The prospect of a delayed outcome in America’s race for the 47th presidency sets a concerning precedent, as suggested by recent conjectures in a New York Times article. With hardly two months left before the nation cast their votes, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis rebuked the idea of vote tallying extending itself past election day, labeling it as ‘outrageous’.
One can envision a scenario in which post-election morning headlines mislead the public into believing a certain candidate is leading by a significant margin, only to see the tables turn as more votes are gradually accounted for, said DeSantis in a conversation with Sunday Morning Futures’ host Maria Bartiromo.
DeSantis expressed his concern about the potential damange this could inflict upon the public’s trust in the democratic process. ‘Should things pan out as the New York Times suggests, these states are bound to irreparably damage the collective faith in our electoral system’, he observed. ‘Votes should be counted and reported on election night itself’.
The New York Times piece, which saw the light of day last Friday, insinuated that what may be observed in the 2020 presidential showdown could recur in the 2024 one. It conjectured that there might not be a crystallized victor on election night itself, warning that initial results might present a distorted picture of who the ultimate victor might be.
A surge in mailed votes, as opposed to traditional in-person voting, could primarily be held accountable for the protracted vote counting times as well as the misleading initial election night results, often referred to as the ‘blue or red election night mirages’.
However, DeSantis reassured his constituency, promising to maintain the precedent set by Florida in the 2020 elections. He held out hope for having the count of its 30 electoral votes wrapped up, along with the announcement of the state’s decisive victor, before the night’s curtain fell.
‘We can’t let the suspense linger for days. What happens in these intervening days? Where are these votes surfacing from?’ DeSantis questioned. He pledged his commitment to greater transparency, guaranteeing that ‘Florida would reveal the results on election night. That’s a promise you can bank on.’
The Republican administration of the state has already implemented robust measures to fortify election security. Each vote would require a voter ID, ensuring that non-citizens, including unauthorized immigrants, are prevented from voting.