7/25/2020
The hanging-chad debacle of 2000 already messed up one presidential election. Now it looks as if it's ready to ruin another. If it does, the country will face a crisis like no other.
The hanging-chad debacle of 2000 already messed up one presidential election. Now it looks as if it's ready to ruin another. If it does, the country will face a crisis like no other.
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| Audry as a wee lass. |
When the polls close, we could face a truly scary situation. Remember the aftermath of the butterfly ballots? While Democrats hesitated, Republican political fixer Jim Baker bused in angry young men from other states. Their task was to intimidate haggard vote-counters in precinct offices who were eyeballing individual paper ballots to figure out what voters' intentions had been. With surly protesters filling precinct lobbies (and worse), some election officials simply gave up and called the votes for George W. Bush.
And remember, all that was in ONE county in Florida -- not 14 states whose election systems are still vulnerable to incursions from Russian and Chinese hackers. Add to that the voting by mail, which relies on the Postal System, whose new head, a Trump donor, declares that he plans to slow down deliveries. Around a third of poll workers, who typically volunteer year after year, are too old and vulnerable to COVID-19 to serve in this pandemic, and because there are fewer volunteers, there will be fewer places to vote. Even then, those manning the polls may include more inexperienced newcomers.
And remember, all that was in ONE county in Florida -- not 14 states whose election systems are still vulnerable to incursions from Russian and Chinese hackers. Add to that the voting by mail, which relies on the Postal System, whose new head, a Trump donor, declares that he plans to slow down deliveries. Around a third of poll workers, who typically volunteer year after year, are too old and vulnerable to COVID-19 to serve in this pandemic, and because there are fewer volunteers, there will be fewer places to vote. Even then, those manning the polls may include more inexperienced newcomers.
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| Little Audrey, all growed up and hungry for blood. |
This year, we have a uniquely divided electorate and a uniquely corrupt president who hints frequently that he "may or may not" accept the election results. Many of the nation's loudest gun owners and right wingnuts are in Trump's camp, and his base has become ever more resistant to hearing information that they find disagreeable. These are the folks who think COVID-19 is a hoax and wearing masks is an assault on their freedom. Meanwhile, foreign hackers have focused on undermining Americans' faith in the electoral system and in each other. An inconclusive vote could lead to ... nothing good.
“My biggest concern for the fall election is an election administrator’s job," Washington’s Republican secretary of state told author Graff. "[It] is to convince the losers that they lost.”
“My biggest concern for the fall election is an election administrator’s job," Washington’s Republican secretary of state told author Graff. "[It] is to convince the losers that they lost.”
Photo, young Audrey: Ahem. The origin of this photo is lost in the mists of time.
Photo, grown-up Audrey: https://www.moviefone.com/2016/12/17/little-shop-of-horrors-facts/
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