Tuesday, Nov. 3, was just the beginning. Saturday, the media declared the presidential race over, with former vice president Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris the winners. The student representatives of the AU College Republicans and Democrats, Jesse Green and Hailey Small, respectively, weigh in with their opinions on the coming weeks.
Regarding a recount of votes, both Green and Small are in agreement that a recount is likely.
“Unfortunately, Trump has been challenging the validity of the election for months,” said Small. “I have no reason to think that he won’t question the validity of the results, even if he has no evidence to back up his claims. I would be shocked if there wasn’t a recount, especially in key states like Georgia or Pennsylvania where the results were so close.”
“I believe Trump will have a recount in the states that are close,” said Green. “If any proof of significant irregularities arise, then I am sure the Trump Campaign will take the necessary steps to address these occurrences.”
But will recounts actually change the outcome of the 2020 election? Both Green and Small believe that a recount won’t alter the outcome very much.
“Honestly though, I doubt recounts will drastically change the results of the election,” said Small. “As of now, Biden has 290 electoral votes and Trump has 214. Multiple states would have to switch after recounts in order for Trump to reach the required 270 electoral college votes to win the election. Yeah, the election was close, but multiple states would have to have been tens of thousands of votes off for the results to change.”
“Recounts don’t usually have a significant effect on the final outcome,” said Green. “In 2016, Trump actually gained around 100 votes in Wisconsin, expanding his lead in the state. Unless there is proof of voter fraud, Biden will likely still win the Presidency.”
The burning question in many Americans’ minds is regarding the mail-in ballots many states switched to for this year’s election, and whether or not that contributed to alleged voter fraud.
For Small, Trump has no basis with which to contest the results, although he is legally able.
“Trump has every right to challenge the results, and if there is evidence of fraud that should be investigated,” said Small. “However, as of now, Trump has lost the election and is unwilling to accept that fact. As far as I can remember, Trump is the only president in American history who outright disrespected the democratic process by declaring victory so early and refusing to concede when it’s so clear he’s lost.”
Green fully supports contesting results if proof of widespread voter fraud is produced.
“With the changes to mail-in ballots, the chances for fraud are higher than normal, especially in states such as Nevada that send out ballots to all registered voters automatically,” said Green. “If anyone has significant proof with substantial evidence of voter fraud, it should be taken seriously. And because of the increased risks of fraud this year, I support an effort to make sure the results are valid and not directly influenced by bad actors.”
