Trump could contest election results in Nov, but only on a state-by-state basis
9 replies, posted
[quote]Can a presidential candidate legally "contest" election results?
[B]Yes, but not at the national level. US elections, even for president, are administered on a state-by-state basis.[/B] Every state has its own laws governing elections, including laws that allow (and, in some circumstances, require) that the vote be recounted if the preliminary results show a very close outcome in that state, regardless of what happens elsewhere. State laws also identify other exceptionally narrow circumstances in which challenges can be brought. And in any event, every state also has procedures for counting absentee and provisional ballots, many of which are counted after Election Day.
[B]What this means in practice is that the results that are reported on election night are, both practically and legally, preliminary -- and may very well be subject to change in the days and weeks to come depending upon the different ways each state finalizes its results and resolves close calls.[/B]
We all remember Florida in 2000 because the margin between Gore and George W. Bush was razor-thin and because whoever won Florida would cross the 270-vote threshold in the Electoral College -- and thereby win the election. Fewer folks remember New Mexico that year -- in which the vote was even closer than it was in Florida, and in which it took 23 days to certify the final results -- because the outcome wouldn't have tipped the scales nationally either way (Gore won the state's five electoral votes).
This is why, when presidential elections are not as close (for example, in 2008 and 2012), there's far less talk of challenges or recounts. [B]Some states may still be decided by razor-thin margins, but not enough to make a difference in which candidate received 270 or more electoral votes.[/B]
Thus, the larger the apparent margin in the Electoral College on election night, the harder it would be for the losing candidate to legally challenge the election [B]-- since he or she would have to succeed in overturning the results in enough states to change the outcome in the Electoral College[/B].[/quote]
[url]http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/20/politics/challenge-presidential-election-donald-trump-hillary-clinton/index.html[/url]
So he'd most likely contest swing states.
[QUOTE=LtKyle2;51233791]So he'd most likely contest swing states.[/QUOTE]
What I take from this is, instead of one "big challenge" of the results, we're going to have months of dozens and dozens of smaller lawsuits/challenges of results in each state.
We potentially could see 50 election contests after November.
It seems that the ride won't be over until Hillary takes the oath of office, if not longer.
He'd have to be a [I]really[/I] sore loser to contest all 50 states.
Not that I would expect anything less from him.
Know what will actually happen?
"Birther" movement will rebrand into "Rigged Election" movement.
[QUOTE=CroGamer002;51233826]Know what will actually happen?
"Birther" movement will rebrand into "Rigged Election" movement.[/QUOTE]
Soon it'll just be a matter of hoping no violence erupts from such a thing.
In other words, "Trump could contest election results in Nov, but only states that he doesn't win".
What I think will happen: After a couple of hours of tension, Trump concedes on the night, but then within a few weeks he goes back to talking about how Clinton stole the election etc, but never mounts a legal challenge
[QUOTE=KingOfScience;51233879]In other words, "Trump could contest election results in Nov, but [B]only states that he doesn't win[/B]".[/QUOTE]
So, all of them?
[sp]I know he's not going to lose literally every state, but at the rate he's going that's not much less likely than him winning at all[/sp]
[QUOTE=smurfy;51234016]What I think will happen: After a couple of hours of tension, Trump concedes on the night, but then within a few weeks he goes back to talking about how Clinton stole the election etc, but never mounts a legal challenge[/QUOTE]
He'll tell us about the investigators he has on the case and how they are making discoveries that will make your head spin, then we'll never hear about it again. Oh and James o'keefe will release a video of a Mexican person stating that he helped steal the election for Hillary and this will be held as the smoking gun.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.