# Can republicans really just declare themselves the winner in state elections **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 26, 2021, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-republicans-really-just-declare-themselves-the-winner-in-state-elections/956683 "2021-12-26T20:42:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-republicans-really-just-declare-themselves-the-winner-in-state-elections/956683/221 "2022-01-06T22:00:50Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > The next time, he won’t _have_ to call. And just in case Trump _does_ call, they won’t be recording it. To be sure, as somebody noted above, next time the Repubs will have all this sort of groundwork done _before_ the election, not after. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-republicans-really-just-declare-themselves-the-winner-in-state-elections/956683/222 "2022-01-06T22:19:39Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Midterm turnout is _always_ significantly less than presidential years…And, it is the Democrats who do not turn out. Republican turnout is decreased a bit from presidential years, but Democrats are always severely lagging. It’s one of the reasons that Democrats in office can’t get much done, they don’t get the support from the fickle voter who sent them there, and gets upset that they don’t get everything they want within the first 100 days. I’m aware of that (and was acknowledged in my previous post), but this ain’t normal times. If ever there was to be an (IMO more than likely) outlier midterm, it’s the one coming up in eleven months. There’s just too waaaaaay much on the line, this time around, for dems to worry about their fickle mid-term apathy of voters past. And despite the current, unpromising polls, that in no way convinces me that such a downturn will be reflected in the midterms. I guess I have more faith in a much, much more engaged electorate, coming up. Heh, not that actual counted votes might matter anymore, though 😬 ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-republicans-really-just-declare-themselves-the-winner-in-state-elections/956683/223 "2022-01-06T22:34:07Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > I guess I have more faith in a much, much more engaged electorate, coming up. I wish I had that much faith in the average voter. But, we’ve seen time and again that they just don’t come out in midterm years. Personally, I vote as often as they legally let me. I love to vote in odd years, as that’s when we get to vote for city council and school board. Turnout is pathetic, so my vote in those matters counts a whole lot more than it does towards national politics. I am fortunate that I live in a Republican stronghold, so it is unlikely that _my_ vote gets messed with. I am unfortunate to live in a strong Republican area, as it sucks in most other ways. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-republicans-really-just-declare-themselves-the-winner-in-state-elections/956683/224 "2022-01-06T22:50:57Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > The premise of the OP is that Republican state election officials will roll over and give the elections to Pubs. We have evidence that at least in Georgia that’s not true. The responses to that cite here are effectively, “That doesn’t count as evidence to the contrary for reasons.” What happened in 2020 is evidence of what happened in 2020. Here’s what Republicans are teeing up for 2024: [Republicans are seeking to replace Georgia SoS with Big Lie supporters](https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/two-gop-challengers-announce-runs-against-raffensperger-secretary-state/WX6G7C7IGFGRLK7AVHQJJNAFWM/) [Republicans are stripping power from Republican officials who failed to back the big lie](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/05/27/gops-brazen-move-strip-power-fraud-narrative-busting-secretary-state-again/) [Republicans replace election officials with Big Lie supporters in CO, AZ, MI](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-allies-election-oversight/2021/11/28/3933b3ce-4227-11ec-9ea7-3eb2406a2e24_story.html) Why do you think the conditions that prevailed in 2020 are going to hold forever? Because “reasons?” ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-republicans-really-just-declare-themselves-the-winner-in-state-elections/956683/225 "2022-01-07T22:07:54Z")
Really? [# Wisconsin GOP leader: ‘Zero chance’ of taking over elections](https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-elections-wisconsin-donald-trump-b071871651fcc256fb4db97c03598bce) (yep - once again link-loading problems. At least it can still be clicked on) > [@](#): > > A top Republican lawmaker in the presidential battleground state of Wisconsin said Friday that there is “zero chance” the GOP-controlled Legislature will take over the awarding of the state’s 10 presidential elector votes in 2024, even as Democrats worry that is their goal. > [@](#): > > “This idea that we need to blow up the entire system? I just don’t see that,” Vos told the AP. “I do not favor some kind of a radical change to how the elections commission operates.” > [@](#): > > Republican Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu [made similar comments](https://apnews.com/article/elections-wisconsin-senate-elections-legislature-bd8b04fe22f64c5fd5e281851748395e)earlier this week. Yeah? So you’re not wearing sheep’s clothing when saying that? Or do that increasingly popular, abrupt 180-degree about-face-on-what-you-had-just-said kinda thing, in the vien of Cruz/McCarthy? ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-republicans-really-just-declare-themselves-the-winner-in-state-elections/956683/226 "2022-01-07T22:15:47Z")
It does feel very much like a professional sport’s team owner giving his head coach a vote of confidence, and then firing him a week later. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-republicans-really-just-declare-themselves-the-winner-in-state-elections/956683/227 "2022-01-07T22:15:55Z")
Far, far safer to assume he’s lying and continue to work to prevent it than to assume otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-republicans-really-just-declare-themselves-the-winner-in-state-elections/956683/228 "2022-01-08T06:37:50Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Really? > [# Wisconsin GOP leader: ‘Zero chance’ of taking over elections](https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-elections-wisconsin-donald-trump-b071871651fcc256fb4db97c03598bce) > > (yep - once again link-loading problems. At least it can still be clicked on) Once again, it works. I think you’re doing it wrong. [https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-elections-wisconsin-donald-trump-b071871651fcc256fb4db97c03598bce](https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-elections-wisconsin-donald-trump-b071871651fcc256fb4db97c03598bce) It looks like you’re putting both the headline and the URL link on the same line, properly punctuated (sort-of) to be a link but not to load the preview. You need to put the _URL link alone_ on the line all by itself. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-republicans-really-just-declare-themselves-the-winner-in-state-elections/956683/229 "2022-01-08T07:23:43Z")
thanks for sharing. (pardon this brief derail, here, folks) > **[Wisconsin GOP leader: 'Zero chance' of taking over elections](https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-business-elections-wisconsin-donald-trump-b071871651fcc256fb4db97c03598bce)** > > MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A top Republican lawmaker in the presidential battleground state of Wisconsin said Friday that there is “zero chance” the GOP-controlled Legislature will take over the awarding of the state's 10 presidential elector votes in... Sure, it appears here, despite me doing the usual copying it and pasting it the same way I did last time, (and for all the oodles of successful times I’ve previously done it). So, no idea how it worked this time around - pretty sure I didn’t copy and paste the url any differently than my previous attempt - I’ll have to put this down to a zenya ghost in the machine. anyhoo back to regular programming. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2022, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-republicans-really-just-declare-themselves-the-winner-in-state-elections/956683/230 "2022-01-09T05:41:33Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Sure, it appears here, despite me doing the usual copying it and pasting it the same way I did last time, (and for all the oodles of successful times I’ve previously done it). [derail continued] @Guest-starring_Id – Some additional ideas on what may be happening. Hidden here because totally off-topic in this thread. But may be of interest to some. A bit detailed and thus, a bit lengthy: > **Click here to view** > > There are two basic ways to copy a link (each of which may be accomplished by various combinations of keyclicks and/or mouse clicks, depending on your system and browser). First, note that a typical link consists of _two_ main parts: (a) The visible text that appears on your screen, and (b) the URL link that you will go to when you click on that. Headlines on the main page of a news site are like this, for example. > > You may be switching back and forth between these two methods of copying links without realizing it. > > One method: Highlight the headline, then copy it to your clipboard, however you normally do that. This is likely to COPY the visible text AND the link to your clipboard. When you paste this into a Discourse reply, you will get both, and Discourse is smart enough to fill in all the proper surrounding punctuation to make the right syntax. Result: You see the visible text in your post, and you can click on it to go to that page. But you do NOT get the preview in your post (which is apparently called a “One-Box”). > > The other method: Don’t highlight the visible text of the headline (or maybe do, apparently it doesn’t matter). But point at the headline and then _right-click_ (or whatever equivalent on your system) to open a context menu. On this you may see “Copy Link” or “Copy Link Location” or similar. Click on that. This copies ONLY the link, and not the visible headline text, to the clipboard. (ETA: There may be other equivalent ways to do this on various systems, maybe.) Paste this into your Discourse reply _on a line all by itself with no additional punction_, and you should get the preview One-Box. But caveat: This depends on the target web page to have the necessary HTML code in it to enable this. So even this doesn’t work with all web sites. > > Try these two methods and see if these give you the two kinds of results you have been seeing. [/derail] ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2022, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-republicans-really-just-declare-themselves-the-winner-in-state-elections/956683/231 "2022-01-09T06:22:00Z")
Cool, thanks - pm’ed ya, to spare everyone. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-republicans-really-just-declare-themselves-the-winner-in-state-elections/956683.md?page=11)