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WSU Professors Skeptical About Election Fraud Claims

Ballot Box | Illustrated by Kayli Thompson | The Wright State Guardian


With the 2020 election called for Biden, Wright State University (WSU) professors and poll workers concede that there was no widespread election fraud in this election, predicting that the legal tactics of the Trump administration will have no effect on election results. 

Legal battles in key states 

Soon after the election was called on Saturday, Nov. 7, President Trump’s campaign quickly filed lawsuits in key states like Pennsylvania, contesting mail-in ballots that arrived late, and claiming widespread voter fraud despite no evidence. 

“There’s no evidence of widespread fraud,” said Dr. Edward Fitzgerald, a WSU political science professor. “These lawsuits are primarily political, the Trump administration lost the election, but they want to create a narrative of how they lost.”  

This is not the first time the Trump administration has claimed fraud in elections. Back in 2016, he blamed his popular vote loss on election meddling and voter fraud. Trump’s base is trying to change the results of the election through these lawsuits this year.  

Dr. Sean Wilson, a WSU political science professor and legal expert, is not concerned about the impact of these lawsuits.

“These little rinky-dink arguments are not likely to work, the elections are statistical ties in those three states (Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona), and therefore I think it’s unlikely to change the result.”  

Recounts 

Recounts, another legal method the Trump campaign is using, are occurring in states such as Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Recounts can be by hand or by machine. They could add votes to either candidate’s campaign. Wilson is more concerned with said recounts. 

“You’ve got to watch these recounts, I think they are more consequential than the lawsuits right now,” said Wilson.  

However not all experts agree, Fitzgerald believes the recounts will not change the result of the election. 

“Recounts will maybe turn a handful of ballots but the margins in these states are thousands of votes,” said Fitzgerald. 

Voter safety is being questioned in states like Arizona. Republicans are saying sharpies caused ballots to be invalid. Other issues raised have been around voter confirmation.  

“I feel like that the system was really the best way of going about it, as soon as you are finished with your ballot, it is your decision,” says Dylan Wilson a WSU student and poll worker for Champaign County Ohio. 

Despite continuing to lose legal battles in these key states, the Trump campaign continues to show no signs of conceding, despite the unlikelihood of the election result changing. 


Jamie Naylor

Editor-in-Chief

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