(CNN) President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would send law enforcement officials to polling locations to guard against voter fraud in November's election, although it's not clear he has the authority to do so. Trump also has no authority to deploy local law enforcement officials to monitor elections, although his campaign could hire off-duty police to work the polls, said Rick Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California at Irvine. Marc Elias, an election lawyer at the forefront of Democrat lawsuits on voting, hinted at legal action if Trump proceeds. She said her group would "use every tool in our arsenal to block thinly veiled efforts aimed at discouraging participation by eligible voters this election season." Earlier this year, a top Trump aide, Justin Clark, said the campaign was working to recruit 50,000 poll-watchers.

Source: CNN August 21, 2020 03:50 UTC