How Poll Watchers Could Help Trump Challenge the Election Results

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

Politics, Obama, News, Wnyc, Washington, Barack, President, Lizza, Wickenden

4.2 • 3.3K Ratings

🗓️ 24 October 2024

⏱️ 38 minutes

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Summary

Since Donald Trump tried to challenge the 2020 election, the Republican National Committee has been hard at work building a network of poll watchers to observe ballot counting in counties across America. The program could help Trump and the R.N.C. challenge the results of the 2024 election should Trump lose, while also driving turnout among Republican voters who are skeptical of election integrity in the U.S. The New Yorker contributing writer Antonia Hitchens joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss how the R.N.C.’s poll-watching efforts may come into play on November 5th and beyond.

This week’s reading:

“The U.S. Spies Who Sound the Alarm About Election Interference,” by David Kirkpatrick
“The Election-Interference Merry-Go-Round,” by Jon Allsop

To discover more podcasts from The New Yorker, visit newyorker.com/podcasts. To send feedback on this episode, write to [email protected].

Transcript

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0:00.0	Ever since 2020,
0:02.0	Donald Trump has asserted that the election was stolen from him.
0:05.0	If you count the legal votes, I easily win.
0:10.0	If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us.
0:17.0	It's a dangerous game.
0:19.0	By casting doubt on the integrity of our elections,
0:22.0	Trump has not only eroded democracy but alienated some of his
0:25.4	supporters. Why even vote if your vote is just going to get stolen anyway? That's where poll watchers come in. way.
0:32.6	That's where poll watchers come in.
0:34.9	While the Harris campaign is focusing on getting out the vote, the Trump campaign has turned
0:39.1	its efforts to guarding the vote, recruiting an army of poll watchers to stand around and
0:43.9	look out for instances of voter fraud. These RNC poll watchers are meant to be
0:48.7	reassuring to Republicans who are worried about their votes not being counted.
0:52.4	But they're also meant to provide evidence. Republicans who are worried about their votes not being counted.
0:53.4	But they're also meant to provide evidence for lawsuits and court battles after the election
0:58.4	should Trump lose again.
1:00.4	Antonia Hitchins, a contributing writer at the New Yorker, has been tracking the RNC's poll watching operation.
1:06.0	She's here today to talk about what to expect from poll watchers on and after election day.
1:12.0	You're listening to the political scene.
1:14.0	I'm Tyler Foggett and I'm a senior editor at the New Yorker.
1:17.0	Hey Antonia, thanks for coming on the show.
1:25.0	Thanks so much for having me.
	...

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