On the morning after the 2020 general election, the winner of the presidential race remains unknown. Donald Trump has declared victory, but several swing states haven’t certified their results yet. It may be several days before all the ballots are counted.
Yes, the process is deeply flawed. In any other modern democracy, the winner of the popular vote would be the president-elect. In other words, Joe Biden would have already won.
America’s reliance on an antiquated Electoral College system makes it the laughingstock of the world.
Now, Trump, who lost the popular vote, wants to stop the counting.
That’s a dangerous idea. And not just because he would win an undeserved second term.
It’s dangerous because it undermines one of the core principles of democracy. You have a right to vote — and to have the vote counted.
We’ve been here before. In 2016, Trump lost the popular vote but became president anyway. In 2000, Bush also lost the popular vote, and eventually, they stopped counting ballots in Florida and declared him the winner.
Let’s not make those mistakes again. You don’t get to stop a card game when you’re ahead and declare yourself the winner. And this is no game.
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