Remember the tail end of President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign, when he was constantly blustering about a “rigged” election? Well, maybe he suspected that the Democrats would cheat only because his team had devised its own method of fraud.
A new report from Gabriel Sherman at New York Magazine reveals that electronic voting machines may have been hacked in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
Now lawyers and top computer scientists are advising his rival, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to call for a recount in these key swing states.
But her time to do so is limited. Sherman writes:
“According to one of the activists, the deadline in Wisconsin to file for a recount is Friday; in Pennsylvania, it’s Monday; and Michigan is next Wednesday.”
Recount or not, the evidence is damning. And it is one more mark against the man who is supposed to be in the Oval Office come January.
Inconsistency With The Voting Machines
The group of scientists and lawyers did not find concrete proof that voting machines were hacked or manipulated. Rather, they noticed that the results in counties that used voting machines deviated drastically from those that opted for paper ballots or scanners.
“The academics presented findings showing that in Wisconsin, Clinton received 7 percent fewer votes in counties that relied on electronic-voting machines compared with counties that used optical scanners and paper ballots. Based on this statistical analysis, Clinton may have been denied as many as 30,000 votes; she lost Wisconsin by 27,000.”
While the group has not spoken publicly, they believe that what they’ve found is sufficient cause for a recount.
“…The suspicious pattern merits an independent review — especially in light of the fact that the Obama White House has accused the Russian government of hacking the Democratic National Committee.”
The pressing question now is whether Clinton’s team and the White House will move forward as the group has urged.
To Challenge Or Not To Challenge
Democrats appear to be falling into two distinct camps on this issue. Some are opposed to challenging the election’s outcome.
“Also complicating matters, a senior Clinton adviser said, is that the White House, focused on a smooth transfer of power, does not want Clinton to challenge the election result.”
This isn’t terribly surprising, considering the stance President Barack Obama has taken so far. He has been adamant about accepting the results of the election and giving Trump a chance.
Heba Abedin (sister of Huma Abedin) represents the other end of the spectrum. She is urging Clinton supporters to call the Department of Justice and demand an audit of the vote.
On Facebook, Huma Abedin's sister, Heba Abedin, encourages her followers to call the Justice Department to have vote in key states audited. pic.twitter.com/y4BPazFPmL
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) November 22, 2016
Both sides make compelling points. But let’s take a moment and imagine a different world.
A world in which Trump had lost the election while still winning the popular vote.
A world in which experts told him there was a chance—even a marginal one—that voting machines had been tampered with and that was why he lost.
Do you think he would be quiet for the sake of a smooth transition?
Featured Image: Screenshot Via YouTube Video.
