# What does it matter if voters don't accept the election's results? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 8, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-matter-if-voters-dont-accept-the-elections-results/771094 "2016-11-08T19:18:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-matter-if-voters-dont-accept-the-elections-results/771094/1 "2016-11-08T19:18:58Z")
I keep coming across articles about what percentage of Democrats and Republicans won’t “accept” the results of the election if their candidate doesn’t win. What does it mean for a voter - not someone running for office - not to accept the results? None of the articles mentions violence which is what I initially assumed that they would be getting at, so what does a voter not accepting reality matter otherwise? ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-matter-if-voters-dont-accept-the-elections-results/771094/2 "2016-11-08T19:28:12Z")
it means nothing directly to the election - but it will mean getting past this election cycle will be all the more difficult. For those intent on ‘2nd amendment solutions’ - well, I shudder at the implications. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-matter-if-voters-dont-accept-the-elections-results/771094/3 "2016-11-08T19:31:31Z")
Sounds like a goofy polling question, and probably won’t matter. In a worst-case-scenario, you end up with something like a Ukranian civil war if enough people are serious about not accepting the result of the election. I don’t think we’re anywhere near that point. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-matter-if-voters-dont-accept-the-elections-results/771094/4 "2016-11-08T19:38:16Z")
> [@simster](#): > > For those intent on ‘2nd amendment solutions’ - well, I shudder at the implications. Indeed, and separately from the question of private gun ownership _per se_, it highlights how ridiculous it is to suppose that a modern democracy should have an armed militia as a means to control government misbehavior. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-matter-if-voters-dont-accept-the-elections-results/771094/5 "2016-11-08T19:40:52Z")
Quite a few people “didn’t accept” the 2000 result; they insist that “Al Gore was elected President, but George W Bush was anointed by the Republican Supreme Court.” Others say similar things about 2004 (“The people elected John Kerry, but Diebold elected Bush”). Nothing seriously became of it; you don’t see anyone claiming that Citizens United v FEC “doesn’t count” because “Roberts and Alito were not nominated by a valid President, so the decision is 4-3 in favor of campaign limits.” Then again, if enough people don’t accept a result, then it absolutely matters; tell Ferdinand Marcos otherwise.