# Suppose the 2020 election is "stolen." What would you do about it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 21, 2020, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155 "2020-09-21T16:31:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/1 "2020-09-21T16:31:02Z")
Let’s say that the 2020 presidential election is “stolen” by the candidate and party that you oppose (either Trump and the R’s, or Biden and the D’s.) They steal the election in a way that is brazenly unethical, obvious, and visible for all to see. (I won’t provide an actual scenario, lest there be nitpicking over the nuts and bolts of it, but just roll with the hypothetical: The election is stolen with a capital S, in a way so obvious and blatant that nobody can deny it, utter robbery, cheating as publicly as can be.) Furthermore, the Supreme Court and every other legal institution is perfectly OK with it; they are fully in on the theft. What would you do about it? Writing a sternly-worded email or phoning one’s Congressman obviously would not suffice in such a situation. Would you take up arms (but even then, where and against who)? Emigrate and leave the US? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/2 "2020-09-21T16:35:21Z")
This is almost too horrible to contemplate. I don’t know what I’d do. Maybe leave, maybe carry on, depressed. ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/3 "2020-09-21T17:33:45Z")
I’m legally sworn to follow the Constitution. So I’m keeping an eye on what CJCS Milley is doing. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/4 "2020-09-21T19:35:46Z")
I wouldn’t do anything, other than brace myself for things to turn even more to shit. There are probably a lot of people like me in this regard. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/5 "2020-09-21T21:18:59Z")
Pretty much carry on as usual. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2020, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/6 "2020-09-21T21:27:54Z")
Having been through the Bush v. Gore debacle, one could make the argument that we have seen this in real life. So, what would I do? What I did last time - I would bitch about it to like minded souls, mostly. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2020, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/7 "2020-09-22T04:11:37Z")
An administration that stole an election is not likely to be any worse than one that didn’t, and would quite possibly be better. Al Gore and Hillary should have stolen theirs. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/8 "2020-09-22T15:44:56Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > An administration that stole an election is not likely to be any worse than one that didn’t, and would quite possibly be better. I’m curious as to what brought you to this conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2020, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/9 "2020-09-22T15:54:56Z")
Start settling some scores by ratting people out. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/10 "2020-09-23T01:28:20Z")
Endeavor to persevere. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/11 "2020-09-23T02:39:20Z")
In this election, there would certainly be massive protesting. I would join in, almost to the point of rioting. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/12 "2020-09-23T03:03:08Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > > [@jtur88](#): > > > > An administration that stole an election is not likely to be any worse than one that didn’t, and would quite possibly be better. > > I’m curious as to what brought you to this conclusion. Same thing that brings me to any other conclusion about probability. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/13 "2020-09-23T03:46:52Z")
general strike ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/14 "2020-09-23T04:03:57Z")
I’d start looking for jobs abroad. Pretty crazy that Trump is publicly talking about rigging the election and the scenario in the OP is, if not likely, not out of the question. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/15 "2020-09-23T14:11:40Z")
Probably better to keep an eye on whoever your Combatant Commander is(for the continental US, it’s USAF Gen. VanHerck as commander of NORTHCOM), as the JCS don’t actually have command responsibility in the sense of ordering units to do X, Y or Z. In other words, Milley can say “Hey, we don’t like that”, but he can’t actually order NORTHCOM or SOCOM to actually deploy anywhere. That’s left for Sec. Esper to do at the President’s behest. So I’d imagine that any sort of active-duty involvement would be interesting as a result. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/16 "2020-09-23T14:13:20Z")
That sounds weirdly Trumpish, in that it’s saying that the ends justify the means. Which is part and parcel of our problem these days; Trump/the GOP is willing to trash our existing democratic institutions just for the sake of staying in power. Stealing the 2000 election would have been similar, except usurping power for the same reason. ---
**Author:** ![jerseymule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jerseymule/32/3155_2.png) [@jerseymule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerseymule)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/17 "2020-09-23T14:30:36Z")
I would put on my mask and go to a protest. I’m not sure if I would be repeatedly attending protests, but would go to at least one. Then I guess I’d just try to carry on with life. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/18 "2020-09-23T14:45:43Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Same thing that brings me to any other conclusion about probability. Well, to me it’s not just about the probability that any given administration will be good or bad. It’s that if someone is willing to break the rules of a fair and free election, then what other rules (I suppose I should say _laws_) are they willing to break? And before you say “all politicians are corrupt criminals, blah blah blah,” no. Not to that degree. I don’t want somebody in power who stole an election because they would clearly be focused more on their own power than on the good of their constituents. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2020, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/19 "2020-09-23T16:14:00Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Endeavor to persevere. For this, you earn a piece of candy. But it’s not for eatin’, just lookin’ thru. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2020, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155/20 "2020-09-24T01:07:44Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > > [@jtur88](#): > > > > Same thing that brings me to any other conclusion about probability. > > Well, to me it’s not just about the probability that any given administration will be good or bad. > > It’s that if someone is willing to break the rules of a fair and free election, then what other rules (I suppose I should say _laws_) are they willing to break? > > And before you say “all politicians are corrupt criminals, blah blah blah,” no. Not to that degree. I don’t want somebody in power who stole an election because they would clearly be focused more on their own power than on the good of their constituents. What rules? The states have very wide latitude to choose their electors any way they like, no two states are the same. All of them have details that you or I are free to consider “free and fair”. Nowadays, state incumbent legislatures consider it their duty to bias voting rules as much as they can [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-the-2020-election-is-stolen-what-would-you-do-about-it/921155.md?page=2)