Will 2024 Be A Disputed Election?
Digest
This podcast delves into the potential challenges to election integrity in the 2024 US election, drawing parallels to the contentious 2020 election. It examines the factors influencing the speed of election results, including the closeness of races, mail-in ballots, and state-specific laws. The podcast highlights the ideal scenario for a rapid and secure election, emphasizing the importance of accurate results and election integrity. It then explores the potential for extensive litigation, focusing on the tactics employed by election deniers to spread misinformation and undermine trust in the election process. The podcast discusses the types of legal challenges being filed, including those targeting voter rolls, mail-in ballots, and voting machines. It also examines the potential for post-election litigation and the challenges surrounding certification of election results. The podcast analyzes the impact of the Electoral Count Reform Act on streamlining the electoral count process and reducing disputes. It addresses the heightened threat environment for election officials, particularly in the post-election period, highlighting the spread of misinformation and the impact on trust in elections. The podcast explores common rumors and misinformation circulating about elections, categorizing them into three main themes: ineligible voters, rigged technology, and election worker manipulation. It addresses concerns about non-citizen voting and the measures states take to ensure eligible voter participation. The podcast examines the political debate surrounding voter ID laws and the importance of considering the specific types of ID allowed. It discusses foreign interference efforts in US elections, highlighting the sophisticated operations of Russia, Iran, and China. The podcast addresses the role of AI in elections, acknowledging the potential for its use in election manipulation. Finally, it concludes by assessing the robustness of the US election system, expressing confidence in its integrity while acknowledging the ongoing threat of disinformation.
Outlines
Election Integrity in 2024: Challenges and Concerns
This podcast explores the potential challenges to election integrity in the 2024 US election, drawing parallels to the contentious 2020 election. It examines the factors influencing the speed of election results, including the closeness of races, mail-in ballots, and state-specific laws. The podcast highlights the ideal scenario for a rapid and secure election, emphasizing the importance of accurate results and election integrity.
Litigation and Misinformation: Threats to Election Integrity
The podcast explores the potential for extensive litigation, focusing on the tactics employed by election deniers to spread misinformation and undermine trust in the election process. It discusses the types of legal challenges being filed, including those targeting voter rolls, mail-in ballots, and voting machines.
Electoral Reform and Security Measures
The podcast analyzes the impact of the Electoral Count Reform Act on streamlining the electoral count process and reducing disputes. It addresses the heightened threat environment for election officials, particularly in the post-election period, highlighting the spread of misinformation and the impact on trust in elections.
Voter Participation, Foreign Interference, and AI
The podcast explores common rumors and misinformation circulating about elections, categorizing them into three main themes: ineligible voters, rigged technology, and election worker manipulation. It addresses concerns about non-citizen voting and the measures states take to ensure eligible voter participation. The podcast examines the political debate surrounding voter ID laws and the importance of considering the specific types of ID allowed. It discusses foreign interference efforts in US elections, highlighting the sophisticated operations of Russia, Iran, and China. The podcast addresses the role of AI in elections, acknowledging the potential for its use in election manipulation.
The Robustness of the US Election System
The podcast concludes by assessing the robustness of the US election system, expressing confidence in its integrity while acknowledging the ongoing threat of disinformation.
Keywords
Election Integrity
The state of being free from fraud, manipulation, or undue influence in the conduct of elections, ensuring that the results accurately reflect the will of the voters.
Mail-in Ballot
A ballot that is sent to a voter by mail and returned by mail, allowing voters to cast their ballots without going to a polling place.
Election Denier
An individual who rejects or disputes the legitimacy of an election, often based on unfounded claims of fraud or irregularities.
Disinformation
False or misleading information that is deliberately spread to deceive or manipulate people, often with the intention of undermining trust in institutions or individuals.
Electoral Count Reform Act
A law passed in 2023 that aims to clarify and streamline the process for counting electoral votes, reducing the potential for disputes and challenges to the outcome of presidential elections.
AI-powered Bots
Computer programs designed to mimic human behavior on social media platforms, often used to spread propaganda, manipulate public opinion, or disrupt online conversations.
Deep Fake
A digitally manipulated video or audio recording that appears to show a real person saying or doing something they did not actually say or do, often used for malicious purposes.
Voter ID
A requirement for voters to present a government-issued photo identification at the polls, intended to prevent voter fraud.
Foreign Interference
Actions taken by foreign governments or individuals to influence the outcome of an election, often through the use of propaganda, disinformation, or cyberattacks.
Q&A
What are the key factors that determine the timing of election results?
The closeness of the election, the number of mail-in ballots, state laws governing counting procedures, and the decentralized nature of the US election system all play a role in determining how quickly results are announced.
What are the main types of legal challenges being filed in the 2024 election?
Litigation is targeting voter rolls, mail-in ballots, voting machines, and the certification of election results. Many lawsuits are not intended to win but rather to amplify conspiracy theories, cause chaos, and create opportunities to challenge ballots after election day.
How does the Electoral Count Reform Act aim to improve the electoral count process?
The act sets a deadline for state certification, clarifies the role of the governor in appointing electors, and raises the threshold for congressional objections to electoral slates, reducing the potential for disputes and challenges.
What are the main concerns about the threat environment for election officials?
Election officials are facing increased threats and harassment due to the spread of misinformation and distrust in elections. The threat environment is particularly heightened in the post-election period, with concerns about violence and division incited by foreign actors.
How robust is the US election system in the face of these challenges?
The system is more robust than ever, with widespread use of paper ballots, increased cooperation between law enforcement and election officials, and the courts' role in upholding election integrity. However, the ongoing threat of disinformation remains a significant concern.
Show Notes
Looking back on the 2020 election, the time between Election Day and Inauguration Day stands out as one of the most fraught and uncertain in recent American history. Will 2024 follow a similar path? In this episode of the 538 Politics podcast, Galen talks with Larry Norden, vice president of the Elections and Government Program at the Brennan Center, to provide a clearer picture of what we might expect after Election Day. They discuss when results could be expected, the types of misinformation that may circulate after the votes are cast, and why this election is seeing more litigation than any before it.
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