Republican presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy expressed his approval for “mandatory” voting and remote electronic ballots during the 2020 presidential election, even though he recently advocated for paper ballots during his appearance on “Meet the Press.”
While talking to NBC’s Chuck Todd, Ramaswamy stated, “We should have voting take place on a single day, Election Day. We should use paper ballots, and voters should provide government-issued IDs that match their voter records.”
However, on November 4, 2020, the day after the election, Ramaswamy shared his preference for “electronic at-home voting.”
“Electronic at-home voting. Universal access, even submitting a blank ballot if desired,” he wrote on X platform. “Limited to one per Social Security Number for each adult citizen. Eliminates ballot fraud and voter suppression. Also saves money spent on ‘get-out-the-vote’ campaigns. Most importantly, it enhances civic engagement. What are your thoughts?”
Electronic at-home voting. Make it universal; submit a blank ballot if you want. One per SSN for every adult citizen. No ballot fraud. No voter suppression. No wasted money on “get-out-the-vote.” Most importantly: greater civic engagement. Thoughts?
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) November 4, 2020
At that juncture, Ramaswamy also expressed his desire to institute compulsory voting.
“I’m proposing the idea of making it obligatory,” he penned.
My concern is what if “that person” never shows up to vote. If someone has their info and votes online, he/she may never know or care enough to follow up to confirm
— YASHIRA GOUCHA (@YGOUCHA) November 4, 2020
Ramaswamy’s campaign did not provide a response to Fox News Digital’s request for clarification regarding his stance.
In the past, Ramaswamy has shown support for a constitutional amendment that would raise the voting age from 18 to 25, except for individuals serving in the military or as first responders, or those able to pass the civics test required of immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship.
During his recent remarks, Ramaswamy criticized former Vice President Mike Pence for failing to seize a “historic opportunity” to unify the nation on January 6, 2021.
He asserted that he would have pursued “reforms” within the Senate to establish “election integrity” before confirming the results of the 2020 election.
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“As President of the Senate, I would have spearheaded these reform efforts. Following their implementation, I would have certified the election results under these conditions, presenting them to President Trump for his signature. Subsequently, on January 7th, I would have officially declared the commencement of a re-election campaign based on the outcome of a fair and unbiased election,” he stated.
Critics from both conservative and liberal perspectives have highlighted that the vice president lacks the authority to introduce legislation in the Senate, contrary to Ramaswamy’s suggestion.
The Pence campaign also responded to Ramaswamy’s comments, accusing him of aligning with “radical progressives in wanting to nationalize our election system.”
Vivek’s statement today on January 6th is both shocking and concerning in its lack of understanding of how our system of government works. In one breath, he joins Nancy Pelosi and radical progressives in wanting to nationalize our election system, and in another, he claims that the Vice President has unilateral authority to decide when to certify elections,” remarked David James, a spokesperson for the Pence campaign, in a statement to NBC News.
