Important Update: 2020 Election

Last night, President Trump prematurely declared victory and claimed that the Democrats are stealing the election. This is false.

 

Here's a quick FAQ to help you understand what is currently happening in the United States:

• When will we get results?

Experts are predicting that it could take up to a week (or more) to get the final unofficial vote tallies in some states. The NYTimes has a really helpful chart that explains what to expect in each state.

The biggest reason for the expected delay in results this year is due to mail-in ballots - including ballots from military service members - which some states were not allowed to start counting until the polls close. For example, Pennsylvania did not start processing their mail-in ballots until Election Day and may not finish counting them all until November 6th. Keep in mind that we've had historically high numbers of mail-in ballots this year, and counting them all takes time due to the robust security measures in place.

To dig into this even more, we can look at Michigan and Pennsylvania:

• Michigan - As of 10:30am ET on 11/4, 10% of votes are left to count, and Biden has a small lead. The bulk of the remaining ballots are in Detroit’s Wayne County, but the clerk there has not (yet) given a timeframe for when we can expect results. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is promising a "much more complete picture of Michigan by the end of the day".

• Pennsylvania - As of 10:30am ET on 11/4, 22% of votes are left to count. We are unlikely to know the final count today because 1) Philadelphia, its suburbs, and Pittsburgh are still counting ballots, and 2) ballots can still arrive by Friday if postmarked on Election Day (though this is likely to be challenged at the Supreme Court).

 

• But we've never had an election where ballots weren't all counted on election night!

FALSE. On election night, experts make projections based on statistical probabilities with the data they have. It is normal for it to take weeks to count all the votes. The good news is that most states are optimistic that they can have the unofficial vote count available by the end of the week.

 

• Okay - but counting votes after election night will steal the election!

FALSE. Ballots have to be postmarked by Election Day, and many states require that they must be received by Election Day. States have to count all votes. Counting all the votes cast isn't "stealing" anything: it's making sure that every vote is counted, just like every other election.

 

• What's the deal with Pennsylvania? Why are so many people alarmed?

Experts anticipated a "red mirage" in Pennsylvania that would later be subject to a "blue shift" -- and it looks like that's what we're seeing right now. You can read a really detailed explanation here.

Here's what's happening: Pennsylvania counted the in-person Election Day vote first and that vote favored President Trump, as expected. Mail-in ballots are counted later, and are expected to favor Biden. This is why we saw Trump with a big lead on election night and a shrinking lead as of this morning. You should expect to continue to see this shrink.

Simply put: We need to wait for all the votes to be counted before calling the winner.

 

• What about Arizona?

Arizona is interesting because it could actually experience a "red shift". Early votes were expected to favor Biden, and over the course of the night, the race has tightened. While some media outlets have called Arizona for Biden, we should keep an eye on it.

This is why counting all the votes is not a partisan endeavor.

 

• Are mail-in ballots rife with fraud?

No. Mail-in ballots are very secure. Colorado is almost completely vote by mail and has some of the most secure elections in the country. Check out this helpful vote by mail resource from the Brennan Center. Heck, Ivanka and Jared even voted by mail in this election!

 

• Are Democrats/Republicans/Aliens/Bigfoot trying to steal the election?

No. Counting the votes is not stealing the election. Americans cast their votes and now we must wait for them all to be counted.

 

• Where can I find the official election results?

The only official results are those certified by state elections officials. While the media can make projections based on ballots counted versus outstanding, state election officials are the authorities. So if you’re not sure about a victory claim you’re seeing in the media or from candidates, check back with the local officials. The National Association of Secretaries of States lets you look up state election officials here.

 

Help us stop disinformation

President Trump did a lot of damage to our democracy last night with his premature declaration. He could still win this election, but his continued attempts to undermine our election are very dangerous. We will be doing our best to remove misinformation on this subreddit, but we need your help.

Please report comments that:

• Claim that mail-in ballots are fraudulent.

• Claim that the election is being stolen.

• Call for violence or try to organize for violent action.

 

We've got a crazy week ahead of us, but if we all work together, we can do our part to protect the 2020 election.

Submitted November 04, 2020 at 08:52AM by hoosakiwi https://ift.tt/32fnQyR