Preparing for the Presidential Election: A Primer on Election Deniers
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
By Marie Boster
No matter your political affiliation – or even if you’re one of the rapidly growing number of voters without one – the upcoming presidential election is nothing short of a pivotal moment that will define this country’s future.
While it’s natural to focus on the outcome, what demands our attention before, during and after the election is a comprehensive understanding of the voting process itself and the principles that guide it.
When our nation was founded, there was no centralized election system. Instead, the responsibility was left to local communities – your neighbors. They determine what is required to register, when, where and how you vote and when the ballots are counted.
That local involvement continues today. In Westchester, for example, we benefit from early voting, generous polling hours from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., paper ballots that can be verified and neighbors like my IBM executive friend who often spends Election Day in our local high school gym volunteering to help the day run smoothly.
We should be proud as Americans and as New Yorkers. Despite, or because of, our more than 10,000 different voting districts across the country, the United States remains the gold standard for democratic elections. In fact, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, under President Donald Trump, declared the 2020 election the most secure in American history. Experts agree it was the most transparent and verified election on record, and the 2024 election is on track to be even better.
PBS’s recent documentary “Counting the Vote: A Firing Line Special with Margaret Hoover,” directed by Alyssa Litoff, offers a deep dive into the individuals and local systems that safeguard our elections. It is a must-watch for anyone who cares about the future of our democracy. The film is not only informative but an eye-opener, reminding us that the integrity of vote counting isn’t a partisan issue. As one election official from Pennsylvania puts it, “Counting votes is not a Democratic value or a Republican value. It’s an American value.”
Yet, as the documentary so effectively reminds us, former President Trump sought to undermine this fundamental principle. Casting doubt over our election system has become a cornerstone of his campaign strategy. Never before has a presidential candidate preemptively declared themselves the winner before the votes were counted – until Trump did so in 2020. This was no Trump whim, but a deliberate strategy, as confirmed in an audiotape of Steve Bannon on Oct. 31, 2020. We must brace for a repeat of this strategy in 2024 – and possibly worse.
So, how do you respond to election deniers or skeptics? Tell them the burden of proof is on them and you need facts that you can review. There are so many resources now for information about the process.
Next, remind them that even Trump’s own Department of Homeland Security declared the 2020 election secure, and Trump’s numerous court challenges failed due to lack of evidence.
Lastly, invite them to get involved – whether as monitors or poll workers. There’s more transparency in today’s elections than ever before, and by participating, they’ll help uphold the very values they claim to defend.
Ensuring every vote is counted isn’t a partisan issue – it’s a cornerstone of American democracy. And I look forward to seeing you at a polling station soon.
Marie Boster lives and votes in Westchester.
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