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Trump supporters are doing what they can to derail the US election

Tuesday, 27 October 2020 4:10 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 27 October 2020 4:10 PM ]

A person points to an official ballot drop box for the 2020 US elections at the Los Angeles County Registrar in Norwalk, California on October 19, 2020. (AFP photo)

By Myles Hoenig

Without knowing for a fact who is behind these attacks on mail in ballots in California and Massachusetts, if it is coordinated, it does appear likely Trump supporters are doing what they can to derail the election and cast doubt and suspicion on the very notion of voting, as mail-in balloting has a very long history, whether it be for absentee voting or mandated for all votes in particular states. A very large percent of all votes will be cast this way, and to attack its integrity is an attack on the entire system of voting.

What is not unusual is that both parties have engaged, successfully over the years, in voter suppression. This time it’s more direct, by attacking the very ballots. The Republicans have long been successful in suppressing black voters through voter purging, closing polling stations, and preventing ex-felons from voting. The Democrats also have done their fair share of suppression, but mostly internally in order to manipulate the party’s favorite candidates with the approval of Wall Street, as the winner of presidential nominations.

Trump urges California GOP to 'fight hard’ for unofficial ballot boxes

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Things will not be back to normal when this election is over. If Biden likely wins, we will have to deal with the aftermath of right wing goon squads challenging the results, as well as the Republican lawyers. And with a Supreme Court whose reputation has already been tarnished with both the Kavanaugh and now Barrett nomination processes, we have entered a new realm of chaos with our elections. If Barrett rules in favor of Trump in disputed cases, we’ll have the first justice who openly accepted a bribe- nomination for favored voting.

The torching of voting boxes is only one step in the direction of total loss of voting integrity. What could come from it, when the dust settles, is a total revamping of the process. Whether it becomes more or less democratic remains to be seen. For the moment, with many political parties denied access, our elections are not one to serve as a model for participatory democracy.