Election Officials Dispute Trump Claim About Dishonest Voting In Florida
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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/AP) — State election officials are pushing back against assertions by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump that early voting in Florida was corrupt.
Word is-early voting in FL is very dishonest. Little Marco, his State Chairman, & their minions are working overtime-trying to rig the vote.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 12, 2016
Trump said on Twitter that his campaign was asking law enforcement to look into problems with early voting, but Meredith Beatrice, speaking for Florida's secretary of state, said election officials had not heard of any such problems and had received no formal complaints.
We are asking law enforcement to check for dishonest early voting in Florida- on behalf of little Marco Rubio.
No way to run a country!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 12, 2016
Trump, the GOP front-runner, also said on Twitter that he had heard that some Republicans may be trying to "rig the vote" for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in Tuesday's big presidential primaries. His campaign has not provided any examples of dishonest voting.
Wadi Gatan, a spokesman for the Florida Republican Party, said the party also was unaware of early-voting irregularities.
The outcome of Florida's winner-take-all primary is crucial for Rubio's prospects for staying in the 2016 race.
Early voting in Florida started Feb. 29. Most counties had early voting sites open from March 5 until Saturday; nine counties hold early voting Sunday, including Rubio's home county of Miami-Dade.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)