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Why people crying Voter Fraud are fact-proof, a thread
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You're hearing a lot about VOTER FRAUD lately.
And it's tempting to respond with the statement, "Do you have any proof?"
Because no, they don't.
Because systemic voter fraud isn't a thing.
And it's tempting to respond with the statement, "Do you have any proof?"
Because no, they don't.
Because systemic voter fraud isn't a thing.
But "Could you provide some proof?" is the wrong response.
The folks worried about voter fraud aren't worried about facts. They're engaged in an ideological battle that is essentially fact-proof.
The folks worried about voter fraud aren't worried about facts. They're engaged in an ideological battle that is essentially fact-proof.
Let me share a recent example (it happened earlier today!)
A friend who thinks voter fraud is a thing posted FB that the recount should involve a bi-partisan team to "prove Trump and those who claim voter fraud once and for all."
A friend who thinks voter fraud is a thing posted FB that the recount should involve a bi-partisan team to "prove Trump and those who claim voter fraud once and for all."
I pointed out that the *first* count is always done by a bi-partisan committee, because that's how our elections are set up.
Another person responded in the comments with the word, "No," and a link to this article: https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/politics/elections/video-showing-election-judge-mark-up-ballot-is-not-fraud-montgomery-county-authorities-say/65-99d642a8-0769-486b-bdbb-8190822fc0ee?fbclid=IwAR3I4LKIhBOZyPYcDBl5_zYRpdlxoFdrLO0BbcBxhp6-qTl83BWW1wrx5Cg
I read the article (because hey it's always possible I'm wrong!) and the whole article is about the fact that there is NOT fraud and our elections are secure.
It included this tidbit toward the end:
"Zelaya explained incoming ballots are opened and processed by bipartisan teams of election judges representing each party who sit across from each other at folding banquet tables so they may monitor and check each other’s work."
"Zelaya explained incoming ballots are opened and processed by bipartisan teams of election judges representing each party who sit across from each other at folding banquet tables so they may monitor and check each other’s work."
The person who posted responded by insisting this demonstrated the *possibility* of fraud.
Did you catch that? This person was *so* convinced voter fraud is real that he used an article that is all about the *fact* that fraud is *not real* to *prove the opposite*.
Did you catch that? This person was *so* convinced voter fraud is real that he used an article that is all about the *fact* that fraud is *not real* to *prove the opposite*.
This person is not interested in facts. They are functioning according to an ideology that is pretty simply, "My side is the winning side."
Yes, that's coming from Trump. The only reason *anyone* is talking about voter fraud is because this is a storied GOP strategy to garner support for voter suppression.
(for an in-depth analysis of all of this, read Carol A Anderson's incredible book "One Person, No Vote. It has more *facts* than you can shake the proverbial stick at. https://amzn.to/2UfkPtU ).
In 2016, Trump claimed there were 3-5 million illegal votes cast. The only "facts" he had were that 3-5 million is the margin by which he lost the popular vote. We conducted a thorough investigation anyways and - to no one's surprise - no fraud.
Did that deter Trump or anyone else calling fraud? No, of course not.
And that's why it's pointless to argue facts w/ someone who's bought into an ideology. Ideologies are, by definition, fact-proof. My friend who posted suggested a bi-partisan count. Something that already happened.
So what happens if we indulge them, and the count still shows a Trump loss? They won't be convinced; rather, they'll insist THAT was rigged too. The only thing they can accept is what they *want* to be true, which is *their side winning*.
It's why many Trump supporters are turning on FOX News now that the outgoing President's former-favorite news channel has dared to fact-check him and hold him accountable for his incessant lies and attempt to undermine American confidence in our election process.
I don't have a GOOD solution here. Ideologies have to be confronted at the foundation. They're deeply rooted. (And we all have them. It's just that sometimes they become really easy to see.)
Don't be surprised when sharing facts and demanding proof doesn't work. Because these folks have already made up their mind that Trump won.
(And because nuance is lost, let me clarify this doesn't apply to everyone who voted for Trump. I know plenty of Trump voters who understand the election is over and Biden won, just like Clinton voters did in 2016.)
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