Footsoldiers of democracy, election officials became targets of rage
Gerald Lawrence takes copious notes as public comments submitted to the Delaware County Board of Elections in Pennsylvania are read out loud.
Some are congratulatory, thanking Mr. Lawrence and his colleagues for running a safe and secure election during a pandemic.
The vast majority, however, are not.
A voter named Richard tells the board he believes there was serious fraud. Greg and Renee claim their votes weren’t counted. “Delaware County deserves a free and fair election, and I, for one, have zero confidence that this was the case,” asserts a voter named Robert. “Please do not certify this election.”
Mr. Lawrence patiently addresses the accusations one by one, trying his best to assure his constituents that claims of widespread fraud simply aren’t valid.
Typically, these certification meetings last 20 minutes and are unremarkable, sparsely attended affairs. Monday’s event was unlike anything Mr. Lawrence has experienced in his more than 15 years on the board. Streamed live on YouTube, it took nearly three hours.
“It’s gratifying to see so many people have a passionate
"Everything is a plot"Benefits to a decentralized systemA uniquely challenging year