There you have it, folks! Here’s an election day recap in case you might have missed one of these key points.
Americans nationwide made their voices heard on Tuesday, choosing between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
The Democratic and Republican nominees have spent months facing off and laying out their campaign promises on many important issues ranging from immigration to health care and the economy.
On the final full day of campaigning, Trump held rallies in key swing states, beginning in North Carolina before heading to Pennsylvania for two campaign stops and finishing his day in Michigan.
Harris ended her campaign in Pennsylvania after holding rallies in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, followed by a concert in Allentown. Did these last steps affect the campaign?
And how surprised are you by the outcome in Pennsylvania? Continue reading for 6 crucial election day recaps you might have missed!
Over 100 legal leaders have warned lawyers to AVOID spreading misinformation on election day
The letter from leaders of several bar associations advised lawyers to “ground their lawsuits in facts.” They pointed out that there’s already been an onslaught of cases already this election cycle.
They’ve stated, “As past presidents of state, local, and national bar associations, this flurry of litigation compels us to remind the profession and the public: The courtroom is not a theater for unsubstantiated claims.
Filing election-related lawsuits without a solid factual and legal foundation endangers the institution’s lawyers, who are oathbound to defend. In a functioning democracy, lawsuits are not weapons to spread distrust.
They’re tools for justice.” Why do they feel the need to remind us of this on election day? Well, if you recall, a handful of notable attorneys working for Trump in 2020, including Rudy Giuliani, have lost the ability to practice law because of fraudulent information in those cases.
You might be hearing a lot of talk about a “red mirage” or “blue shift” this election day
It’s been called the “red mirage” or the “blue shift,” and it’s all about the recent sensation by which an obvious Republican lead after polls close on election night is obliterated by the counting of mail-in ballots later in the evening or in the days following election day.
Former President Donald Trump has pointed to the red mirage to back up his baseless allegations of election fraud, when in fact, it has been a function of the increase of mail-in voting and the somewhat peculiar rules about when those ballots can be counted.
In 2020, the show played out in slow-counting places such as California, which is primarily Democratic and where every registered voter is sent a mail-in ballot.
That means a “blue shift” in the popular vote could still happen even if it doesn’t delay figuring out the presidential election results. It’s important to remember that news networks may predict a winner when it’s pretty obvious who will win.
But the races aren’t officially certified until much later. Certification deadlines vary by state, but each one has until December 11th, 2024, to complete recounts, if needed, and settle disputes around the results.
Here’s why Trump had a right to vote as a convicted felon on election day
Donald Trump cast his ballot in Florida on election day. The former president arrived at the voting precinct in Palm Beach with his wife, Melania Trump.
Even though the Sunshine State typically makes it difficult for people in the state with felony convictions to regain their voting rights, Trump didn’t have any issues casting a ballot for himself.
Donald was convicted in Manhattan of 34 counts of falsifying business records linked to hush money payments before the 2016 election to adult film star Stormy Daniels. As the first former US president convicted of a felony, he will be sentenced on November 26th, 2024.
Now, under Florida law, if a voter has an out-of-state conviction, Florida will concede to that state’s rules for how offenders can regain their voting rights.
For Trump, this means he’ll benefit from a 2021 New York law allowing people with felony convictions to vote as long as they’re not serving a term of detention at the time of the election. For other Floridians with felony convictions, the rules aren’t that simple.
A successful 2018 ballot initiative restoring voting rights to those who had completed the terms of their sentence was eviscerated by state Republican lawmakers.
They passed a law requiring that all the fines and fees associated with a conviction are paid, which is a process that can be unattainable because there isn’t a centralized system for tracking these types of outstanding fees.
Election officials urge us to ignore conspiracy theories on election day
American voters headed straight to the polls Tuesday morning to choose our nation’s next president and vice president.
But false claims of voter fraud in 2020 and Trump’s repeated charges of cheating mean that everything, from voter eligibility to logistical issues like ballot functionality, long lines, and vote counting, will be monitored with a magnifying glass.
Election officials across the US, especially in swing states, have pledged to uphold the integrity of the vote and urged voters not to be misled by conspiracy theories.
The 2024 election has already pointed out allegations from Donald Trump and other Republicans that the vote is “rigged.”
Trump has made numerous claims that Democrats are cheating in the election, and he’s twisted certain issues with voting to prepare his supporters to believe that the election isn’t legitimate if he were to lose.
FBI debunks absurd claims this election day
The FBI has debunked two videos spreading online this election day that claim reports of voting in swing-state prisons and that the agency issued warnings over terrorist threats at polling sites, calling them “fabricated” and “not authentic.”
Apparently, the name and insignia are being misused to promote false narratives surrounding this election. The first is a fabricated news clip reporting falsely that the FBI purportedly stated that Americans should ‘vote remotely’ due to a high terror threat at polling stations.
The FBI said this video is fake and has nothing to do with the current threat posture or polling location safety.
Furthermore, there seems to be another fabricated video floating around containing a faked FBI press release alleging that the management of 5 prisons in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Arizona rigged inmate voting and plotted with a political party.
The FBI has not spoken about who was behind the debunked videos.
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Republicans will shift the balance of power in Washington after this election day
Republicans have won the US Senate majority, significantly shifting Washington’s power balance.
This puts the Senate in a position to boost a possible Donald Trump presidency or impede a possible Kamala Harris administration if the Democratic vice president wins the White House.
With a few races still to be declared this election day, Republicans now have 51 seats in the chamber and will assume control under an unannounced Republican leader when the new Congress assembles in January.
The Senate takeover was the first big triumph of the night for Republicans, with the destiny of the House of Representatives, where the GOP is trying to defend its narrow majority, which is unknown yet.
The new GOP Senate will be able to support Trump’s agenda and resume the ex-president’s significant reshaping of the judiciary with scores more conservatives if he ends up in the White House.
If Harris somehow prevailed, she would face difficulties confirming members of her Cabinet and judicial nominees, and the GOP Senate could block her domestic plans.
So what are YOUR two scents? Be sure to let us know in the comments below how you feel about this election day. And for more articles like this, we highly recommend checking out: 10 Dumbest Political Statements You’ll Find Hard to Believe
