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With President Donald Trump's plausible paths to reelection looking grim to say the least, the President and his allies are continuing their efforts to minimize the impact of votes in the 2020 election.
The Trump administration has repeatedly fought in court against expanded voting rights and Trump has smeared voting by mail constantly, in anticipation of an unprecedented number of pandemic-induced absentee ballots.
Now, Trump is pushing for the election to be called on Election Day, November 3rd, insisting that ballots shouldn't be counted past that date. Because some states—including the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania—don't begin processing absentee ballots until election day, many of these millions of mail-in votes won't be known until potentially days after Election Day.
Meanwhile, votes cast in person on Election Day are expected to lean Republican due to the President's campaign against mail-in voting.
Historically, there have been multiple times in history that the victor wasn't known before midnight on Election Night, including in 2016, 2004, 2000, and 1976, to name a few.
That didn't stop Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller from claiming that counting all the ballots amount to Democrats stealing the election.
Watch below.
Trump adviser Jason Miller: "If you speak with many smart Dems, they believe that Trump will be ahead on election night ... and then [Dems will] try to steal it back after the election."
(Stephanopoulos does not challenge Miller that counting all ballots ≠ "stealing.") pic.twitter.com/FMApbmVlRa
— The Recount (@therecount) November 1, 2020
Miller said:
"If you speak with many smart Democrats, they believe that President Trump will be ahead on election night, probably getting 280 electoral [votes], somewhere in that range, ad then they're going to try to steal it back after the election."
Miller went on to say he expects Trump to pick up 290 electoral votes—20 more than the 270 needed for the White House—on election night. Electoral votes are only projected on election night, but not cast until weeks later. What's more, it's unlikely that anyone but the Trump campaign would project electoral votes for Trump in a state with millions of ballots left uncounted.
People leapt to correct Miller's lies.
It's a lie Jason Miller made, not amy kind of valid point.
There will be no Electoral votes decided in election night. That happens weeks later.
Votes cast before & counted after election night are, as every year, a normal part of the election — not an effort to “steal it." https://t.co/rZPxZ8lZ1s
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) November 1, 2020
This kind of language, which we may well hear a bunch this week, is undemocratic garbage. Counting the votes is not theft. Leading before the votes are counted is not winning. https://t.co/Oy9MJAyJYA
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) November 1, 2020
This is a lie.Legally cast vote-by-mail ballots need to be counted, and many states will not be done counting them on election night. https://t.co/BAgbrnHw03
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) November 1, 2020
Contrary to what the @GOP want you to believe -- elections are decided when every eligible vote is counted. Not because it's 12:01am.
It's not “stealing" -- it's DEMOCRACY. https://t.co/fu4Mk6Gehf
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) November 1, 2020
Votes are always counted after Election Day. If you try to stop that count, you're disenfranchising Americans, including many members of the military serving overseas.
It's anti-democratic, unlawful, and un-American. https://t.co/PfpDDYRzgo
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) November 1, 2020
No campaign can be "ahead" in the Electoral College on Election Night.
Electoral college votes aren't allocated until December 14.
This is only after all states certify their election results.
And not a single state certifies its election results on Election Night. https://t.co/wddfVj4yvT
— Zac Petkanas (@Zac_Petkanas) November 1, 2020
States 👏do👏not👏declare👏winners👏on👏election👏night https://t.co/zbqNK1rO9p
— Jacob Rubashkin (@JacobRubashkin) November 1, 2020
Trump's apparent eagerness to declare victory on election night has some concerned over how a false victory would be covered.
I think there's a very tough decision for the networks about taking Trump live on election night, particularly if you know he is going to come out and lie and sow dangerous disinformation about the election. https://t.co/OWW3o1LwDw
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) November 1, 2020
Any newsroom taking Trump surrogates live on e-Night repeating this lie is a newsroom actively spreading disinformation. https://t.co/2J8dCy9d6D
— Cole Leiter (@coleleiter) November 1, 2020
WE ALL WANT A LANDSLIDE.
BUT GOD FORBID IT IS CLOSE...
EXPECT AND PREPARE FOR FOX NEWS TO *PREMATURELY* CALL IT FOR TRUMP *EXACTLY* LIKE THEY DID FOR BUSH IN 2000.
WE ALL NEED TO HIGHLIGHT AND EXPOSE THIS BS *BEFORE* IT HAPPENS ON ELECTION NIGHT.
FOX IS TRUMP. TRUMP IS FOX.
— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) November 1, 2020
Election Day in the United States is on November 3rd.