Michigan and Pennsylvania certify vote counts on the 23rd, Wisconsin on the 1st of next month
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As key battleground states in the U.S. presidential election begin certifying their results next week, political circles in the U.S. are closely watching whether President Donald Trump's refusal to concede will finally come to an end. While President Trump may again demand recounts and attempt to delay the process, the prevailing view is that a reversal is unlikely since no evidence of election fraud sufficient to overturn the results has emerged, contrary to Trump's claims.
According to the U.S. political news outlet Politico on the 21st (local time), Michigan and Pennsylvania, classified as battleground states, will complete the certification of their vote counts and finalize the election results on the 23rd. These states are already predicted by the media to be won by President-elect Biden, and once their victories are certified, Biden will surpass the majority of the Electoral College votes, the so-called magic number 270, even without waiting for certification from other battleground states. This will make Biden's victory irreversible.
On the 24th, Nevada and North Carolina are scheduled to certify their vote counts. North Carolina is expected to declare a victory for President Trump and has no ongoing legal disputes. Nevada, however, is where Trump's campaign has filed lawsuits claiming victory for Trump. Subsequently, Arizona is scheduled to certify on the 30th, and Wisconsin on the 1st of next month. Both states are predicted to be won by President-elect Biden.
Accordingly, it is expected that President Trump's refusal to concede will become even more difficult. Of course, Trump's camp may attempt audits or recounts in some battleground states. The Republican Party has also requested an audit of the vote count in Wayne County, Michigan, and asked to delay the certification scheduled for the 23rd by two weeks. The Michigan election observers committee responsible for certification consists of two Republican and two Democratic members, which could lead to controversy over whether to certify the results.
President Trump's campaign has requested recounts in two counties in Wisconsin. Recounts may also be requested in Georgia and Arizona, where Trump lost by margins of 0.2 and 0.3 percentage points respectively. However, since there is already a lack of evidence sufficient to overturn the results, it is analyzed that reversing the outcome will be difficult. Politico reported, "President Trump's efforts to overturn the election are approaching the deadline," adding, "Certification of the vote count within days could deal a devastating blow to President Trump."
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