US President Donald Trump is not going to be easy with the US Elections 2020. He sparked a furor suggesting he might not accept the results of the November 3 elections if he loses. His stance drew comparisons with lawless dictators Belarus and North Korea were mentioned and raised fears that he could fracture the US democratic system in cling to power.
Trailing Democratic rival Joe Biden in polls, the US leader refused to rule out the prospect on Wednesday when asked if he would support a peaceful transition. He said, “Well, we are going to have to see what happens.”
Trump has already prepared the ground should he decide to challenge the results; repeatedly claiming that Democrats will hijack tens of millions; of mailed-in ballots to defraud the vote.
On Thursday, he declared that “Democrats are rigging our 2020 Election!” he announced this after a handful of an early mailed ballots marked; for Trump was discovered discarded in a Pennsylvania election office.
In most recent US elections, winners have been declared; and losers have been concealed, within hours of the polls closing in November; based on the early vote counts. When the loser concealed; it allows the winner to immediately begin preparing to take power in January; well before the official winner is declared by the Electoral College in mid-December.
This year experts agree with Trump on one key point: because of the massive surge; in voting by mail due to the corona virus; and untested systems for handling those votes; early election results might be very incomplete and open to challenge.
The conclusion of the Transition Integrity Project, a group of academics; and former government officials studying possible; 2020 problems was “The winner likely will not be known on elections night.”
TIP, whose members include both Democrats and Republicans; says it expects a period of legal and political “chaos”; exploitable by the parties. Unless Biden captures the election by a clear landslide; TIP expects Trump to exploit any ambiguity, laws, and presidential powers; to assert victory and refuse to leave the office.
They said, “We also assess that President Trump is likely to; contest the result by both legal and extra-legal means; in an attempt to hold onto powers.”
Talking about it briefly then Trump has signalled two possibilities.
- First, if the projected results on election night go against him; he will refuse to concede and challenge the vote count; with the support of Republican political operatives on the ground in the states. That could lead to recounting; with each ballot reviewed and challenged on any anomaly: a smudged signature, an abbreviated address; or a ballot mailed without a special inner envelop meant to ensure secrecy; which in some case can lead to its rejection as a “naked ballot”.
- Second, if Trump sees himself leading the night of November 3; he could declare victory before millions of mailed ballots are tallied.
Analysts believe that more Democrats will vote by mail than Republicans; and Trump has already suggested he may not accept their validity.
