Thread by @fleedomsocks

How #American #Elections Work: A Thread👇

The #TrumpCampaign and its allies have filed #lawsuits to try to block some key states from certifying #Election2020results results that show #Democrat @JoeBiden defeating President @realDonaldTrump.

After #ElectionNight , certifying the #results is a step #states take so that winners can be officially #confirmed. The @AP and other #media outlets on Saturday declared @JoeBiden the #WINNER of the #PresidentialElection2020

after analyses concluded that @RealdonqldTrump couldn’t gain enough votes from remaining ballots to surpass @JoeBiden.

Though the process varies by state, #electioncertification is usually completed within several weeks after an #election, before each state’s #ElectoralCollege delegation meets to cast votes in mid-December.

Here’s a look at how #certification works. What does it mean to “certify” a state’s results?

#ElectionResults provided on #ElectionNight are considered #unofficial, and #electionofficials take time after #ElectionDay to finish #counting #ballots.

To verify the #results, #electionofficials double-check #vote totals and confirm that proper procedures were followed for handling #Ballots.

Other common steps include reviewing the number of #voters who checked in at #pollinglocations and the number of #Votes reported from each #precinct.

Each #state has processes and deadlines to verify #vote tallies before #votingofficials formally #certify #results.

The act of #certification is typically done by the state’s #ChiefElectionOfficial, #Governor, or a board of canvassers.

How long does #votecertification take?

Each state has its legal deadline for certifying results. The process frequently takes a few weeks and generally starts with counties certifying results to the state.

In #Pennsylvania, counties must #certify results by Nov. 23, according to a #PennsylvaniaDepartmentofState spokeswoman.

In #Michigan, the #secretaryofstate’s office said that the #certification process is expected to conclude approximately three weeks after #ElectionDay.

In #Wisconsin, counties must provide certified results to the state elections commission by Nov. 17.

#Federal #Law sets the Monday after the second Wednesday in December—Dec. 14 this year—as the date when #stateelectors to the #ElectoralCollege will meet and #vote.

#Election #officials take the time to #verify #ElectionResults to ensure the #accuracy of #vote tallies and catch any potential technical #Glitches, human errors or acts of #fraud—something #electionofficials and studies say are #rare.

These verification steps and the act of #certification don’t tend to result in drastic changes to outcomes, especially for statewide #races, according to #elections lawyers and officials.

However, it may be more consequential in extremely close #races or #local contests with smaller pools of #voters and tight margins.

What have the @realDonaldTrump campaign and #Conservative groups asked for in #lawsuits?

A barrage of lawsuits has been filed by the #TrumpCampaign and allied groups over #vote #counting, including demands to halt #certification in #Arizona, #Michigan and #Pennsylvania.

To delay certification past a state’s deadline, legal experts said the @realDonaldTrump #campaign would need to provide a robust #legalclaim to show that the #alleged #fraud or other problems would be substantial enough to change the outcome.

NO #evidence of widespread #voterfraud has surfaced.

As for #recounts, depending on a state’s #rules, a #candidate may be permitted to request a #recount. The @realDonaldTrump #TrumpCampaign has said it would do so in #Wisconsin, and #Georgia’s top #electionofficial said the #state is heading for a #Recount.

#Pennsylvania allows a #recount to be requested no matter the #margin, though the #state also has #mandatoryrecounts for any #race that has a margin of 0.5% or less.

In #Arizona, #Recounts occur only when the #margin between #candidates is less than or equal to 0.1 percentage point

@realDonaldTrump's efforts to dismantle our electoral process and claim #fraud when there has been no #evidence of it - and while deadlines have not yet run out - is only making himself and the #conservative party look daft and, frankly, insane.

Trust our system. The states and federal laws will show the receipts.

Just wait, and don't feed into @realDonaldTrump's delusions.