Politics

Read: Charlie Baker, Karyn Polito issue statement on presidential election

“The United States of America depends on every American having the freedom to cast their vote and for every vote to be counted."

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Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito joined other Massachusetts elected officials in calling for every vote in the presidential election to be counted as the race remained undecided Wednesday morning.

Baker told reporters on Election Day that he “blanked” his 2020 presidential vote, opting not to vote for either President Donald Trump or Democratic challenger Joe Biden.

“The United States of America depends on every American having the freedom to cast their vote and for every vote to be counted,” Baker and Polito said in a joint statement Wednesday. “Every American, regardless of political affiliation, especially the President and every candidate on the ballot, should be united in supporting this process.”

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The statement follows after Trump falsely claimed victory in a speech to supporters at the White House early Wednesday. Joe Biden urged patience in a speech as votes continued to be counted, expressing the belief he was on track to win.

Below, read the full statement from Baker and Polito:

“The United States of America depends on every American having the freedom to cast their vote and for every vote to be counted. Every American, regardless of political affiliation, especially the President and every candidate on the ballot, should be united in supporting this process. Regardless of who wins this election, the challenges facing the Commonwealth and the nation remain: defeating the pandemic, rebuilding the economy, and supporting those who need help in these difficult days. When the results are finally determined, we are hopeful that all candidates, especially the two running for the most powerful office in the world, set aside partisanship to improve the lives of all Americans. While many anxiously await the results of this critically important election everyone must exercise their First Amendment right peacefully if they choose to do so, and we ask everyone to be respectful of one another.”

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Dialynn Dwyer is a reporter and editor at Boston.com, covering breaking and local news across Boston and New England.

 

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