OPINION: A Nation on Edge: Preparing for the Post-Election Chaos if Kamala Harris Wins
Photo via: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
As Americans, we need to be ready for what might happen if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the 2024 Presidential Election—and it’s not her policies we should be worried about. The critical period between her potential November victory and her January inauguration could be one of the most tense and unpredictable periods in modern political history. Harris will either be the fifth vice president to oversee the certification of her win, or she will certify her loss to former President Donald Trump.
After President Joe Biden’s election in 2020, Trump refused to accept the election results. This resulted in many of his supporters breaking into the Capitol building to try to stop the certification of the election results. This caused five deaths and over 100 injuries. It also threatened our democracy. Those who stormed into the capitol, fueled by Trump’s words, believed that the election was stolen from them and Biden actually lost the election.
Unlike other elections, due to COVID-19, many people voted using absentee ballots to avoid the crowds of their polling location. States such as Pennsylvania are not allowed to count absentee ballots until election day. This caused official results to be delayed, because votes were still being counted even after Election Day. This alarmed many Americans, because typically, we know the winner of the election that night. Many cited this delay as election fraud, claiming that votes were being forged in Biden’s favor.
This year, we may see something very similar. With states like Ohio mailing absentee ballots to voters, we may see a similar amount of voters choosing to vote by mail instead of in person on election day. Voting by mail has become more popular. Many are worried about violence in their polling locations because of how contested this election is. Many have chosen to vote by mail for their safety. This may lead to battleground states with tight elections not knowing the final results until after Election Day.
Trump supporters also cried fraud because the polls before the election did not reflect the results of the election. However, though polling can give an idea of who may win, that is not always the case. Supporters of Trump may be less likely to answer questions to pollsters, due to a distrust of journalists and pollsters due to Trump’s frequent attacks on these institutional figures. Polls often struggle to accurately represent young people who avoid answering calls from unknown numbers or those who do not speak English as their first language. Young voters typically skew Democratic, which explains part of the reason why polls before the 2020 election did not reflect the actual results.
Trump has already primed his voters for a loss on Election Day. He has claimed there are efforts to steal the election from him even before votes have started being cast. For example, he claimed Harris replacing Biden on the Democratic ticket was an effort to steal the election from him. He even has claimed that if he lost the election, it could be the fault of Jewish voters. He said, "Do they know what the hell is happening if I don't win this election?" he said, according to the BBC. "Jewish people would have to do a lot with that if that happens because at 40% [support] that means 60% of the people are voting for the enemy." Wild claims like this have made Trump voters prepared to argue against the election results if he does not win.
Over 80% of Trump supporters say they will not accept the results if he does not win, a staggering figure. As a country, we need to be prepared for our fair and free election process to be argued. Trump’s former national security advisor, John Bolton, told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, “We know one thing for sure: Trump never loses. If he’s not declared the winner of 2024, as in 2020, it must be because he was treated unfairly yet again; it was stolen yet again.” Voters should be concerned not about potential fraud, but about the risk of our electoral freedom being undermined or challenged.
In the months following the 2024 election, America may face one of its most turbulent post-election periods yet. With tensions already high, the integrity of our democratic process will likely be challenged once more. Whether Harris certifies her own victory or a Trump resurgence, the real battle lies in preserving trust in our elections and ensuring a peaceful transfer of power. As a nation, we must remain vigilant, committed to upholding the principles of democracy, and prepared to navigate any challenges that arise that may threaten the peaceful transfer of power.