Trump supporter caught trying to vote twice

  • 30/10/2016
Terri Lynn Rote (Polk County/supplied)
Terri Lynn Rote (Polk County/supplied)

Donald Trump has regularly claimed the US election is rigged, and now the first cases of attempted voter fraud are coming to light - but they include his supporters.

A Trump voter in Des Moines, Iowa, has been arrested after allegedly trying to vote for the Republican candidate - twice.

Terri Lynn Rote, 55, cast an early vote at the Polk County Election Office, and another one at a county satellite voting location, reports the Des Moines Register.

Polk County election auditor Jamie Fitzgerald said it was the first case of voter fraud he's seen in the 12 years he's been in the job.

"I think it shows that our voting system works in Iowa, that we're able to catch it," he told the paper.

Polk County attorney John Sarcone told CBS News it was only the third arrest he's seen in 25 years for alleged voter fraud, contrary to Mr Trump's claims the entire US presidential election is rigged.

Meanwhile, a man in Virginia faces up to 40 years in prison after trying to register voters who didn't exist, reports the Washington Post.

Vafalay Massaquoi worked for New Virginia Majority, a group representing "communities of colour, women, working people, LGBTs, youth and progressive people".

New Virginia Majority fired Massaquoi as soon as it found out what he'd allegedly done.

"Given the recent public attention to claims of election fraud, I think it is important to note that there is no allegation that any illegal vote was actually cast in this case," a state attorney said. "Since the fraudulent applications involved fictitious people, had the fraud not been uncovered the risk of actual fraudulent votes being cast was low."

Ms Clinton has taken an early lead in the race, based on early voting, despite renewed focus on her use of a private email server.

Newshub.