COLUMBUS, Ga. — Former President Bill Clinton said Monday, while campaigning for Vice President Kamala Harris, that the election will come down to whether there is a fair and transparent vote count.

Asked by NBC News what will determine the outcome, Clinton replied: “Who wants it bad enough and whether we can get a fair, open count.”

A Clinton aide later said he was referring to several reports of threats and intimidation against election officials.

Clinton is in Georgia looking for Harris, where his comments to voters on Sunday raised eyebrows when he spoke about immigration.

In an attempt to argue that Harris is more serious than former President Donald Trump when it comes to finding solutions to border problems and immigration, Clinton referenced the February murder of a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student, Laken Riley, and the man who was accused of her death. , a Venezuelan citizen who illegally entered the US in 2022.

Clinton said this “probably wouldn’t have happened” if the migrants had “all been properly vetted.”

Trump, who has made immigration a cornerstone of his re-election bid while casting doubt on election security after his 2020 loss, used Clinton’s comments against the Harris campaign, saying the man accused of killing Riley was the US entered days before Harris called for the border. Certainly.”

The Harris campaign said Clinton’s words were taken out of context. In his full remarks, Clinton said the U.S. needs “vetted” immigrants to do work. He also addressed Trump’s successful efforts to pass a bipartisan bill this year that would have strengthened border security.

Clinton is one of several high-profile surrogates, including former President Barack Obama, campaigning for Harris as the race enters its final stretch. A new poll from NBC News shows the race is a dead heat.