US election administrators and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris’ campaign have condemned threats by Donald Trump to jail “corrupt” officials if he wins the presidential election.

They were responding on Monday (local time) to a social media post from Trump on Saturday in which he threatened an array of opponents with prosecution if he wins the November 5 election.

“We cannot let our Country further devolve into a Third World Nation, AND WE WON’T! Please beware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials. Those involved in unscrupulous behaviour will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country,” Trump wrote.

( @realDonaldTrump – Truth Social Post )
( Donald J. Trump – Sep 07, 2024, 7:01 PM ET )

CEASE & DESIST: I, together with many Attorneys and Legal Scholars, am watching the Sanctity of the 2024 Presidential Election very closely because I know, better than most, the rampant… pic.twitter.com/VwiK6x1QrD

— Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 TRUTH POSTS (@TruthTrumpPosts) September 7, 2024

Studies have found voter fraud in the US to be extremely rare.

Trump’s latest social media spray came as he and rival Harris fine tune their tactics before Tuesday’s (11am Wednesday, AEST),  first – and so far only – official debate on nationwide TV.

With polls showing the pair neck and neck in the race to the White House, Trump has reportedly been preparing by meeting and getting coaching from allies. They include former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former Democratic representative Tulsi Gabbard.

Harris, in turn, has done mock debates with Philippe Reines, who also played the Republican former president during Hillary Clinton’s debate prep in 2016. NBC News reported that Reines had even donned a navy blue suit and red tie in Trump’s signature style for the practice sessions.

Quizzed by journalists as she headed to Philadelphia – where the debate will be held – Harris said only “I’m good”, and gave a thumbs up. She did not respond to a question about whether Trump should be worried.

In Saturday’s tirade, Trump also repeated his baseless claim that his 2020 election defeat to President Joe Biden was due to fraud, the same message he gave to supporters before the deadly storming of the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021.

In recent days, CNN reports, he has also vowed to pardon those rioters, complained that voting in Pennsylvania (a must-win state for both candidates) is fraudulent; railed against women who accused him of sexual misconduct; and spent hours on sometimes incoherent rants that raised questions about his state of mind.

‘Need to be prepared’

The Democratic Secretary of State in the battleground state of Arizona, Adrian Fontes, described Trump’s post on his Truth Social account as “tyrannical” and said it could incite political violence.

“Sadly, security is now one of the main considerations in election administration,” Fontes, Arizona’s top election official, told Reuters.

“Trump’s comments give the potential for bad actors to take them as a call to arms. We need to protect our election officials and our poll workers. We need to be prepared for just about anything.”

Seth Bluestein, a Republican member of Philadelphia’s Board of Elections, in the swing state of Pennsylvania, said of Trump’s comments: “Every election official I know will be focused on doing their job well, which unfortunately includes preparing for threats of violence.”

But Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the statement.

“President Trump believes anyone who breaks the law should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, including criminals who engage in election fraud. Without free and fair elections, you can’t have a country,” she told Reuters.

TRUMP LIE ALERT: Retired Pennsylvania lawmaker here.🙋🏻‍♂️Per the state law passed BY REPUBLICANS, Pennsylvania’s mail-in ballots won’t even start being counted until Election Day…in November. Everything this guy says is a lie. #BrokenTrump pic.twitter.com/TIrr7eVEHx

— Brian Sims 🌈 (@BrianSimsPA) September 9, 2024

Harris spokesperson Amman Moussa called the comments “extreme and unhinged”, adding: “Donald Trump is further ratcheting up his dangerous threats of revenge and retribution.”

Trump and Harris are locked in an election battle that opinion polls show is too close to call. Harris has wiped out the lead Trump enjoyed over Biden before the Democratic President dropped his reelection bid in July.

Since his 2020 defeat, Trump has regularly made false claims about election workers cheating him out of victory. Many have received threats.

In reaction to Trump’s Saturday post, Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s Secretary of State and a Democrat, posted on X: “My duty – and that of every election official in this nation – is to rise above the noise and continue to ensure our elections are fair, secure, accessible, and that the results are accurate. No amount of lies, delusions or threats will distract us from that purpose.”

Michella Huff, elections director in Surry County, North Carolina, said she feared Trump’s comments would deter people from becoming election workers.

“All it’s going to do is discourage wonderful volunteers,” said Huff, a former Republican turned independent.

-with AAP