SANJAY THAPA
Even as the results of the US Presidential polls are awaited, its clear that the results will be mired in litigation this time. US president Donald Trump is hard pressed to save his turf, even as Democrat Joe Biden is catching up fast on him being closer to the magic figure of 270 votes. With margins getting slim between Trump and Biden, Trump has called electoral votes counted after November 3 – postal votes in swing states- as illegal and downright farcical.
A large number of voters have this time cast postal ballots due to the Covid Pandemic. Democrats are leading in postal ballots. Fearing loss Trump is playing his Supreme Court litigation card which the thinks will be likely to be in his favour as Trump had appointed Amy Coney Barret as SC justice just before elections. Earlier in 2000 Republican George Bush had put into litigation over vote counting and won in Florida state against Democrat Al Gore.
Third time it appear that the fight for the presidentship is likely to be a cliff hanger. In case of a tie – where neither parties get a clear majority , the contingent election would come into play and the senate would elect the vice president while house of Representatives would elect the president. In the case if even this does not work till January 20 then the speaker Nancy Pelosi – a democrat – would be the acting President. while Trump is leading in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania where postal ballot votes are less. Georgia is an important deciding state. In 2016, Hillary Clinton was claimed ahead of Trump in popularity votes but finally Trump emerged victorious. All said and done declaration of the presidential mandate will come only before January 20, 2021.
