How Trump's mail voting sabotage could result in an election night nightmare

[Nevilledog]

https://www.vox.com/2020/8/11/21358960/trump-mail-voting-sabotage-explained

Imagine this election night scenario: With a decisive number of mail ballots yet to be tallied, President Donald Trump enjoys a narrow lead over Joe Biden. But before all the votes can be counted — a process that could take days — Trump declares victory, citing purported irregularities with mail-in votes.

You can even picture Trump insisting that the preliminary election night tally must stand as final with a tweet that reads similarly to this one he posted in November 2018, when Florida’s US Senate and gubernatorial elections were still undecided:

It might be hard to fathom that sort of authoritarian power grab happening here in the United States, but it’s a scenario that election experts are worried about.

“That is my nightmare scenario,” said Paul Gronke, professor of political science at Reed College in Portland and director of the Early Voting Information Center. “We gotta slow down. Trump’s gonna be tweeting, the media, you, all of your counterparts, have to slow down. Because he’ll claim victory, or he’ll start to claim malfeasance and fraud, lawyers will be climbing into airplanes and arriving in all these small jurisdictions, and it will be not good.”

*snip*

[idziak4ever1234]

1. This is almost a certainty.

[RhodeIslandOne]

2. He can claim whatever he wants.

It amazes me how many professors think that if the President "declares" something, it's official.

I'm more fearful of everything done prior to election day.

[robbob]

3. Sounds like the game plan.

They aren’t doing all they can to destroy the postal service for no reason.

[SoonerPride]

4. I fully expect this to happen.

[customerserviceguy]

5. Election night

will be very, very different this year. 2020 will make 2000 look like a speed date.

My prediction is that we won't know the results of this election until about Thanksgiving. Settle in, folks, this is gonna take awhile. They could make a Snickers commercial out of it.

[SWBTATTReg]

6. Instead of doom and gloom, why not are there trends on DU on how to address/handle

mail shortcomings, etc.? Like (1) vote in person; (2) vote as early as possible; (3) go vote in person, if possible, at your voter's registration office (in MO, these are by county). In STLMO, the St. Louis Board of Elections, located in downtown STL MO, voters may deliver their own Absentee Ballot Application or their own Absentee Ballot to the Election Board office in person.

The site is (regarding ballots etc. in STL MO):

https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/board-election-commissioners/voter/absentee-ballot-and-voting.cfm

[Coleman]

7. The president will not be elected until Dec 14

The date set for the Electoral College to cast their votes this year. It cannot be moved, so states will have to have their electors selected prior to that date. Trump can claim victory on election nite all he wants, but the president isn't elected until the Electors vote, and they have to vote on Dec 14, no earlier and no later. So they have a month to count ballots.