CONTESTED ELECTION?: Mail-in ballots are widely expected to be a contentious issue if either Trump or Biden question the election results.
Some in Vermont are making it clear that they expect contested results for Tuesday’s presidential election, and most of these individuals are preparing to side with Democrat challenger Joe Biden rather than President Donald Trump.
Rama Schneider, who is running to be a representative for the House Orange-1 District, says the president may cause a “constitutional crisis” after election night.
The simple fact that we have to call for an overwhelming @JoeBiden victory just to avoid some manufactured constitutional crisis should be all you need to know about the trump-mcconnell-@gop–@vtgop death cult. #vtpoli #NotMeUs
— Rama Schneider for VT State Rep, Orange-1 District (@RamaSchneider) October 28, 2020
TV journalist Stewart Ledbetter said on Twitter that Vermont’s election officials are “on edge” after President Trump pushed for more poll watchers.
Election officials on edge after @realDonaldTrump pushes hard for Tuesday 'poll watchers' – #vt voter turnout inches closer to all-time record: https://t.co/emYZ02ksDM#vtpoli @VermontSOS pic.twitter.com/jImsBOeM2A
— Stewart Ledbetter (@StewartMyNBC5) October 29, 2020
The Vermont Public Interest Research Group, which has taken on a handful of Democrat-associated policy initiatives such as green energy and social justice, posted that Trump is not going to accept the election results.
Trump won't commit to accept the election results.
He thinks it's up to him–but it’s not. It's up to us.
And we’ll be ready to mobilize on November 4 to make sure every vote is counted. Join us to #ProtectTheResults in your community at https://t.co/HxwMrsswIy pic.twitter.com/XkAGCvtxVp
— VPIRG (@VPIRG) October 29, 2020
Garret Graff, another Vermont journalist, commented that the GOP are trying to steal the election by not allowing early ballot counting.
The GOP is simultaneously arguing that early ballots can’t be counted early—but also the only valid count is on election night. Be clear: They’re actually just trying to steal the election.
— Garrett M. Graff (@vermontgmg) October 27, 2020
Mail-in-ballot controversy
Vermont is one of 10 states this year to automatically send out mail-in-ballots to all registered voters. This policy has put Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos at odds with President Trump, who has been very critical of mail-in voting.
The election is expected to be very close in battleground states, but some indicators point to a Trump surge on Election Day, including the statistic that 11.7 percent of Republicans report that they don’t feel comfortable sharing their real opinions for polls.
Another prediction is that mail-in ballots — which may still be around in the millions even after Election Day — are expected to favor Democrats. If mail-in ballots are still coming in after Nov. 3, some states, including Vermont, are aiming to continue counting them.
Regarding which mail-in ballots are valid, Condos is taking issue with the recent U.S. Supreme Court’s Democratic National Committee v. Wisconsin State Legislature decision that prohibits ballots from being received in Wisconsin after Election Day on Nov. 3. In a press release sent out Thursday, Condos wrote:
This Supreme Court decision repeats the misinformation we, as Chief Elections Officials, have been fighting against all election season: that votes cast on election day and arriving afterward are somehow not valid or are lesser than votes cast in person,” he wrote. “That is simply not true. This is how elections have worked for decades. In many states, it is normal for absentee votes to arrive after election day. This is particularly common for our overseas and military voters.”
Trump’s continued criticisms of mail-in balloting caught the ear of Condos who put out this Tweet last week.
The President's campaign website was briefly taken over by hackers yesterday in an attempt to undermine our confidence and create chaos. A website breach is not the same as altering election results. Be on the lookout for misinformation in this final week and vote on, Vermont! https://t.co/oqGgSyJmeJ
— Vermont Secretary of State’s Office (@VermontSOS) October 28, 2020
In another Tweet, Condos says that “sowing chaos and doubt” into elections is occurring online.
Valuable information from @vprnet about interference in elections. Sowing chaos and doubt is often the goal online. Be wary, be skeptical and report false election info to us. #protect2020 #TrustedInfo2020 #vtpoli https://t.co/j8KITlu5QT
— Vermont Secretary of State’s Office (@VermontSOS) October 27, 2020
There have been a dozen big headlines across the nation regarding mail-in ballot fraud and mishaps, including an Ohio county that saw nearly 50,000 voters get the wrong ballots. Project Veritas exposed an alleged ballot harvesting scheme by associates of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. This past week, the undercover journalist group caught a Texas woman on camera admitting to harvesting thousands of votes for top Texas politicians for money.
The president himself has indicated that he expects disputes over mail-in balloting could go to the Supreme Court.
“I think it’s better if you go before the election, because I think this scam that the Democrats are pulling — it’s a scam — the scam will be before the United States Supreme Court,” he said. The last time an election went to the Supreme Court was 20 years ago, when Republican George Bush and Democrat Al Gore disputed over “hanging chads” and other ballot quirks in Florida.
And mainstream media such as CNN have been suggesting that President Trump is going to cause a constitutional crisis.
Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.
NH heeeya checking in.
I just waited in line for over 2 hours in my town near Keene.
I’ve never seen a turnout like this in all my years. The very large parking lot was over full with cars parked way the heck down the road on each side. People had quite a walk from down the road just to approach THE LINE which was snaked around the perimeter of this huge parking lot and headed down the road.
The sun was out and we all just chatted with whoever was around us. I never saw a single person leave or turn around when seeing this line, so people seemed prepared and in good spirits about it. Everything went fine and was well organized. I talked to a poll worker I know that said in his 30 years of doing that, he’d never seen a turnout like this- he had kinda a dazed look about him…I’ve never seen a turnout like this either.
The town was setting up those huge overhead lights when I was leaving- its clear that line won’t be ending before dark sets in.
I’m seeing comments over here from around the state that are all describing similar scenarios.
I can believe we’ll have a record breaking turnout over here when it’s all said and done.
I just voted.
As I walked up to the tabulating machine to insert my ballot, there were two polling officials.
One smiled at me, the other was holding a stack of ballots she was stuffing into the machine.
As I approached, she moved away, and just stood there.
I asked, what she was doing and where those ballots came from?
She said people had mailed them in.
Would it be possible for Condos to send a bunch of empty ballots to pre-selected people, who would fill them in and then hand them to pre-selected polling officials to be counted?
It that called “stuffing the ballot box”.
There is a 100% chance those ballots were marked for Dem/Progs so that their veto-proof majority is “protected”
LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED
All was totally peaceful in the Hartford polling area.
People standing in line wore masks.
All was friendly and efficient
It was as easy as going shopping at Wal*Mart.
The Dem/Prog hysteria/scare-mongering for promoting mail-in voting was completely irrational and unnecessary.
Just the 2020 version of “Vote early, vote often” from the days Chicago’s Daley machine.
I have been a Republican poll watcher in the past. Someone needs to be watching also I don’t mind showing my drivers license to vote.
A vote for Biden is really going to be a vote for President Harris, a very staunch liberal/ Marxist.
WE know that. The lemming DemProgs are overjoyed.
For 4 years the democrats tried to overturn the 2016 election and now they say Trump won’t accept this election outcome. These people always accuse others of what they themselves are doing. Wait and see what they will try to pull if the President wins. Never trust a democrat, it’s who they are.
Methinks the Democrats protest too much.
There has been a whole lot of finger pointing in the wrong direction for the last 4+ years, nationally and in Vermont.
I believe the majority of the people still believe in the Constitution and our way
of life, it may not be perfect but it’s the best in the world.
The socialist left thinks they have the answers, nope just pushing the rhetoric they
here from fools like Bernie Sanders and the squad, Idiots with a bad political ideology !!
If Biden wins, it will only be by hook or by crook……Democrats will use the liberal courts
to push their agenda….. with losers like the ACLU & VPIRG
Wake up, people………
That both VT and NH are full of hooks and crooks ought be evident by the results.
Vermonters!
Remember this.
A big part of the fake news this this;
They are not telling you what the news IS, they are telling you what they want you to Think The News Is.. big difference!
This is the same thing with the Polling.. they do all of this to sway, manipulate and brainwash people.
Polling is really getting to be a thing of the past anyway.. because they can’t keep putting lipstick on that pig anymore and even they know it..
When you get 57,000 people at one single Rally yesterday in Butler PA, something big is going on- and it’s ain’t with Dementia Joe.
What you are seeing now is them setting the table to do just what we all knew they were going to do- and that is cheat!