Election Deniers on the Ballot
· food
Election Deniers on the Ballot: A Recipe for Disaster
Tom Tiffany, a vocal supporter of Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 presidential election, has won the Republican nomination for governor in Wisconsin. While his general election victory may be uncertain, given the state’s divided politics and national climate, he could still win significant authority over Wisconsin’s elections.
This is not an isolated incident. In several key battleground states, including Michigan, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Nevada, Republicans have chosen election deniers as their nominees for governor or secretary of state. If any of these candidates win, they’ll have control over the administration of elections in states that could determine the outcome of the 2028 presidential election.
Election experts say it’s unlikely that such individuals would be able to steal an election outright. State laws contain numerous checks on interference from top officials, and the judiciary has a strong track record of stopping election malfeasance. A reform to the Electoral Count Act passed during the Biden presidency has also improved federal protections against election interference.
However, election deniers could still damage the electoral system in significant ways, even if they don’t succeed in overturning results. They might suppress opposition voters, interfere with vote counts, or refuse to certify legitimate elections, thereby undermining trust in the democratic process and creating chaos where there should be order.
We’ve seen this playbook before, but the 2022 reform to the Electoral Count Act has added several additional safeguards for presidential elections specifically. Nevertheless, the risk isn’t zero, particularly if an election is extremely close. And even if a Republican governor or secretary of state doesn’t outright steal an election, they could still manipulate the electoral system in subtle but damaging ways.
To mitigate this risk, it’s essential to strengthen state and federal laws protecting the electoral process. This means supporting efforts to improve the administration of elections, as well as engaging with local communities to build trust in the system. We need to be vigilant and proactive in defending our democratic institutions, particularly when it comes to election administration.
The 2028 election will be a test of our democracy’s resilience – not just because of the presence of election deniers on the ballot. As we head into this critical period, it’s essential that we’re prepared for every eventuality, including irregularities or attempts to manipulate the electoral system. The stakes are high, and so is the potential for catastrophe.
Reader Views
- TKThe Kitchen Desk · editorial
The real concern here is how election deniers will weaponize their offices against legitimate elections. They won't need to rig votes to influence outcomes; just delaying certification or auditing already counted ballots can create enough uncertainty to erode trust in the system. We need a more nuanced discussion about the electoral safeguards in place, and whether they're truly effective in preventing such tactics when it matters most – during recounts or extremely close elections.
- CDChef Dani T. · line cook
The real damage isn't in stealing an election outright, but in eroding trust in our democratic process through subterfuge and manipulation. Election deniers might not need to rig results to win – they just need to sow enough doubt to disenfranchise voters or create chaos at the polls. And with so many of these candidates vying for power, it's no longer about individual corruption, but a systemic attempt to undermine our elections. We should be focusing on stopping this before it's too late.
- PMPat M. · home cook
We're told election deniers would need significant resources to actually steal an election, but what about the psychological impact of these candidates on the democratic process? Research has shown that when leaders delegitimize elections, voters become less trusting and more likely to accept misinformation. This isn't just a threat to voting rights; it's also a way to erode faith in institutions. We need to consider how these candidates' rhetoric will influence public opinion long before they take office.