To use a sports metaphor, the 2022 election is in overtime. At this point, we don't know for sure who will control the Senate or the House of Representatives. Obviously, many Republicans and conservatives are disappointed that the expected Red wave did not happen, but for the sake of argument, if the Republicans do win both the Senate and House, it is a great success for them, no matter how slim the margin. If the Democrats maintain control of both, then the election represents a devastating loss for Republicans. If the House goes Red and the Senate stays Blue, many will call it a toss-up or even a small victory for the Republicans.
What is disconcerting is the delay in knowing the outcome. It's not a question of not being able to stand the suspense, it's a question of how fair and honest some states are conducting their elections. I am not yet prepared to say that these elections are being rigged or take the position that "We wuz robbed", but I do have querstions.
The obvious question is why most all states can determine who the winners are on election night while some states cannot. How is it that Florida is decided while much less populated states like Arizona and Nevada are not? Even worse, how is that certain Congressional districts, at this point about 21, cannot count their votes in a timely manner? My congressional district, California's 47th, has only counted about 67% at this point, with incumbent Katie Porter (D) holding a slight lead.
This is as unscientific as it gets, but this morning, while on the treadmill at the gym, I was following CNN's count of the House races. They had the Republicans up 211-203 with 21 races undecided. Of those, I counted 11 in which the Republican was leading. (I may have been off one or two, but they need 7 more, a total which has stood still for at least a day now.) Take that for what it's worth if the Dems manage to win the majority.
Many Republicans and conservatives point out in that the overwhelming majority of cases, we see Republican candidates leading most of election night, then when the vote count hits 90%, the counting stalls and days later we learn that the Democrat won. There is a refrain among many Republicans that the Democrat-run machines in the big cities wait to see how many votes they need then somehow produce them. Is that true? I don't know, but I do have suspicions.
The question of whether we have dishonest elections may or may not be more fiction than fact, but it is also important that there is a perception among a large percentage of voters that we have a rigged system that favors the Democrats. If it is fact, say goodbye to our democracy. If it is only perception, our democacy is still in danger. Just today, I spoke with two close friends, an Italian couple who are immigrants and conservative. Today, they are saying that they will no longer vote.
That is a problem.
Pretty sure that this has been explained many times. They count the mail-in ballots last, and those tend to skew Democrat.
ReplyDeleteIf conservatives want to be honest with themselves, they'll realize how much the Supreme Court decision on abortion was at play. The majority of Americans want it to remain legal, and many think it's an important issue. (Even in red states - see what happened in Kentucky and Kansas.)