A democratic form of government cannot endure without free and fair elections that are devoid of fraud. Nevertheless, there is always someone or some entity in every election that opens their bag of dirty tricks under a misguided misconception that the end will justify their means. There were undoubtedly illegalities in the 2020 election cycle. Whether they were as conspiratorially widespread as Mr. Trump and his supporters believe, the question remains as to whether they were actually sufficient to alter the outcome of the election. Wherever the truth may lie, there is obviously a continuing conflict that has given rise to all sorts of problems. Unfortunately, there is little doubt that the 2020 election will be a major issue in the 2024 election and thereby foreseeably cloud the outcome of that election as well.
I would hasten to add that these are not isolated concerns only arising out of the innermost thoughts of some conspiracy theorist hiding behind the keyboard on a computer. These deficiencies are clearly identified in a recent Rasmussen poll which showed that over one in five voters in the last presidential election were involved in irregularities which should be without a doubt labeled as voter fraud. The poll also showed that these issues were not isolated to either party, and therefore it is not completely clear from the polling information itself as to whether the irregularities would have been sufficient to have made a difference in the outcome.
Notwithstanding, there are other results from the poll that are even more disconcerting. From the numbers, it appears that the majority of the illegitimate activity revolved around the use of absentee or mail in ballots. Though the numbers of Republicans vs. Democrats were similar, there was a marked line of demarcation as to groups which were more heavily involved in the discrepancies. For instance, the numbers show that larger numbers of minority voters (Blacks 35%, Hispanics 49%, other minorities 41%) admittedly cast less than legal votes. Not only that but 42% of voters under the age of 40 also cast absentee ballots with a whopping 31% of those casting these ballots in a state of which they were not even a resident.
In commenting on the results, Justin Haskins, director of the Socialism Research Center at the Heartland Institute, stated, “The results of this survey are nothing short of stunning. For the past three years, Americans have repeatedly been told that the 2020 election was the most secure in history. But if this poll’s findings are reflective of reality, the exact opposite is true. This conclusion is not based on conspiracy theories or suspect evidence, but rather from the responses made directly by the voters themselves.” To say the least, the totality of the results of the poll are indicative of a deep and life-threatening fissure in the landscape of America’s body politic. Mr. Haskins, perhaps speaking for all Americans, noted further that “a democratic republic cannot survive if election laws allow voters to commit fraud easily, and that is exactly what occurred during the 2020 election. Although some progress has been made in more than a dozen states since the conclusion of the 2020 election, much more work is needed in most regions of the United States. If America’s election laws do not improve soon, voters and politicians will continue to question the truthfulness and fairness of all future elections.”
Do not be dismayed, however. This is not another plea to set aside or “tamper” with the last election. Regardless of the level of irregularities in the most recent cycle, there was never a great likelihood that the election results would ever be overturned after the fact in a legitimate way. Election results in our form of government are extremely difficult to challenge. Perhaps that is as it should be. Any action taken in an attempt to redress voting irregularities outside of those provided by law can be as dangerous to our constitutional form of government than any election fraud or deceit could have ever perpetrated. As a result, it is incumbent upon a free democratic society to ensure that the choices made regarding those who would represent us in government are without any taint on the process from the beginning to the end.
Ultimately, though, the issue of voter or election fraud should give rise to more concern than the results of an isolated political race, even for the presidency of the United States. The mere fact that irregularities exist should be a clarion call for clear and cogent protection of our elections along with our individual responsibilities to cast our personal ballots with careful thought and integrity. Right or wrong, if a substantial number of our citizenry loses confidence in the proper election of those who govern us, then the natural inclination is to resort to some form of force or violence to insure that “my tribe” will be in power because they would have been if not for the wrongful plebiscite. I would hasten to add that the gravity of this situation should be applied evenly to both parties since each has more than its share of unstable constituents.
The problem with our election cycles is only a symptom of a greater malady. There are band aids which could and should be applied to these issues, but they are nothing more than temporary fixes to eternal problems. At Southern Evangelical Seminary, we continue to be concerned about the direction of our nation. But we are also aware that our national troubles can only be assuaged through the rebirth of the true American ideal of the basic morality from which we were birthed. Ultimately, though, it is the individual hearts of our populace that must turn to the one true God of the Bible who loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, whose birth we celebrate during this Christmas season. Then, it was His death for us on that terrible cross and the reality of His bodily resurrection that ultimately defeated death and sealed the eternal future for those of us who truly believe in His name. So, even in the midst of this mindless turmoil, there is joy in the hearts of those of us who are Christ followers because we know that our future is secure regardless of any nefarious group who might seek to control the ballot boxes of America. In the darkness there has shown a great light — Merry Christmas to one and all.
After a distinguished career as both a lawyer and a judge, Judge Phil Ginn retired as the Senior Resident Superior Court Judge for the 24th Judicial District in North Carolina. Over the course of his 22-year judicial career, he was privileged to hold court in almost 50% of the county seats in North Carolina. Currently, Judge Ginn serves as the president of Southern Evangelical Seminary.