Washington, Oct 30 (AFP/APP): The people spending nights staking out and filming ballot drop boxes in Arizona say their task is to save democracy from the “mules” that countless Americans believe rigged the 2020 election against Donald Trump.
But to poll officials, voting rights advocates and many citizens in a state where early voting is common, the self-appointed ballot watchers are a physical representation of how a disinformation-laden documentary is making its mark on next month’s US midterm elections.
Described by some as a vigilante parade, the watchers stand accused of intimidating voters at drop boxes — secure bins used in many states to submit a ballot.
The film energizing them is far-right commentator Dinesh D’Souza’s “2000 Mules.” It advanced the conspiracy theory that ballot-trafficking “mules” smuggled fraudulent votes into the boxes to swing the presidency to Joe Biden.
Reached by AFP, D’Souza defended his production and its sticking power — and said those surveilling ballot boxes are “patriots, who are worried about fraud this time around.”
Legal challenges to organizations spearheading the ballot watching arose after Arizona’s secretary of state referred several voter intimidation complaints to law enforcement, including one from a voter claiming they were accused of “being a mule.”
“The last two years have been a wild goose chase for those seeking to prove that elections are rigged,” said Jared Holt, senior research manager at the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
“What has differentiated the mules claims from other conspiracy theories is that the solution activists have taken away from them is to take matters into their own hands.”
Follow the PNI Facebook page for the latest news and updates.
