He’s been campaigning for months against mail voting in November by tweeting and speaking critically about the practice, which more states have encouraged to keep voters safe amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In an interview in July, the president likewise refused to commit to accepting the results. “I have to see. See … I must see,” he told Fox News Sunday. “No, I wouldn’t just say yes. I wouldn’t say no, and I wasn’t the last time.”
Now, a question that was previously unimaginable is being asked: What if the American president did not accept the election defeat? Is there a contingency plan in case the president and his supporters refuse to remain silent?
What happens if Donald Trump refuses to accept the defeat of the US election and goes quietly?
At what time will we know the winner in the US election?
Election night did not achieve the ultimate winner the public wanted to know. The unprecedented number of mail ballots in these elections, sparked by the Covid-19 virus, are causing significant delays. While some states begin counting postal ballots before Election Day, some wait until the polls close.
So, for example, early results in states that have prioritized personal vote counting might show Trump is advancing, only for Biden to show up at a later date as the vote counts appear in the mail.
With no clear winner at night, the count could take days or even weeks, though most officials in dynamic swing states have said they hope to announce the result by the end of the week after the election at the latest.
Regardless of the end result, Mr. Trump will remain in the Oval Office after the election if he loses. He would become the official “lame duck” president, with 73 days into office before handing the keys to the White House.
On January 20, 2021, the new president will deliver his inaugural speech. This has traditionally been held on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building, but it remains unclear what shape the national address would take if the pandemic still posed a public health risk.
How does the electoral college work?
Each state is represented by a number of votes in the Electoral College which is roughly related to population size; For example, Florida has 29 votes and California has 55. There are 538 votes in total, so 270 votes are required to win.
In all but two states, the candidate who wins the universal vote will win all of the Electoral College votes for that state. These votes are cast by the electors – there is one voter for each university vote – on December 14th.
The structure of the Electoral College, along with the political and demographic make-up of the swing states, means that a few states have a disproportionately greater weight in elections and sometimes cancel the popular vote.
Read more: 2020 U.S. Electoral College Explained
