thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-07--Investigators scramble to arena after Georgia's Fulton County discovers 'issue' with reporting of ba

Investigators scramble to arena after Georgia's Fulton County discovers 'issue' with reporting of ballots

Joe Biden 's lead in Georgia could endure a significant shake-up with a reporting issue on Friday in one county .
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement on Saturday evening that officials have been dispatched to State Farm Arena , the home of the NBA 's Atlanta Hawks .
However , he did not describe what the issue was , nor did he say how many ballots may be affected .
`` Fulton County has discovered an issue involving reporting from their work on Friday .
Officials are at State Farm Arena to rescan their work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Facebook post .
`` The Secretary of State has a monitor onsite , has sent additional investigators , and dispatched the Deputy Secretary of State as well to oversee the process to make sure to thoroughly secure the vote and protect all legal votes .
Observers from both political parties are there as well . ''
Brendan Keefe , the chief investigative reporter for The Reveal on 11Alive , a local NBC affiliate , said in a tweet that the development `` *may* significantly affect the current Biden lead in Georgia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said officials believe some ballots were `` not captured '' in Friday night 's results , and `` out of an abundance of caution , all provisional , military , and [ Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act ] ballots scanned on Friday , November 6 will be rescanned tonight . ''
The statement also said Friday night 's upload will be `` pulled and replaced '' with a new one from Saturday .
Hours earlier , Fulton County , the most populous in the state , reported that all absentee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Election Day votes were reflected on their website , which showed a significant lead for Biden in the Democratic stronghold .
President Trump and his allies have complained of irregularities in vote counts in several states and argue that the contest is not over with lawsuits and recounts in play .
Biden was declared the winner of the presidential contest on Saturday after news outlets projected him to become the winner in Pennsylvania and Nevada , putting him over the 270 Electoral College vote threshold needed to secure the presidency .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Georgia , less than 10,000 votes with 99 % reported , according to the Associated Press , setting the stage for a recount .
The two U.S. Senate races in the Peach State are also too close to call and appear to be headed to runoffs with control of the upper chamber at stake .
Fulton County has been a source of national interest over the past few days , with ballots still being counted on Election Day and beyond .
A water pipe burst at the State Farm Arena on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by four hours .
No ballots were affected , according to county officials .
On Wednesday , Georgia 's Republican Party raised concerns about the integrity of the vote .
`` Fulton County told our observers last night to go home because they were closing up and then continued to count ballots in secret , '' David Shafer , the chairman of the state GOP , claimed .
Sixteen electoral votes are at stake in Georgia , a state that has not been won by a Democratic presidential nominee since Bill Clinton did @ @ @ @

Joe Biden's lead in Georgia could endure a significant shake-up with a reporting issue on Friday in one county.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a statement on Saturday evening that officials have been dispatched to State Farm Arena, the home of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. However, he did not describe what the issue was, nor did he say how many ballots may be affected.
"Fulton County has discovered an issue involving reporting from their work on Friday. Officials are at State Farm Arena to rescan their work from Friday," Raffensperger said in a Facebook post. "The Secretary of State has a monitor onsite, has sent additional investigators, and dispatched the Deputy Secretary of State as well to oversee the process to make sure to thoroughly secure the vote and protect all legal votes. Observers from both political parties are there as well."
Brendan Keefe, the chief investigative reporter for The Reveal on 11Alive, a local NBC affiliate, said in a tweet that the development "*may* significantly affect the current Biden lead in Georgia."
#BREAKING development that *may* significantly affect the current Biden lead in Georgia. “Fulton County has discovered an issue involving reporting from their work on Friday.”@11AliveNews we don’t know how many ballots are in question, or which way they would change the count. pic.twitter.com/PAL9HmIpqd — Brendan Keefe (@BrendanKeefe) November 7, 2020
In a statement, Fulton County said officials believe some ballots were "not captured" in Friday night's results, and "out of an abundance of caution, all provisional, military, and [Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act] ballots scanned on Friday, November 6 will be rescanned tonight." The statement also said Friday night's upload will be "pulled and replaced" with a new one from Saturday.
We just received this statement from Fulton County which explains what’s going on here at State Farm Arena tonight. The county believes some ballots were “not captured” in last night’s results. So, those are now being rescanned. pic.twitter.com/op13N3MHBf — Justin Wilfon (@JustinWilfonWSB) November 8, 2020
Richard Barron, the Fulton County elections director, talked to reporters before midnight and said the process was complete. Barron said his team rescanned 342 ballots on Saturday "so that we balanced out," adding that previously some files did not transfer to a server and some ballots had to be scanned on Saturday. He said he did not know if a software issue or physical was to blame.
Hours earlier, Fulton County, the most populous in the state, reported that all absentee, military and overseas provisional, early votes, and Election Day votes were reflected on their website, which showed a significant lead for Biden in the Democratic stronghold.
President Trump and his allies have complained of irregularities in vote counts in several states and argue that the contest is not over with lawsuits and recounts in play. Biden was declared the winner of the presidential contest on Saturday after news outlets projected him to become the winner in Pennsylvania and Nevada, putting him over the 270 Electoral College vote threshold needed to secure the presidency.
Biden leads Trump by a razor-thin margin in Georgia, less than 10,000 votes with 99% reported, according to the Associated Press, setting the stage for a recount. The two U.S. Senate races in the Peach State are also too close to call and appear to be headed to runoffs with control of the upper chamber at stake.
Fulton County has been a source of national interest over the past few days, with ballots still being counted on Election Day and beyond.
A water pipe burst at the State Farm Arena on Tuesday, delaying the processing operations for absentee-by-mail by four hours. No ballots were affected, according to county officials.
On Wednesday, Georgia's Republican Party raised concerns about the integrity of the vote. "Fulton County told our observers last night to go home because they were closing up and then continued to count ballots in secret," David Shafer, the chairman of the state GOP, claimed.
Sixteen electoral votes are at stake in Georgia, a state that has not been won by a Democratic presidential nominee since Bill Clinton did it in 1992.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-07--Ballots on a city bus: Wisconsin GOP sets stage for wild recount fight

Wisconsin Republicans urged President Trump 's campaign to turn its attention to the ballot count in their state to root out possible voting irregularities during an impending recount .
The call comes as the Trump campaign is challenging vote counts in several battleground states where Joe Biden , the presumptive winner , leads in the ballot count that is still underway .
“ The campaign should make some decisions and get involved and start doing what they need to do to get things accomplished , '' said Rick Baas , the communications director for the Milwaukee County Republican Party .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ right now , '' Baas said .
“ People forget there 's down-ticket races that fall within the statutory recount as well .
Nobody seems to care about that.
” Baas , who is also a Milwaukee County election commissioner , emphasized that he was speaking in his role as a political operative .
He said that he heard allegations of irregularities in how ballots had been handled , as well as possible electioneering , “ but unless we have a recount , it 's really never going to come up.
” Kenneth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Waukesha County Republican Party , said he knew of ballots being transported from a polling location to a consolidation location on a city bus .
While not a crime , it raised questions about the integrity of the process .
`` If the ballot bag spills over in the bus and ballots are all over the bus , you can then make the claim that there 's a question in the chain of custody of the ballot , '' he said .
Trump campaign officials told supporters during a fundraising call on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the canvass of votes , whereby the state can certify an election 's unofficial results and make them official .
“ There were some serious irregularities on Election Day that we are looking into .
We ’ ve already announced that we 're going to seek a statewide recount in Wisconsin , and we plan to do so , ” Trump deputy campaign manager Justin Clark said .
“ We expect that the canvass , the initial canvass will be done Monday or Tuesday .
And then that process will begin.
” This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statistical canvass to guide the campaign 's decision-making , Baas said , adding that the canvasses that matter are those completed by the counties , including Dane County and Waukesha County , and by state clerks .
`` Once those canvasses are all done , they 're turned into the state election commission , and once they certify it , then you can go ahead , and you can take your recount , '' he said .
`` Canvassing only reconciles the discrepancies in the polls , unless you have observers that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we know to be ballots that should n't be cast , '' Dragotta said .
`` Typically , they 're not challenged at canvass .
They 're challenged at recount . ''
Dragotta , who directed the recount for Trump in 2016 in Milwaukee County and in Waukesha County , said there may be hurdles ahead .
`` I think that there is a large number of ballots that were accepted that are outside of what is considered to be via statute , a legal vote .
The question is , is there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there less ? ''
he said .
Biden was declared the winner of the state by the Associated Press with a 20,000-vote margin .
In a tweet , former Wisconsin Gov .
Scott Walker pointed to 20,000 as `` a high hurdle '' to overcome .
`` After recount in 2016 Presidential race in WI , @ realDonaldTrump numbers went up by 131 , '' he said .
`` When you 're looking at a recount , you have to take whatever your argument is and put it in front of the board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he continued .
`` Depending on the veracity of your argument , you may succeed , you may not succeed .
So , unless you have clear documented proof , as a canvasser , I would tell you , I ca n't just base my decision on some circumstantial information .
I 'd have to have proof . ''
Dragotta said this can take a `` substantial '' amount of time , adding that these steps `` need to be done well in advance of election like this . ''
Baas said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his county yet , in part because Wisconsin has until Nov. 17 to certify their race , 14 days after the general election .
`` They 've just got to allocate the resources , '' Baas said .
`` Right now , they 're busy chasing after that . ''
The Trump campaign has sent numerous texts and emails soliciting donations for an election defense fund , the terms of which say 60 % will be allocated to the `` retirement of general election debt , '' with 40 % remaining going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal proceedings , or headquarters accounts .

Wisconsin Republicans urged President Trump's campaign to turn its attention to the ballot count in their state to root out possible voting irregularities during an impending recount.
The call comes as the Trump campaign is challenging vote counts in several battleground states where Joe Biden, the presumptive winner, leads in the ballot count that is still underway.
“The campaign should make some decisions and get involved and start doing what they need to do to get things accomplished," said Rick Baas, the communications director for the Milwaukee County Republican Party.
"They're mostly focused on Arizona right now," Baas said. “People forget there's down-ticket races that fall within the statutory recount as well. Nobody seems to care about that.”
Baas, who is also a Milwaukee County election commissioner, emphasized that he was speaking in his role as a political operative.
He said that he heard allegations of irregularities in how ballots had been handled, as well as possible electioneering, “but unless we have a recount, it's really never going to come up.”
Kenneth Dragotta, a board member of the Waukesha County Republican Party, said he knew of ballots being transported from a polling location to a consolidation location on a city bus. While not a crime, it raised questions about the integrity of the process.
"If the ballot bag spills over in the bus and ballots are all over the bus, you can then make the claim that there's a question in the chain of custody of the ballot," he said.
Trump campaign officials told supporters during a fundraising call on Saturday that they would seek a recount following the canvass of votes, whereby the state can certify an election's unofficial results and make them official.
“There were some serious irregularities on Election Day that we are looking into. We’ve already announced that we're going to seek a statewide recount in Wisconsin, and we plan to do so,” Trump deputy campaign manager Justin Clark said. “We expect that the canvass, the initial canvass will be done Monday or Tuesday. And then that process will begin.”
This “initial canvass” could mean a statistical canvass to guide the campaign's decision-making, Baas said, adding that the canvasses that matter are those completed by the counties, including Dane County and Waukesha County, and by state clerks.
"Once those canvasses are all done, they're turned into the state election commission, and once they certify it, then you can go ahead, and you can take your recount," he said.
"Canvassing only reconciles the discrepancies in the polls, unless you have observers that are there and are willing to challenge what we know to be ballots that shouldn't be cast," Dragotta said. "Typically, they're not challenged at canvass. They're challenged at recount."
Dragotta, who directed the recount for Trump in 2016 in Milwaukee County and in Waukesha County, said there may be hurdles ahead.
"I think that there is a large number of ballots that were accepted that are outside of what is considered to be via statute, a legal vote. The question is, is there 20,000? Is there more? Is there less?" he said. Biden was declared the winner of the state by the Associated Press with a 20,000-vote margin.
In a tweet, former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker pointed to 20,000 as "a high hurdle" to overcome. "After recount in 2016 Presidential race in WI, @realDonaldTrump numbers went up by 131," he said.
"When you're looking at a recount, you have to take whatever your argument is and put it in front of the board of canvassers for that county," he continued. "Depending on the veracity of your argument, you may succeed, you may not succeed. So, unless you have clear documented proof, as a canvasser, I would tell you, I can't just base my decision on some circumstantial information. I'd have to have proof."
Dragotta said this can take a "substantial" amount of time, adding that these steps "need to be done well in advance of election like this."
Baas said the national party hasn't shifted its attention to his county yet, in part because Wisconsin has until Nov. 17 to certify their race, 14 days after the general election. "They've just got to allocate the resources," Baas said. "Right now, they're busy chasing after that."
The Trump campaign has sent numerous texts and emails soliciting donations for an election defense fund, the terms of which say 60% will be allocated to the "retirement of general election debt," with 40% remaining going to the Republican National Committee operating, legal proceedings, or headquarters accounts.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-07--Pennsylvania Democrats insist late-arrival ballots unlikely to affect election outcome

Pennsylvania Democrats say the Supreme Court should not intervene in the state 's vote count , insisting that late-arrival mail-in ballots are highly unlikely to impact the presidential race in which former Vice President Joe Biden has pulled ahead of President Trump by more than 35,000 votes .
Many outlets have projected that Biden would win Pennsylvania and thus had amassed enough votes in the Electoral College to win the presidency , though Trump ’ s legal team has vowed to fight on in court .
Associate Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in a late Friday night ruling ordered Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the rest of the mail-in ballots .
Earlier on Friday , the Pennsylvania Republican Party had called upon the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a case related to the extension of the counting of mail-in ballots to three days after Election Day .
The ballots had to be postmarked by the time polls closed on Tuesday , and the party asked the highest court in the land to order that those ballots be “ segregated ” and not counted at this time .
Republicans in October had failed to get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Pennsylvania ’ s Act 77 allowed its voters to cast their ballots by mail but required that all mailed ballots be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted .
It had not changed that deadline during the coronavirus pandemic .
But Pennsylvania ’ s Supreme Court said in a 4-3 ruling that mail-in ballots would not need to be received by Election Day , instead deciding that ballots could be counted so long as they were postmarked on or before Tuesday and were received within three days .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic to a “ natural disaster ” that would justify the deadline extensions .
The Trump campaign argues that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court lacked the power to extend the deadline for receiving mailed ballots .
It argued this week that the Supreme Court should be the final arbiter after the high court decided late in October that it would not expedite its review of the matter before Election Day .
“ The United States Constitution is clear on this issue : The legislature sets the time , place , and manner of elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive officials , '' Trump deputy campaign manager Justin Clark said on Wednesday .
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro filed a Saturday response with the Supreme Court on behalf of Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar , arguing that the Supreme Court should not intervene any further .
“ There is no evidence that any county is disobeying that clear guidance to segregate these votes , and the Republican Party offers only speculation that certain unidentified counties may ignore that repeated guidance or that the Secretary will inconsistently change course , '' Shapiro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this filing , 63 counties have already confirmed to the Secretary their compliance with the prior guidance , including the Commonwealth ’ s two largest counties [ Allegheny and Philadelphia ] .
And no county has expressed an intention to violate the guidance.
” Alito did not rule that Pennsylvania would have to stop counting the votes , though , and said he ’ d confer with the rest of the Supreme Court about whether the high court would take any other action .
The Luzerne County Board of Elections , overseeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told the Supreme Court that it had already been complying with the order to segregate late-arriving votes and said such votes were small in number .
“ It is likewise difficult to see how the ballots in question will have any relevance to the electoral outcome , ” the county argued on Saturday .
“ Representing less than 0.2 % of the total county vote , and while important that they be treated respectfully as every vote must , these late-ballots will certainly not sway the election results in any meaningful way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Allegheny County , which includes Pittsburgh , told the Washington Examiner on Saturday : “ In the three days , 1,045 total ballots were received .
Of those , 947 are able to be counted .
The votes have all been segregated , and we have followed all guidance .
We have not counted anything.
” Kevin Feeley , a spokesman for Philadelphia ’ s city commissioners , told the Washington Post that the late arrival mail-in votes may be counted eventually but had been set aside due to the possibility of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the outlet that 500 such ballots arrived on Wednesday and Thursday but had been segregated .
Trump campaign lawyers repeatedly urged the Supreme Court to take up the Pennsylvania case this week , demanding that the late ballots be separated .
`` Given the results of the November 3 , 2020 general election , the vote in Pennsylvania may well determine the next President of the United States — and it is currently unclear whether all 67 county boards of elections are segregating late-arriving ballots , ” the Republican Party argued .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1,460,700 mail-in votes during Pennsylvania ’ s April primary , 1.07 % ( meaning a bit more than 15,000 ) were rejected for arriving late .
“ You ’ re talking about , maybe , several thousand ballots — not tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands .
… It is a relatively small number , ” Shapiro told CNN on Friday .
The Pennsylvania GOP said Friday that `` to date , a total of 25 Pennsylvania county boards of elections have not indicated whether they are segregating the late-arriving ballots.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would have granted the GOP 's request to limit ballot counting after Tuesday .

Pennsylvania Democrats say the Supreme Court should not intervene in the state's vote count, insisting that late-arrival mail-in ballots are highly unlikely to impact the presidential race in which former Vice President Joe Biden has pulled ahead of President Trump by more than 35,000 votes.
Many outlets have projected that Biden would win Pennsylvania and thus had amassed enough votes in the Electoral College to win the presidency, though Trump’s legal team has vowed to fight on in court.
Associate Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in a late Friday night ruling ordered Pennsylvania county election boards to segregate late-arrival ballots from the rest of the mail-in ballots. Earlier on Friday, the Pennsylvania Republican Party had called upon the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a case related to the extension of the counting of mail-in ballots to three days after Election Day.
The ballots had to be postmarked by the time polls closed on Tuesday, and the party asked the highest court in the land to order that those ballots be “segregated” and not counted at this time.
Republicans in October had failed to get the Supreme Court to intervene on the issue.
Pennsylvania’s Act 77 allowed its voters to cast their ballots by mail but required that all mailed ballots be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. It had not changed that deadline during the coronavirus pandemic. But Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court said in a 4-3 ruling that mail-in ballots would not need to be received by Election Day, instead deciding that ballots could be counted so long as they were postmarked on or before Tuesday and were received within three days.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has likened the coronavirus pandemic to a “natural disaster” that would justify the deadline extensions.
The Trump campaign argues that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court lacked the power to extend the deadline for receiving mailed ballots. It argued this week that the Supreme Court should be the final arbiter after the high court decided late in October that it would not expedite its review of the matter before Election Day.
“The United States Constitution is clear on this issue: The legislature sets the time, place, and manner of elections in America, not state courts or executive officials," Trump deputy campaign manager Justin Clark said on Wednesday.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro filed a Saturday response with the Supreme Court on behalf of Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar, arguing that the Supreme Court should not intervene any further.
“There is no evidence that any county is disobeying that clear guidance to segregate these votes, and the Republican Party offers only speculation that certain unidentified counties may ignore that repeated guidance or that the Secretary will inconsistently change course," Shapiro said. "In fact, as of this filing, 63 counties have already confirmed to the Secretary their compliance with the prior guidance, including the Commonwealth’s two largest counties [Allegheny and Philadelphia]. And no county has expressed an intention to violate the guidance.”
Alito did not rule that Pennsylvania would have to stop counting the votes, though, and said he’d confer with the rest of the Supreme Court about whether the high court would take any other action.
The Luzerne County Board of Elections, overseeing northeastern Pennsylvania’s most populous county, told the Supreme Court that it had already been complying with the order to segregate late-arriving votes and said such votes were small in number.
“It is likewise difficult to see how the ballots in question will have any relevance to the electoral outcome,” the county argued on Saturday. “Representing less than 0.2% of the total county vote, and while important that they be treated respectfully as every vote must, these late-ballots will certainly not sway the election results in any meaningful way."
Amie Downs, a spokeswoman for Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh, told the Washington Examiner on Saturday: “In the three days, 1,045 total ballots were received. Of those, 947 are able to be counted. The votes have all been segregated, and we have followed all guidance. We have not counted anything.”
Kevin Feeley, a spokesman for Philadelphia’s city commissioners, told the Washington Post that the late arrival mail-in votes may be counted eventually but had been set aside due to the possibility of a legal fight. Philadelphia officials told the outlet that 500 such ballots arrived on Wednesday and Thursday but had been segregated.
Trump campaign lawyers repeatedly urged the Supreme Court to take up the Pennsylvania case this week, demanding that the late ballots be separated. "Given the results of the November 3, 2020 general election, the vote in Pennsylvania may well determine the next President of the United States — and it is currently unclear whether all 67 county boards of elections are segregating late-arriving ballots,” the Republican Party argued.
An analysis by NPR said that out of the 1,460,700 mail-in votes during Pennsylvania’s April primary, 1.07% (meaning a bit more than 15,000) were rejected for arriving late.
“You’re talking about, maybe, several thousand ballots — not tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands. … It is a relatively small number,” Shapiro told CNN on Friday.
The Pennsylvania GOP said Friday that "to date, a total of 25 Pennsylvania county boards of elections have not indicated whether they are segregating the late-arriving ballots.”
Alito wrote in late October that he would have granted the GOP's request to limit ballot counting after Tuesday.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-07--Nevada's Clark County elections chief has reports of voter fraud, won’t investigate until counting c

Nevada's Clark County elections chief has reports of voter fraud, won’t investigate until counting complete

LAS VEGAS — Clark County Registrar of Voters Joe Gloria revealed that his office in Nevada received reports of potential voter fraud and said his office will investigate those after the election is completed , marking a change in tone as Nevada faces legal challenges from President Trump 's campaign over the election .
“ We do have some reports that have come in that we 're logging for reporting .
But we 're definitely going to do an investigation , and we 'll deal with them once the canvass is finished , ” Gloria said in a press conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of any nefarious or illegitimate ballots cast .
“ The votes are in the system at this point , so we 'll have to after the election , post-election , go after anything that 's been reported at this time.
” The Nevada county accounts for the vast majority of voters in the state .
It is still counting ballots , and the final canvass of votes is on Nov. 16 .
Joe Biden , the Democratic nominee , was projected by media outlets to win the presidential race on Saturday , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gloria said he was not aware of a specific report about a dead person voting in the county but will investigate that if it is reported to his office .
Asked whether he cross-checks the county 's voter rolls with the Social Security Death Index , Gloria said , `` We have several reports that come through with several entities to clean up our voter rolls . ''
Earlier in the week , Gloria indicated that reports of improper ballot casting were near nonexistent .
In an Election Day press conference , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only one improperly cast ballot by a Trump supporter who tried to vote twice .
On Thursday , Gloria was asked to respond to claims of fraud from Trump 's campaign .
`` We are not aware of any improper ballots that are being processed , '' Gloria said .
The Nevada Republican Party has since flooded social media with stories , not all of which have been verified , about fraudulent votes such as dead people voting , Trump supporters who were unable to cast ballots , and other problems with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans filed a lawsuit and forwarded a complaint to the Justice Department on Thursday , alleging that Gloria failed to maintain the county 's voter list sufficiently , resulting in 3,000 voters who had changed their address to move out of Nevada voting in this year 's general election .
On Friday , Gloria said that his office will look through that list of individuals and offered a possible explanation .
`` You don ’ t have to live here in order to be eligible to vote here , '' Gloria said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have Nellis Air Force Base .
We also have several students that travel outside of the state to go to school .
Those folks are eligible to vote here in Nevada . ''
`` It ’ s not out of the ordinary at all for somebody not to live here but be eligible to vote here , so we will look at that , and we ’ ll review it , ” Gloria said .

LAS VEGAS — Clark County Registrar of Voters Joe Gloria revealed that his office in Nevada received reports of potential voter fraud and said his office will investigate those after the election is completed, marking a change in tone as Nevada faces legal challenges from President Trump's campaign over the election.
“We do have some reports that have come in that we're logging for reporting. But we're definitely going to do an investigation, and we'll deal with them once the canvass is finished,” Gloria said in a press conference Saturday when asked if he was aware of any nefarious or illegitimate ballots cast. “The votes are in the system at this point, so we'll have to after the election, post-election, go after anything that's been reported at this time.”
The Nevada county accounts for the vast majority of voters in the state. It is still counting ballots, and the final canvass of votes is on Nov. 16. Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee, was projected by media outlets to win the presidential race on Saturday, with Pennsylvania and Nevada being called for him.
Gloria said he was not aware of a specific report about a dead person voting in the county but will investigate that if it is reported to his office.
Asked whether he cross-checks the county's voter rolls with the Social Security Death Index, Gloria said, "We have several reports that come through with several entities to clean up our voter rolls."
Earlier in the week, Gloria indicated that reports of improper ballot casting were near nonexistent.
In an Election Day press conference, Gloria said that his office had identified only one improperly cast ballot by a Trump supporter who tried to vote twice.
On Thursday, Gloria was asked to respond to claims of fraud from Trump's campaign.
"We are not aware of any improper ballots that are being processed," Gloria said.
The Nevada Republican Party has since flooded social media with stories, not all of which have been verified, about fraudulent votes such as dead people voting, Trump supporters who were unable to cast ballots, and other problems with the voting system.
The Trump campaign and Republicans filed a lawsuit and forwarded a complaint to the Justice Department on Thursday, alleging that Gloria failed to maintain the county's voter list sufficiently, resulting in 3,000 voters who had changed their address to move out of Nevada voting in this year's general election.
On Friday, Gloria said that his office will look through that list of individuals and offered a possible explanation.
"You don’t have to live here in order to be eligible to vote here," Gloria said. "This is a military town. We have Nellis Air Force Base. We also have several students that travel outside of the state to go to school. Those folks are eligible to vote here in Nevada."
"It’s not out of the ordinary at all for somebody not to live here but be eligible to vote here, so we will look at that, and we’ll review it,” Gloria said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-08--Cruz says voting machine software 'needs to be investigated'

Ted Cruz has joined the chorus of voices calling for a formal inquiry into the software used to count ballots in a number of swing states .
On Saturday afternoon , the Republican Texas senator appeared on Fox News to discuss controversies surrounding the use of Dominion Voting Systems , a vote-counting software that was responsible for a glitch in one Michigan county that caused 6,000 votes to mistakenly be awarded for presumptive President-elect Joe Biden instead of President Trump .
`` That same software is used in 47 counties throughout Michigan .
That needs to be examined to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes , '' Cruz said .
`` And the legal process is how you resolve those questions .
You know , one of the frustrating things just as an American watching this , you hear all these allegations about what 's going on , it 's hard to know what the facts are , what the truth is . ''
Cruz went on to say courts are the best way to remedy any concerns by the GOP or the president and said allegations of voter fraud `` could easily end up in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks , prominent Republicans have begun jockeying for the media spotlight with their defense of the presidents ' legal proceedings in various states .
Many of them , including Cruz , Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri , and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina , are thought to be mulling 2024 runs .
Graham has urged Trump not to concede the race to Biden , calling on him to `` fight hard '' and recently donating $ 500,000 to the president 's reelection legal fund .
Other potential 2024 White House hopefuls , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley , have been more muted in their support for Trump .
Both of them have emphasized the counting of legal ballots rather than highlighting allegations of impropriety by Democratic officials in states such as Wisconsin , Michigan , and Pennsylvania .
`` Faith in our election is as important as the outcome .
Preserving it requires not allowing the outcome to be decided by either the media or a candidate , '' the Florida senator tweeted Nov. 6 .
`` Transparently count every legally cast vote & allow courts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the basis of evidence . ''
Haley , meanwhile , earned the ire of Donald Trump Jr. , for insufficiently praising the president .
After conservative activist Mike Cernovich asked on Twitter what Nikki Haley was `` doing '' to assist the president 's legal challenges , Trump 's son replied , `` Everyone should be watching who is actually fighting this flagrant nonsense and who is sitting on the sidelines . ''
`` Republicans have been weak for decades , which has allowed for the left to do these things , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s end that trend once and for all . ''

Ted Cruz has joined the chorus of voices calling for a formal inquiry into the software used to count ballots in a number of swing states.
On Saturday afternoon, the Republican Texas senator appeared on Fox News to discuss controversies surrounding the use of Dominion Voting Systems, a vote-counting software that was responsible for a glitch in one Michigan county that caused 6,000 votes to mistakenly be awarded for presumptive President-elect Joe Biden instead of President Trump.
"That same software is used in 47 counties throughout Michigan. That needs to be examined to ensure there isn't a problem counting the votes," Cruz said. "And the legal process is how you resolve those questions. You know, one of the frustrating things just as an American watching this, you hear all these allegations about what's going on, it's hard to know what the facts are, what the truth is."
Cruz went on to say courts are the best way to remedy any concerns by the GOP or the president and said allegations of voter fraud "could easily end up in the Supreme Court."
In the past weeks, prominent Republicans have begun jockeying for the media spotlight with their defense of the presidents' legal proceedings in various states. Many of them, including Cruz, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, are thought to be mulling 2024 runs.
Graham has urged Trump not to concede the race to Biden, calling on him to "fight hard" and recently donating $500,000 to the president's reelection legal fund.
Other potential 2024 White House hopefuls, such as Marco Rubio and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, have been more muted in their support for Trump. Both of them have emphasized the counting of legal ballots rather than highlighting allegations of impropriety by Democratic officials in states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
"Faith in our election is as important as the outcome. Preserving it requires not allowing the outcome to be decided by either the media or a candidate," the Florida senator tweeted Nov. 6. "Transparently count every legally cast vote & allow courts to decide claims of irregularities or fraud on the basis of evidence."
Haley, meanwhile, earned the ire of Donald Trump Jr., for insufficiently praising the president. After conservative activist Mike Cernovich asked on Twitter what Nikki Haley was "doing" to assist the president's legal challenges, Trump's son replied, "Everyone should be watching who is actually fighting this flagrant nonsense and who is sitting on the sidelines."
"Republicans have been weak for decades, which has allowed for the left to do these things," he added. "Let’s end that trend once and for all."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-08--Trump campaign staff claims to have statistical evidence of fraud in Wisconsin

As the president 's path to 270 Electoral College votes narrows virtually every day , some members of his campaign say statistical evidence of fraud in Wisconsin could give him a victory .
One member of President Trump 's reelection team who spoke with the Washington Examiner on the condition of anonymity said ballot data in Milwaukee indicates illegal activity by Democrats in the city .
The distribution of those ballots in favor of presumptive President-elect Joe Biden , the individual alleged , violates Benford 's Law — an analytical framework used by statisticians when observing a set of randomized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often used by election analysts , both in the United States and abroad , to detect voter fraud or other sorts of improprieties in elections .
U.S. government agencies , like the U.S. Department of Agriculture , often apply Benford 's Law when auditing information from farmers who rely on federal subsidies .
`` The farmer was asked how much of each crop he harvested in the past year .
I put together all of the quantities produced of all possible crops , '' wrote one government analyst in 2006 .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a five than would be suggested by Benford 's Law while fewer begin with a four , six , or seven .
I can reject that the data comes from Benford 's distribution . ''
The Washington Examiner has not analyzed Wisconsin 's voter data sets to see if they violate Benford 's Law , nor is any purported violation proof that criminal activity took place in the state .
Some statisticians question its applicability , particularly in an election where ballot counters are organizing returns in a manner that differs from precinct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Trump campaign believes pro-Trump internet sleuths are onto something when they say there is an artificial distribution of votes in favor of Biden .
`` We think this is good news , '' the individual said .
`` If there 's fire where there 's smoke , it 'll come out during the recount . ''
Roughly 20,500 votes currently separate Biden and Trump in Wisconsin .
The two Trump campaign officials who spoke with the Washington Examiner say they believe there are enough irregularities to potentially flip the state back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change the race 's outcome .
On Nov. 6 , the Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos called for a comprehensive review of the state 's elections processes , citing allegations of potential fraud and violations of local regulations .
`` With concerns surfacing about mail-in ballot dumps and voter fraud , Wisconsin citizens deserve to know their vote counted , '' Vos said in a statement .
`` There should be no question as to whether the vote was fair and legitimate , and there must be absolute certainty that the impending recount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Trump campaign has said it plans to move forward with a formal demand of an initial canvass of the state , a process short of a recount that certifies the results of an election and inspect ballots for various discrepancies or errors .
“ There were some serious irregularities on election day that we are looking into .
We ’ ve already announced that we 're going to seek a statewide recount in Wisconsin , and we plan to do so , ” Trump deputy campaign manager Justin Clark said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initial canvass will be done Monday or Tuesday .
And then that process will begin.
” Recounts rarely result in the overturning of tens of thousands of ballots as the Trump campaign hopes to see in Wisconsin .
Former Wisconsin Gov .
Scott Walker , a Republican and informal adviser to the Trump campaign , said on Wednesday that he remains doubtful the president could end up carrying the state .
`` After recount in 2011 race for WI Supreme Court , there was a swing of 300 votes , '' he tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 Presidential race in WI , @ realDonaldTrump numbers went up by 131 . ''

As the president's path to 270 Electoral College votes narrows virtually every day, some members of his campaign say statistical evidence of fraud in Wisconsin could give him a victory.
One member of President Trump's reelection team who spoke with the Washington Examiner on the condition of anonymity said ballot data in Milwaukee indicates illegal activity by Democrats in the city. The distribution of those ballots in favor of presumptive President-elect Joe Biden, the individual alleged, violates Benford's Law — an analytical framework used by statisticians when observing a set of randomized data points.
Benford's Law is often used by election analysts, both in the United States and abroad, to detect voter fraud or other sorts of improprieties in elections. U.S. government agencies, like the U.S. Department of Agriculture, often apply Benford's Law when auditing information from farmers who rely on federal subsidies.
"The farmer was asked how much of each crop he harvested in the past year. I put together all of the quantities produced of all possible crops," wrote one government analyst in 2006. "I find that more quantities produced begin with a five than would be suggested by Benford's Law while fewer begin with a four, six, or seven. I can reject that the data comes from Benford's distribution."
The Washington Examiner has not analyzed Wisconsin's voter data sets to see if they violate Benford's Law, nor is any purported violation proof that criminal activity took place in the state. Some statisticians question its applicability, particularly in an election where ballot counters are organizing returns in a manner that differs from precinct to precinct.
Still, an adviser to the Trump campaign believes pro-Trump internet sleuths are onto something when they say there is an artificial distribution of votes in favor of Biden.
"We think this is good news," the individual said. "If there's fire where there's smoke, it'll come out during the recount."
Roughly 20,500 votes currently separate Biden and Trump in Wisconsin. The two Trump campaign officials who spoke with the Washington Examiner say they believe there are enough irregularities to potentially flip the state back into the president's column and dramatically change the race's outcome.
On Nov. 6, the Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos called for a comprehensive review of the state's elections processes, citing allegations of potential fraud and violations of local regulations.
"With concerns surfacing about mail-in ballot dumps and voter fraud, Wisconsin citizens deserve to know their vote counted," Vos said in a statement. "There should be no question as to whether the vote was fair and legitimate, and there must be absolute certainty that the impending recount finds any and all irregularities."
The Trump campaign has said it plans to move forward with a formal demand of an initial canvass of the state, a process short of a recount that certifies the results of an election and inspect ballots for various discrepancies or errors.
“There were some serious irregularities on election day that we are looking into. We’ve already announced that we're going to seek a statewide recount in Wisconsin, and we plan to do so,” Trump deputy campaign manager Justin Clark said. “We expect that the canvass, the initial canvass will be done Monday or Tuesday. And then that process will begin.”
Recounts rarely result in the overturning of tens of thousands of ballots as the Trump campaign hopes to see in Wisconsin. Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican and informal adviser to the Trump campaign, said on Wednesday that he remains doubtful the president could end up carrying the state.
After recount in 2011 race for WI Supreme Court, there was a swing of 300 votes. After recount in 2016 Presidential race in WI, @realDonaldTrump numbers went up by 131.
As I said, 20,000 is a high hurdle. #Election2020 https://t.co/CEr82eiCWH — Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) November 4, 2020
"After recount in 2011 race for WI Supreme Court, there was a swing of 300 votes," he tweeted on Nov. 4. "After recount in 2016 Presidential race in WI, @realDonaldTrump numbers went up by 131."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-09--Trump campaign staff claims to have statistical evidence of fraud in Wisconsin


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-10--Audit? Canvas? What do all these election terms mean?

The legal battle President Trump ’ s reelection campaign is waging to contest the results in multiple states that appear to have swung the Electoral College majority to Democratic challenger Joe Biden has put some unfamiliar election-related jargon in the news .
Audits , recounts , canvassing — what does it all mean ?
Canvassing is part of the state election certification process that confirms every valid ballot cast is included in the final count .
The rules vary by state .
After the canvas is complete , a state can consider an audit .
An election audit is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see if the votes were counted properly or the correct procedures were followed .
A recount is a specific type of audit that involves the repeat tabulation of the votes to see if the initial count was accurate .
This is usually only undertaken in a close election within a certain particularly narrow margin , often 0.5 % or less .
The margin , rules , and who pays for the recount can vary by state .
Georgia officials have indicated that a recount is likely after canvassing .
The Trump campaign is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden is currently ahead by a slim margin in both states after later counts pushed him over the top .
Trump initially led in both states on election night .
Pennsylvania Republican leaders have called for an audit of the state ’ s election results .
There too , Trump led on election night , but subsequent tallies of the state ’ s early votes put Biden over the top .
`` I have no knowledge of any voter fraud , and I have no knowledge of any misdeeds , other than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of State ran in this election , '' Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman said on a Zoom call with reporters on Friday .
The commonwealth does not allow officials to process early votes before Election Day .
The Trump campaign has alleged voter fraud in multiple states while also criticizing media outlets for being quick to call states where Biden narrowly leads while hesitant to declare a winner in states such as North Carolina for Trump .
It has of fraud in Wisconsin and has also raised questions about systematic voter ID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have alleging irregularities favorable to Biden , who is ahead in the state by small margins .
The Trump legal team has also about dead voters , votes cast by people who no longer live in Nevada , and a Biden-Harris van filled with open ballots .
The Trump campaign is challenging the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ’ s decision to allow the counting of mail-in ballots that arrived up to three days after Election Day as long as they were postmarked by Tuesday .
State law says they must be received by 8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorneys general have on this .
There are also questions about whether Republican poll watchers have been given appropriate access to vote counting in the state .
Controversies about the vote count in several close states have dragged out uncertainty about the election for a week , although the Associated Press and major news network began to call the presidential race for Biden on Saturday .
A stalemate over the Florida recount in 2000 , where only hundreds of votes separated Republican George W. Bush from Democrat Al Gore , lasted 37 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the controversial Bush v. Gore decision .
Although he disagreed with the ruling , Gore conceded the election the following day .
Members of the Electoral College will meet to cast their votes for president on Dec. 14 , although federal law requires states to have identified their slates of electors six days before .
Many election experts regard this as the practical deadline for resolving election disputes this year .
A candidate needs at least 270 Electoral College votes to win the presidency .
The Supreme Court currently has a 6-3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were nominated by Trump .

The legal battle President Trump’s reelection campaign is waging to contest the results in multiple states that appear to have swung the Electoral College majority to Democratic challenger Joe Biden has put some unfamiliar election-related jargon in the news.
Audits, recounts, canvassing — what does it all mean?
Canvassing is part of the state election certification process that confirms every valid ballot cast is included in the final count. The rules vary by state.
After the canvas is complete, a state can consider an audit. An election audit is a review taken after the polls close to see if the votes were counted properly or the correct procedures were followed. A recount is a specific type of audit that involves the repeat tabulation of the votes to see if the initial count was accurate. This is usually only undertaken in a close election within a certain particularly narrow margin, often 0.5% or less. The margin, rules, and who pays for the recount can vary by state.
Georgia officials have indicated that a recount is likely after canvassing. The Trump campaign is also seeking a recount in Wisconsin. Biden is currently ahead by a slim margin in both states after later counts pushed him over the top. Trump initially led in both states on election night.
Pennsylvania Republican leaders have called for an audit of the state’s election results. There too, Trump led on election night, but subsequent tallies of the state’s early votes put Biden over the top. "I have no knowledge of any voter fraud, and I have no knowledge of any misdeeds, other than the process [by] which the Department of State ran in this election," Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman said on a Zoom call with reporters on Friday. The commonwealth does not allow officials to process early votes before Election Day.
The Trump campaign has alleged voter fraud in multiple states while also criticizing media outlets for being quick to call states where Biden narrowly leads while hesitant to declare a winner in states such as North Carolina for Trump. It has cited statistical evidence of fraud in Wisconsin and has also raised questions about systematic voter ID law violations.
In Nevada, whistleblowers have signed affidavits alleging irregularities favorable to Biden, who is ahead in the state by small margins. The Trump legal team has also made claims about dead voters, votes cast by people who no longer live in Nevada, and a Biden-Harris van filled with open ballots.
The Trump campaign is challenging the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision to allow the counting of mail-in ballots that arrived up to three days after Election Day as long as they were postmarked by Tuesday. State law says they must be received by 8 p.m. that day. Multiple Republican state attorneys general have sided with the Trump team on this. There are also questions about whether Republican poll watchers have been given appropriate access to vote counting in the state.
Controversies about the vote count in several close states have dragged out uncertainty about the election for a week, although the Associated Press and major news network began to call the presidential race for Biden on Saturday.
A stalemate over the Florida recount in 2000, where only hundreds of votes separated Republican George W. Bush from Democrat Al Gore, lasted 37 days until the U.S. Supreme Court resolved it with the controversial Bush v. Gore decision. Although he disagreed with the ruling, Gore conceded the election the following day.
Members of the Electoral College will meet to cast their votes for president on Dec. 14, although federal law requires states to have identified their slates of electors six days before. Many election experts regard this as the practical deadline for resolving election disputes this year. A candidate needs at least 270 Electoral College votes to win the presidency.
The Supreme Court currently has a 6-3 conservative majority, with three sitting justices who were nominated by Trump.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-09--GOP fears conceding Trump loss would spark base revolt and loss of seats

Top Republicans in Washington are reluctant to call Joe Biden the president-elect publicly , fearing a rebellion by grassroots conservatives loyal to President Trump that would sink the party ’ s Senate majority .
Republican insiders privately concede Biden ousted Trump and dismiss suggestions voter fraud , ballot errors , or other issues would be uncovered sufficient to alter the election .
But with the president claiming otherwise and two Georgia runoff elections set for January that will decide the Senate majority , plus midterm elections in 2022 , most congressional Republicans are backing Trump .
The move is purely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw vulnerable Republicans in Congress reelected , leaving the party poised to maintain the Senate majority and just a few seats shy of reclaiming the gavel in the House .
But Republicans worry the GOP base would sit on its hands for the next two years if they abandon Trump now and downplay his concerns about the vote .
“ If they inject themselves before the conversation ends , the base is going to ” turn its back on congressional Republicans , said Brian Lanza , a GOP operative and former Trump adviser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the party ’ s establishment on Capitol Hill agreed with that assessment .
“ So long as the campaign is pursuing actual legal remedies , the voters will expect our politicians to hang in there , ” this strategist said .
“ Trump ’ s never-back-down approach is about 90 % of his appeal for Republican voters.
” Biden was on track to win 306 Electoral College votes , the same as received by Trump when he was elected four years ago .
The former vice president was declared president-elect on Saturday after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the election — just as they did with Trump on election night four years ago .
The president is blaming key losses in the swing states of Michigan , Nevada , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin , and his likely defeat in Arizona and Georgia , on massive fraud and other malfeasance committed by the Democrats , despite a lack of convincing evidence .
The Trump campaign , in conjunction with the Republican National Committee , has dispatched lawyers to investigate and take legal action in each of those states .
Republicans are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The few of among them willing to criticize Trump over the past four years are admonishing him for damaging the electoral process .
“ A sitting president undermining our political process & questioning the legality of the voices of countless Americans without evidence is not only dangerous & wrong , it undermines the very foundation this nation was built upon , ” outgoing Texas Rep. Will Hurd tweeted .
But most prominent Republicans are encouraging Trump to keep fighting , describing the outcome as far from decided .
That includes Republicans eyeing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on winning the majority in 2022 , and Senate Republicans worried about the two critical runoff elections in Georgia after Biden became the first Democrat to win the state since 1992 .
If Democrats won both , they would hold 50 seats , and with presumptive Vice President-elect Kamala Harris ’ s tie-breaking vote , that would be enough for Senate control .
Despite losing to Biden , Trump 's 71.3 million votes nationally are the second-most in history behind Biden 's 75.8 million .
That equals a lot of GOP voters that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward by prematurely throwing the president overboard .
“ In the United States of America , all legal ballots must be counted ; any illegal ballots must not be counted , ” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday in remarks on the floor , echoing the rhetoric of the Trump campaign .
“ President Trump is 100 % within his rights to look into allegations of irregularities and weigh his legal options.
” Even some Republican elder statesmen are parsing their comments .
The party at all levels is bending over backward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won the election .
“ After counting every valid vote and allowing courts to resolve disputes , it is important to promptly accept the result , ” outgoing Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander , a McConnell ally , said in a statement .
“ The orderly transfer or reaffirming of immense power after a presidential election is the most enduring symbol of our democracy .
”

Top Republicans in Washington are reluctant to call Joe Biden the president-elect publicly, fearing a rebellion by grassroots conservatives loyal to President Trump that would sink the party’s Senate majority.
Republican insiders privately concede Biden ousted Trump and dismiss suggestions voter fraud, ballot errors, or other issues would be uncovered sufficient to alter the election. But with the president claiming otherwise and two Georgia runoff elections set for January that will decide the Senate majority, plus midterm elections in 2022, most congressional Republicans are backing Trump. The move is purely transactional.
The same election Trump questions saw vulnerable Republicans in Congress reelected, leaving the party poised to maintain the Senate majority and just a few seats shy of reclaiming the gavel in the House. But Republicans worry the GOP base would sit on its hands for the next two years if they abandon Trump now and downplay his concerns about the vote.
“If they inject themselves before the conversation ends, the base is going to” turn its back on congressional Republicans, said Brian Lanza, a GOP operative and former Trump adviser. A Republican strategist with ties to the party’s establishment on Capitol Hill agreed with that assessment.
“So long as the campaign is pursuing actual legal remedies, the voters will expect our politicians to hang in there,” this strategist said. “Trump’s never-back-down approach is about 90% of his appeal for Republican voters.”
Biden was on track to win 306 Electoral College votes, the same as received by Trump when he was elected four years ago. The former vice president was declared president-elect on Saturday after major media organizations projected him the winner of the election — just as they did with Trump on election night four years ago.
The president is blaming key losses in the swing states of Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and his likely defeat in Arizona and Georgia, on massive fraud and other malfeasance committed by the Democrats, despite a lack of convincing evidence. The Trump campaign, in conjunction with the Republican National Committee, has dispatched lawyers to investigate and take legal action in each of those states.
Republicans are skeptical much will come of it. The few of among them willing to criticize Trump over the past four years are admonishing him for damaging the electoral process.
“A sitting president undermining our political process & questioning the legality of the voices of countless Americans without evidence is not only dangerous & wrong, it undermines the very foundation this nation was built upon,” outgoing Texas Rep. Will Hurd tweeted. But most prominent Republicans are encouraging Trump to keep fighting, describing the outcome as far from decided.
That includes Republicans eyeing a 2024 presidential bid, House Republicans focused on winning the majority in 2022, and Senate Republicans worried about the two critical runoff elections in Georgia after Biden became the first Democrat to win the state since 1992. If Democrats won both, they would hold 50 seats, and with presumptive Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote, that would be enough for Senate control.
Despite losing to Biden, Trump's 71.3 million votes nationally are the second-most in history behind Biden's 75.8 million. That equals a lot of GOP voters that Republican officials are wary of alienating going forward by prematurely throwing the president overboard.
“In the United States of America, all legal ballots must be counted; any illegal ballots must not be counted,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday in remarks on the floor, echoing the rhetoric of the Trump campaign. “President Trump is 100% within his rights to look into allegations of irregularities and weigh his legal options.”
Even some Republican elder statesmen are parsing their comments. The party at all levels is bending over backward to avoid appearing to accept that Biden won the election.
“After counting every valid vote and allowing courts to resolve disputes, it is important to promptly accept the result,” outgoing Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, a McConnell ally, said in a statement. “The orderly transfer or reaffirming of immense power after a presidential election is the most enduring symbol of our democracy.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-09--Nevada whistleblower describes Biden van vote factory in signed affidavit

LAS VEGAS , Nevada – A second sworn affidavit from a whistleblower who was an election worker in Clark County , Nevada , claims mail-in ballots were improperly filled out in a Biden-Harris van outside a polling place .
A redacted copy of the affidavit signed on Nov. 8 and obtained by the Washington Examiner puts weight behind some of the claims first detailed by American Conservative Union President Matt Schlapp , who is helping lead the charge for the president ’ s legal efforts in Nevada .
In a Sunday press conference , Schlapp said that an election worker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with open ballots inside .
The whistleblower , who worked as a poll worker from Oct. 17-30 , complained about a Biden-Harris bus or van that was often stationed outside the polling place that would often have “ speakers , dancers , music and other festivities going on ” and whose organizers had to be told “ several times a day ” to “ stay 100 feet from the polling location.
” He also said that voters without proper identification were permitted to cast provisional ballots .
The biggest shock claim , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the van belonging to supporters of presumptive President-elect Joe Biden , whom he saw while on a lunch break walk on Oct. 28 or 29 .
“ I personally witnessed two people handing multiple unopened mail in ballot envelopes to two other people who then opened and filled out the ballots against the side of the Biden/Harris van , ” the affidavit said .
“ The same two people who marked the ballots then put the marked ballots in official pink and white envelopes .
These people were not poll workers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ my final walking lap , there were 5 or 6 additional people who formed a human wall , which moved as I walked by , apparently in an attempt to block my view of the four people who were opening envelopes , marking ballots , and placing those ballots in the pink and white return envelopes.
” The whistleblower recalled reporting the incident to a supervisor , who then called the Clark County Elections Office , to no avail .
“ Someone there told her nothing could be done about the ballots or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area , ” the whistleblower said in the affidavit .
The elections office added that “ ballot harvesting is legal in Nevada , ” according to the affidavit , but that practice is not what the whistleblower detailed .
“ Ballot harvesting ” is when a person collects and returns already-completed ballots .
People not operating in a government capacity are not legally allowed to distribute mail-in ballots or mark ballots for others .
Another Clark County , Nevada , whistleblower who worked in a ballot-counting center has signed an affidavit claiming that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in ballots despite concerns about whether the signature matched the name on the envelope .
President Trump lags about 36,200 votes behind Biden in Nevada .

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – A second sworn affidavit from a whistleblower who was an election worker in Clark County, Nevada, claims mail-in ballots were improperly filled out in a Biden-Harris van outside a polling place.
A redacted copy of the affidavit signed on Nov. 8 and obtained by the Washington Examiner puts weight behind some of the claims first detailed by American Conservative Union President Matt Schlapp, who is helping lead the charge for the president’s legal efforts in Nevada. In a Sunday press conference, Schlapp said that an election worker saw a van “marked Biden-Harris” with open ballots inside.
The whistleblower, who worked as a poll worker from Oct. 17-30, complained about a Biden-Harris bus or van that was often stationed outside the polling place that would often have “speakers, dancers, music and other festivities going on” and whose organizers had to be told “several times a day” to “stay 100 feet from the polling location.” He also said that voters without proper identification were permitted to cast provisional ballots.
The biggest shock claim, though, dealt with improperly filled out ballots in the van belonging to supporters of presumptive President-elect Joe Biden, whom he saw while on a lunch break walk on Oct. 28 or 29.
“I personally witnessed two people handing multiple unopened mail in ballot envelopes to two other people who then opened and filled out the ballots against the side of the Biden/Harris van,” the affidavit said. “The same two people who marked the ballots then put the marked ballots in official pink and white envelopes. These people were not poll workers."
The affidavit continued: "By my final walking lap, there were 5 or 6 additional people who formed a human wall, which moved as I walked by, apparently in an attempt to block my view of the four people who were opening envelopes, marking ballots, and placing those ballots in the pink and white return envelopes.”
The whistleblower recalled reporting the incident to a supervisor, who then called the Clark County Elections Office, to no avail.
“Someone there told her nothing could be done about the ballots or envelopes being handled outside at the Biden/Harris area,” the whistleblower said in the affidavit. The elections office added that “ballot harvesting is legal in Nevada,” according to the affidavit, but that practice is not what the whistleblower detailed.
“Ballot harvesting” is when a person collects and returns already-completed ballots. People not operating in a government capacity are not legally allowed to distribute mail-in ballots or mark ballots for others.
Another Clark County, Nevada, whistleblower who worked in a ballot-counting center has signed an affidavit claiming that a supervisor instructed the person to process mail-in ballots despite concerns about whether the signature matched the name on the envelope.
President Trump lags about 36,200 votes behind Biden in Nevada.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-09--'This election is over': Biden calls for end of partisan bickering over mask-wearing

Apparent President-elect Joe Biden pushed for widespread mask-wearing in his first policy address since last week 's disputed election , despite positive developments regarding a COVID-19 vaccine .
`` This election is over .
It 's time to put aside the partisanship and the rhetoric that 's designed to demonize one another .
It 's time to end the politicization of basic , responsible public health steps such as mask-wearing and social distancing , '' Biden said Monday in Wilmington , Delaware .
He added , “ Please , I implore you , wear a mask .
Do it for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A mask is not a political statement , but it is a good way to start pulling the country together . ''
Biden , who has equivocated on his calls for a national mask mandate , said there was `` a need for bold action '' because the country was still bracing `` for a dark winter . ''
As many as 200,000 people in the U.S. could die from COVID-19 complications if there 's no large scale behavior changes over the coming months , he continued , citing projections .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases in the United States .
Last week , we topped 120,000 new cases on multiple successive days .
Infection rates are going up .
Hospitalizations are going up .
Deaths are going up , '' he said .
After a morning briefing from his new transition coronavirus task force , Biden promised his team was `` ready to work '' and their plans would be `` built on a bedrock of science . ''
Some of Biden 's priorities are scaling up COVID-19 testing and the production of protective gear , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free vaccine .
He vowed , too , that his advisory board would focus on minority communities , rather than their being `` an afterthought . ''
`` The bottom line : I will spare no effort to turn this pandemic around once we 're sworn in on Jan. 20 , to get our kids back to school safely , our businesses growing , and our economy running full speed again , '' he said .
Earlier Monday , Biden unveiled his 13-person shadow coronavirus task force .
His advisory group is led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murthy , and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith .
Trump administration whistleblower Dr. Rick Bright is also a member of the panel .
Pfizer and BioNTech announced Monday an independent data monitoring committee analyzing its phase 3 clinical trial of more than 43,000 people found `` a vaccine efficacy rate above 90 % , at seven days after the second dose , '' according to a press release .
President Trump has not conceded after the Nov. 3 election amid a slew of legal challenges concerning the results .

Apparent President-elect Joe Biden pushed for widespread mask-wearing in his first policy address since last week's disputed election, despite positive developments regarding a COVID-19 vaccine.
"This election is over. It's time to put aside the partisanship and the rhetoric that's designed to demonize one another. It's time to end the politicization of basic, responsible public health steps such as mask-wearing and social distancing," Biden said Monday in Wilmington, Delaware.
He added, “Please, I implore you, wear a mask. Do it for yourself. Do it for your neighbor. A mask is not a political statement, but it is a good way to start pulling the country together."
Biden, who has equivocated on his calls for a national mask mandate, said there was "a need for bold action" because the country was still bracing "for a dark winter." As many as 200,000 people in the U.S. could die from COVID-19 complications if there's no large scale behavior changes over the coming months, he continued, citing projections.
"There are now nearly 10 million COVID cases in the United States. Last week, we topped 120,000 new cases on multiple successive days. Infection rates are going up. Hospitalizations are going up. Deaths are going up," he said.
After a morning briefing from his new transition coronavirus task force, Biden promised his team was "ready to work" and their plans would be "built on a bedrock of science."
Some of Biden's priorities are scaling up COVID-19 testing and the production of protective gear, as well as getting ready to distribute a free vaccine. He vowed, too, that his advisory board would focus on minority communities, rather than their being "an afterthought."
"The bottom line: I will spare no effort to turn this pandemic around once we're sworn in on Jan. 20, to get our kids back to school safely, our businesses growing, and our economy running full speed again," he said.
Earlier Monday, Biden unveiled his 13-person shadow coronavirus task force. His advisory group is led by Dr. David Kessler, Dr. Vivek Murthy, and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith. Trump administration whistleblower Dr. Rick Bright is also a member of the panel.
Pfizer and BioNTech announced Monday an independent data monitoring committee analyzing its phase 3 clinical trial of more than 43,000 people found "a vaccine efficacy rate above 90%, at seven days after the second dose," according to a press release.
President Trump has not conceded after the Nov. 3 election amid a slew of legal challenges concerning the results.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-09--Graham says he’ll ‘encourage’ Trump to ‘think about’ running in 2024 if election lawsuits fail

Sen. Lindsey Graham will urge President Trump to run for president in 2024 should he ultimately lose to Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
Graham , one of the president 's biggest Republican supporters who has said the election is n't over , told Fox News 's Brian Kilmeade that he believes Trump should seek another term in office if this bid fails .
Graham said that if none of the Trump campaign or GOP legal challenges are enough to win him the election , which has been projected in Biden 's favor , he ’ ll tell the president “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to consider running again , to create an organization , platforms over the next four years to keep his movement alive.
” '' I would encourage him to think about doing it , I really would , '' he said before referencing President Grover Cleveland , who , during the late 1800s , served one term as president , lost his reelection bid , and then successfully ran four years later .
In the 1888 election , Cleveland , the incumbent , lost to Republican candidate Benjamin Harrison despite winning the popular vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to concede the race to Biden , calling on him to `` fight hard . ''
He also recently donated $ 500,000 to the president 's reelection legal fund .
Graham reiterated the stance that the president should n't give up in the Kilmeade interview .
A number of media outlets , including the Associated Press , CNN , the New York Times , and Fox News , projected Pennsylvania , and the state 's vital 20 Electoral College votes , to go to Biden on Saturday .
In doing so , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the Electoral College votes put him above the necessary 270 vote threshold to become president .
Despite that , Biden 's acceptance speech , and the formation of a transition team , Trump has not conceded , and his campaign is seeking recounts and legal remedies in the hope of winning four more years in the White House .
The campaign claims , without verifiable evidence , that there has been widespread voter fraud or compromises to the voting system in states projected to Biden , including Arizona , Nevada , Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @

Sen. Lindsey Graham will urge President Trump to run for president in 2024 should he ultimately lose to Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Graham, one of the president's biggest Republican supporters who has said the election isn't over, told Fox News's Brian Kilmeade that he believes Trump should seek another term in office if this bid fails.
Graham said that if none of the Trump campaign or GOP legal challenges are enough to win him the election, which has been projected in Biden's favor, he’ll tell the president “not to let this movement die, to consider running again, to create an organization, platforms over the next four years to keep his movement alive.”
"I would encourage him to think about doing it, I really would," he said before referencing President Grover Cleveland, who, during the late 1800s, served one term as president, lost his reelection bid, and then successfully ran four years later. In the 1888 election, Cleveland, the incumbent, lost to Republican candidate Benjamin Harrison despite winning the popular vote.
Graham has previously urged Trump not to concede the race to Biden, calling on him to "fight hard." He also recently donated $500,000 to the president's reelection legal fund. Graham reiterated the stance that the president shouldn't give up in the Kilmeade interview.
[Follow here for complete election lawsuits coverage]
A number of media outlets, including the Associated Press, CNN, the New York Times, and Fox News, projected Pennsylvania, and the state's vital 20 Electoral College votes, to go to Biden on Saturday. In doing so, the outlets also declared him the apparent president-elect since the Electoral College votes put him above the necessary 270 vote threshold to become president.
Despite that, Biden's acceptance speech, and the formation of a transition team, Trump has not conceded, and his campaign is seeking recounts and legal remedies in the hope of winning four more years in the White House. The campaign claims, without verifiable evidence, that there has been widespread voter fraud or compromises to the voting system in states projected to Biden, including Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Georgia.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-09--Trump campaign outlines legal blitz strategy for crucial recounts

President Trump 's reelection campaign is planning new rallies as part of a 30-day legal and media blitz contesting battleground vote counts .
With returns expected to conclude over the coming days , weeks of fraught recounts could lie ahead as Trump and the Republican National Committee allege voter fraud in several key states .
Four Trump advisers told Axios on Sunday that they plan to showcase the obituaries of dead people , who the campaign says voted in the presidential election , as evidence of voter fraud .
A media operation spearheaded by Trump 2020 communications director Tim Murtaugh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ onslaught with press briefings , media appearances by surrogates , and other messaging efforts .
And a legal team , featuring Trump 2020 campaign manager Bill Stepien , his deputy Justin Clark , and senior advisers Jason Miller and David Bossie , is ready to introduce field teams , including Trump 2016 transition Kory Langhofer in Arizona and trial attorney Ronald Hicks in Pennsylvania .
Hicks 's Republican National Lawyers Association biography states that he was the lead counsel in a 2003 case that caused 56 absentee ballots to be invalidated , securing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court candidate by a 28-vote margin out of 2.25 million cast .
Team Trump announced on Sunday that Rep. Doug Collins , a four-term Georgia Republican , would take point in his home state , where he recently lost a bid for U.S. Senate .
An attorney and close Trump ally , Collins said in a statement that he expected to uncover `` evidence of improperly harvested ballots , '' among other voting issues , that would swing the race for Trump .
A bid to dissuade Trump from the fight is also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Washington Examiner , one former senior White House official called the effort `` pointless and toothless , '' adding that `` at this point , unless they have a concrete filing or complaint in the next week , they are going to need to move along . ''
The campaign has filed a slew of lawsuits since Election Day in key states and is fundraising heavily , calling on supporters via texts and emails to give to an Election Defense Fund .
`` This nonsense is going to start to intrude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this source said .
`` It 's one thing to lose the presidency .
It would be a lot worse if he took the Senate with him . ''

President Trump's reelection campaign is planning new rallies as part of a 30-day legal and media blitz contesting battleground vote counts.
With returns expected to conclude over the coming days, weeks of fraught recounts could lie ahead as Trump and the Republican National Committee allege voter fraud in several key states.
Four Trump advisers told Axios on Sunday that they plan to showcase the obituaries of dead people, who the campaign says voted in the presidential election, as evidence of voter fraud.
[Follow here for complete election lawsuits coverage]
A media operation spearheaded by Trump 2020 communications director Tim Murtaugh will continue a "campaign-style" media onslaught with press briefings, media appearances by surrogates, and other messaging efforts.
And a legal team, featuring Trump 2020 campaign manager Bill Stepien, his deputy Justin Clark, and senior advisers Jason Miller and David Bossie, is ready to introduce field teams, including Trump 2016 transition Kory Langhofer in Arizona and trial attorney Ronald Hicks in Pennsylvania.
Hicks's Republican National Lawyers Association biography states that he was the lead counsel in a 2003 case that caused 56 absentee ballots to be invalidated, securing the election of a Republican state Supreme Court candidate by a 28-vote margin out of 2.25 million cast.
Team Trump announced on Sunday that Rep. Doug Collins, a four-term Georgia Republican, would take point in his home state, where he recently lost a bid for U.S. Senate.
An attorney and close Trump ally, Collins said in a statement that he expected to uncover "evidence of improperly harvested ballots," among other voting issues, that would swing the race for Trump.
A bid to dissuade Trump from the fight is also underway, Axios reported Monday.
Speaking to the Washington Examiner, one former senior White House official called the effort "pointless and toothless," adding that "at this point, unless they have a concrete filing or complaint in the next week, they are going to need to move along."
The campaign has filed a slew of lawsuits since Election Day in key states and is fundraising heavily, calling on supporters via texts and emails to give to an Election Defense Fund.
"This nonsense is going to start to intrude on the Georgia Senate race," this source said. "It's one thing to lose the presidency. It would be a lot worse if he took the Senate with him."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-11-10--Biden could take office with plenty of pitfalls ahead of 2022

Be careful what you wish for .
Unless President Trump ’ s election lawsuits prevail , apparent winner Joe Biden could take office under a challenging set of circumstances .
Conservatives will have a 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court , including three Trump nominees .
Republicans may continue to have a majority in the Senate , depending on what happens in the Georgia runoffs .
It will certainly be a far cry from the filibuster-proof , 60-40 Democratic majority that former President Barack Obama enjoyed for part of his first year in office .
The GOP added seats in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to recapture the majority in the 2022 midterm elections , held shortly before Biden ’ s 80th birthday .
A new Democratic administration would take office in the midst of a pandemic and economic downturn .
Biden has suggested on the campaign trail that he would contemplate renewed lockdowns and a national mask mandate .
Many of his supporters have directly blamed the president for the COVID-19 death toll in the United States .
There are currently over 10 million cases in the country .
“ The 46th president will confront a divided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of difficulties , ” said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon .
“ Election returns and exit polls revealed sharp differences between men and women and white and minority Americans .
The new president will immediately need to confront the ravages of the pandemic , rebuild a shattered economy , and address the looming threat of climate change.
” Divisions within the Democratic Party have also resurfaced since the election , as centrists have accused the most liberal members of their party of saddling them with issues such as “ defund the police ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abigail Spanberger , who was narrowly reelected in her Virginia swing district , of getting “ torn apart ” in the next election if Democrats continued to run on progressive priorities .
A former top Biden aide described Trump as the “ glue ” that held the coalition stretching from Republican John Kasich to socialist Bernie Sanders together .
“ His response to these challenges will be limited by a Republican Senate , barring a Democratic sweep of special elections in January , a solidly conservative Supreme Court majority , unrelenting hostility from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own party between establishment and progressive Democrats , ” Bannon said .
“ Joe Biden will have his work cut out for him with a Senate controlled by the GOP and run by Mitch McConnell .
He ran on a platform of bringing people together , and now , he 'll get his chance.
” Biden would also take office with Republicans and Trump voters as suspicious of his win as Democrats were following the Florida 2000 recount that was decided by a conservative majority on the Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports about Russian interference surfaced .
“ I think we ’ d be pretty well positioned for 2022 and beyond , ” said a Republican strategist who requested anonymity so as not to be seen as conceding this year ’ s election before Trump ’ s legal challenges and various recounts are resolved .
Both Obama and former President Bill Clinton won by larger margins and faced big setbacks in their first midterm elections , although they were both reelected .
Republicans took control of the House in 2010 and of both houses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representing the first GOP House majority in 40 years .
The former vice president campaigned as an institutionalist with extensive Beltway experience who could work across the aisle .
He was often Obama ’ s point man on Capitol Hill .
“ To those who voted for President Trump , I understand your disappointment tonight , ” Biden said as he declared victory in the disputed race .
“ I ’ ve lost a couple of elections myself .
But now , let ’ s give each other a chance.
” “ Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the climate of national emergency to his advantage .
The new president has a relationship with the majority leader from their years together in the upper chamber , so at least they can talk , ” Bannon said .
“ Biden will also try to pick off GOP senators like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski to support his agenda.
” Centrists , including the Republican senators from Maine and Alaska or West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin , could have renewed power in a closely divided Senate .
Biden argued throughout the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure .
Both he and his running mate , California Sen. Kamala Harris , downplayed some of their more liberal positions from the primaries and the “ unity ” platform adopted in concert with Sanders 's supporters .
But Biden will undoubtedly face pressure from his left flank , which is why he also claimed a mandate .
Trump has yet to concede in the presidential race as he works his way through challenges in multiple states .
`` This election is not over , far from it , '' White House press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Committee headquarters on Monday .

Be careful what you wish for.
Unless President Trump’s election lawsuits prevail, apparent winner Joe Biden could take office under a challenging set of circumstances.
Conservatives will have a 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court, including three Trump nominees. Republicans may continue to have a majority in the Senate, depending on what happens in the Georgia runoffs. It will certainly be a far cry from the filibuster-proof, 60-40 Democratic majority that former President Barack Obama enjoyed for part of his first year in office. The GOP added seats in the House and could be well positioned to recapture the majority in the 2022 midterm elections, held shortly before Biden’s 80th birthday.
A new Democratic administration would take office in the midst of a pandemic and economic downturn. Biden has suggested on the campaign trail that he would contemplate renewed lockdowns and a national mask mandate. Many of his supporters have directly blamed the president for the COVID-19 death toll in the United States. There are currently over 10 million cases in the country.
“The 46th president will confront a divided country beset by unprecedented and complex set of difficulties,” said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon. “Election returns and exit polls revealed sharp differences between men and women and white and minority Americans. The new president will immediately need to confront the ravages of the pandemic, rebuild a shattered economy, and address the looming threat of climate change.”
Divisions within the Democratic Party have also resurfaced since the election, as centrists have accused the most liberal members of their party of saddling them with issues such as “defund the police” that are indefensible to their constituents. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who was narrowly reelected in her Virginia swing district, warned of getting “torn apart” in the next election if Democrats continued to run on progressive priorities. A former top Biden aide described Trump as the “glue” that held the coalition stretching from Republican John Kasich to socialist Bernie Sanders together.
“His response to these challenges will be limited by a Republican Senate, barring a Democratic sweep of special elections in January, a solidly conservative Supreme Court majority, unrelenting hostility from Trump supporters, and differences within his own party between establishment and progressive Democrats,” Bannon said. “Joe Biden will have his work cut out for him with a Senate controlled by the GOP and run by Mitch McConnell. He ran on a platform of bringing people together, and now, he'll get his chance.”
Biden would also take office with Republicans and Trump voters as suspicious of his win as Democrats were following the Florida 2000 recount that was decided by a conservative majority on the Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore or after the 2016 election when intelligence reports about Russian interference surfaced.
“I think we’d be pretty well positioned for 2022 and beyond,” said a Republican strategist who requested anonymity so as not to be seen as conceding this year’s election before Trump’s legal challenges and various recounts are resolved. Both Obama and former President Bill Clinton won by larger margins and faced big setbacks in their first midterm elections, although they were both reelected. Republicans took control of the House in 2010 and of both houses of Congress in 1994, the latter representing the first GOP House majority in 40 years.
The former vice president campaigned as an institutionalist with extensive Beltway experience who could work across the aisle. He was often Obama’s point man on Capitol Hill.
“To those who voted for President Trump, I understand your disappointment tonight,” Biden said as he declared victory in the disputed race. “I’ve lost a couple of elections myself. But now, let’s give each other a chance.”
“Biden will need to use his presidential pulpit and the climate of national emergency to his advantage. The new president has a relationship with the majority leader from their years together in the upper chamber, so at least they can talk,” Bannon said. “Biden will also try to pick off GOP senators like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski to support his agenda.”
Centrists, including the Republican senators from Maine and Alaska or West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, could have renewed power in a closely divided Senate.
Biden argued throughout the campaign that he could be a unifying figure. Both he and his running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, downplayed some of their more liberal positions from the primaries and the “unity” platform adopted in concert with Sanders's supporters. But Biden will undoubtedly face pressure from his left flank, which is why he also claimed a mandate.
Trump has yet to concede in the presidential race as he works his way through challenges in multiple states.
"This election is not over, far from it," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said at the Republican National Committee headquarters on Monday.