Corrupting American Elections
(Note: This site is dedicated to fostering thinking about important issues, not to taking political sides. When discussing politicians, the intent is solely to encourage reflection on how their words and actions affect what George Washington called the “American Experiment.”)
At the core of American self-government are elections and the peaceful transition of power. Indeed, 10 of the 17 Constitutional amendments since the Bill of Rights deal with this. The president, by his oath, must ensure elections are free, fair, and the results respected. In executing this role, President Trump is damaging our republican form of government. .
Making False Claims of Widespread Voter Fraud
After the 2016 election, he insisted, without evidence, that he only lost the popular vote due to “massive voter fraud.” The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity he established disbanded without justifying this claim. Federal Election Commission member Ellen Weintraub said of voter fraud: “It’s infinitesimal. People have studied this. There’s been litigation over this. Commissions have been established on this.” The Heritage Foundation’s Election Fraud Database lists only 1,296 proven instances of election fraud stretching over more than 25 years. In the “swing state” of Wisconsin, for example, there was only one case in 2018.
The president’s charge that expanded mail voting will lead to extensive fraud also lacks evidence. Amber McReynolds, CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute, and Charles Stewart, director of the MIT Election Data and Science Lab, recently wrote “Over the past 20 years, more than 250 million ballots have been cast by mail nationwide, while there have been just 143 criminal convictions for election fraud related to mail ballots. That averages out to about one case per state every six or seven years, or a fraud rate of 0.00006%.”
Falsely Questioning Candidates’ Eligibility
The eligibility to run for president is clear in the Constitution. Yet, when Barack Obama was a candidate, Donald Trump spread the false claim that he was not an American citizen. He briefly returned to this “birther” tactic after Kamala Harris was named Biden’s running mate. At an August 13th White House briefing, he said: “"I heard it today that she doesn't meet the requirements. . . . I have no idea if that's right . . . That's very serious." A sitting president should not have “no idea”. It’s in the Constitution - someone born in the United States is eligible to be president. Even giving temporary credence to this falsehood helped it spread through social media. Distancing himself later does not eliminate the damage. In 2015, one in five Americans still believed Obama was born outside the United States.
Suspicious Attempts at Voter Suppression
The president insists extensive poll monitoring is essential to prevent fraud. Asked during a Fox News interview if he would use poll watchers on Election Day, he replied: "We're going to have everything. We're going to have sheriffs and law enforcement and we're going to have, hopefully, U.S. attorneys, and we're going to have everybody, and attorney generals." The Republican National Committee is recruiting 50,000 volunteers to serve as poll watchers. Even if such forces are never deployed, the fear of their presence may well keep voters away.
The recent letter sent to almost all states by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, indicating the Postal Service might not be able to deliver mail ballots in time sent a chilling threat about free and fair elections. While DeJoy has since said he would give priority to mailed ballots, many Americans now wonder if they should mail a ballot. Since going to the polls means a potential health risk or facing a challenge to your right to vote, voter suppression may already be the result.
Spreading claims of massive voter fraud, questioning the citizenship of national candidates, and making voters fearful of exercising their right to vote all threaten free and fair elections. Refusing to commit to abiding by the results of those elections further threatens democracy.
Threatening the Peaceful Transition of Power
“The only way we’re gonna lose this election is if the election is rigged,” the president told supporters on August 17th. Asked by Fox News’ Chris Wallace if he would accept the results of the election if he lost, Trump responded “No, I'm not going to just say 'yes.' I’m not going to say 'no.' " The president thus threatened he may not step down. He also hinted he may demand an election do-over, telling Fox News: “You can’t take millions of ballots, send them haphazardly all over the country, or all over a state, and expect it to come out properly…. It’ll end up being a rigged election or they will never come out with an outcome. They’ll have to do it again . . . “
Taken literally, he is delegating to himself the decision about whether and when he would leave office, in violation of Article II of the Constitution and the 20th Amendment. Assuming he is just trying to energize followers, he gives them a reason to argue he would be justified. If, as his staff often say, he is “joking,” there is nothing humorous in such a serious matter. His remarks have already generated concern among some in the military about how they should respond if he takes actions that throw the election and presidential succession into turmoil.
American needs a serious conversation about these matters. Facts should be part of that conversation. A February Gallup poll shows 59% of Americans don’t trust the outcome of elections, placing the U.S. third to last among 32 countries. An August NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found 45 percent do not have confidence the votes of the presidential election will be counted accurately and fifty-one percent do not believe mailed ballots will be counted accurately.
Americans’ faith in elections, the belief that the next president will be a legitimate choice of the people, and that government can be trusted to manage the peaceful transition of power must not be corrupted. We owe it to each other and posterity to prevent that.
Photo Credit: Tiffany Tertipes- unsplash
