席罗纳·麦克丹尼尔指责布洛克利用冠状病毒“以‘健康’的名义攫取权力，控制蒙大拿州的选举。”"
“这一仓促且违反宪法的指令造成了一个拼凑的选举法，在全州范围内没有统一的程序，自动将选票邮寄给选民，并招致欺诈、操纵和行政混乱。麦克丹尼尔在一份声明中说:“在最后一刻颠覆我们的选举进程将是一场灾难。”
蒙大拿州允许通过邮件投票，但只有在选民的要求下。在布洛克的指示下，各县可以选择在11月的选举中完全通过邮件投票。布洛克是应全州县书记员的要求发布这一指示的。
各郡必须在周五之前通知斯台普顿他们将如何进行选举。据国务卿选举办公室称，56个县中的42个已经确认他们计划完全通过邮件举行11月的选举。
蒙大拿州6月2日的初选是按照布洛克的类似指示通过邮件进行的，布洛克得到了州参议院和众议院共和党领导层的支持。
特朗普认为邮件投票系统缺乏防范欺诈的措施。但是有五个州使用通用邮件投票，没有重大欺诈事件。
特朗普的竞选律师马修摩根(Matthew Morgan)在一份声明中表示:“尽管布洛克州长眼睁睁地看着特朗普总统的团队一个接一个地单方面夺取了一位自由派州长的权力，但他现在却把他那注定要失败的目标放在了最后一刻的选举规则修改上。”
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塞缪尔是美联社/美国国务院新闻报道倡议的成员。“为美国报道”是一个非营利性的国家服务项目，将记者安排在当地的新闻编辑室进行报道。
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这个故事已经被更正，以表明蒙大拿州国务卿科里·斯台普顿的名字拼错了科里。
GOP, Trump campaign sue Montana over all-mail voting option
HELENA, Mont. -- PresidentDonald Trump's reelection campaign and the Republican Party sued Montana on Wednesday after Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock gave counties the choice to conduct the Novemberelectionentirely by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The lawsuit alleges Bullock's directive would dilute the integrity of Montana'selectionsystem.
The legal challenge is the latest attempt by Trump to block mail-in voting, which he has claimed without proof would lead to widespread fraud. His campaign and the Republican Party also sued last month over a new law in Nevada that will automatically send voters mail-in ballots for November, contending the plan would undermine the election’s integrity.
The lawsuit in Montana names Bullock and Republican Secretary of State Corey Stapleton as defendants.
“This template lawsuit appears to be part of a pattern of lawsuits across the country by Republican Party operatives to limit access to voting during the pandemic," Bullock said in a statement. “Voting by mail in Montana is safe, secure, and was requested by a bipartisan coalition of Montana election officials seeking to reduce the risk of COVID-19 and keep Montanans safe and healthy.”
Bullock isn't running for governor again but is trying to unseat incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines. Stapleton did not immediately respond to emails and phone messages seeking comment.
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel accused Bullock of using the coronavirus as “a power grab to take control of Montana’s elections in the name of ‘health.’”
“This rushed and unconstitutional directive creates a patchwork election code with no uniform procedures across the state, automatically mails ballots to voters, and invites fraud, manipulation and administrative chaos. Upending our elections process in the 11th hour is a recipe for disaster," McDaniel said in a statement.
Montana allows for voting by mail but only at the request of the voter. Under Bullock’s directive, which he issued after a request from county clerks statewide, counties have the option to have voting done entirely by mail for the November election.
Counties have until Friday to notify Stapleton on how they will conduct the election. According to the secretary of state's elections office, 42 out of 56 counties have already confirmed they plan to hold the November elections entirely by mail.
Montana's June 2 primary election was held by mail following a similar directive from Bullock, which received support from the Republican leadership of the state Senate and House.
Trump has contended vote-by-mail systems lack safeguards against fraud. But five states use universal mail voting with no major incidents of fraud.
“Even though Governor Bullock has watched President Trump’s team take down the unilateral power grabs of one liberal governor after another, he has now taken his ill-fated aim at last-minute election rule changes," Matthew Morgan, Trump's campaign attorney, said in a statement.
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Samuels is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report.
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This story has been corrected to show that Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton’s name was misspelled Cory.
