A traditional election includes election results on Election Day, however, the 2020 election proved as anything but traditional. As controversy rises about the legitimacy of the election, tensions grow in the public while Joe Biden throws a victory party and President Donald Trump pursues legal action over election fraud. The election continues on, a winner remains undeclared, Joe Biden has no authority to call himself the President-elect and Trump has every right to withhold his concession of the election.
The precedent held by every modern-day president includes a concession of the election soon after the Election day, however, President Trump’s withheld concession remains warranted. The presidential candidates withhold the right to fight the election until January, a right President Trump chose to exercise. Even if President Trump chose to concede the election, he can retract the concession as Al Gore did to George W. Bush. Both parties must continue to fight for the presidency as the race continues.
The electoral college vote determines the winner of the election and will take place in December. At this point in time, there will be a declared winner of the 2020 election. While more information about proclaimed voter and election fraud presents itself, enough evidence could cause the projected winner in states to flip. Despite the predicted wins in states in the media, the official decision will not be determined until December. A change in events could also cause the electors’ vote to change, by law the electors are not required to vote the same way their state did. The electoral college’s crucial role in this election will determine the president-elect, both the media and Joe Biden’s acceptance of the presidency do not determine who will be inaugurated in January.
In the midst of this election, many looked to the former case of Bush v. Gore. In 2000, Al Gore seemed like the loser of the election until the case reached the Supreme Court and sided in his favor. Bush assumed the president-elect position for 39 days until the Supreme Court decision. Because Joe Biden was not named the official president-elect, Americans should pay closer attention to the legal battle President Trump set in motion before any victory parties begin.
Until the electoral college vote, Joe Biden cannot claim himself as president-elect and mislead the public about the next four years. The media’s coverage of the election delivered false information to American voters as they claimed a Biden presidency. The president-elect title cannot be rightfully claimed by either party until an official word from the electoral college vote is made.
