The Vote

America on the Brink, by Floss d'Aiglie, BBC Washington correspondent

Much has happened in the two weeks since 7th November, when the result of the US presidential election was announced and immediately challenged by Republican candidate Citrus Vart.

To recap: Dromeda Tweed, the last-minute Democrat candidate brought in to replace the ailing Seph Tarryn, was declared the winner. Over 1.5 million more people voted for her than for Vart.

But under the US system the result is decided by the Electoral College, rather than by a straightforward majority of voters. The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, some from each US state. The number of electors from each state is broadly determined by its population.

And here's the rub. All the electors from a given state are supposed to vote for the candidate who won the popular vote in that state. So even if only (say) 51% of Pennsylvania's voters voted for the Democratic candidate, all 19 electors from Pennsylvania are supposed to vote for the Democratic candidate. The 49% who voted for the Republican candidate attract no Pennsylvania votes in the Electoral College.

British readers may find this odd. But it's not too different from the UK system of first past the post.

Back to this year's election. Dromeda Tweed won 274 votes in the Electoral College, leaving Citrus Vart with 264. A clear margin, you might think. But it boiled down to which way the Pennsylvania members of the College cast their 19 votes. They voted for Tweed on the basis that their individual voters back home, in Philadelphia and other cities and towns in Pennsylvania, collectively gave Tweed a majority. But that majority was minuscule: the vote was 3,156,412 for Tweed and 3,156,398 for Vart, meaning Tweed won by just 14. Unsurprisingly, Vart demanded a recount of the Pennsylvania vote. If it went the other way, he'd win in the Electoral College.

The second Pennsylvania count still gave Tweed a majority, but it was reduced from 14 to 3. Vart refused to accept this result. His supporters attended demonstrations throughout the country, some of them turning violent. Given how close the result was, the electoral officials could not refuse Vart's demand for a third count.

That recount was closely – some would say intrusively – scrutinised by Vart's and Tweed's teams. It was the focus of news teams from all over the country and indeed the world. And this time, Vart won – by 3 votes. Three out of more than three million. Vart's supporters were jubilant.

Tweed immediately demanded a further recount. Vart bitterly opposed it, saying enough was enough. That phrase became a chanted slogan at Vart rallies all over the country. But the electoral officials agreed with Tweed – there had to be another count. And the new count swung back in Tweed's favour – by only one vote.

Vart demanded yet another recount, to jeers by Tweed's supporters reminding him of his slogan. Once again, the officials agreed. But this time the previous count was confirmed – Tweed won by one single vote. Vart argued that it was so close that it should be declared a tie, and Pennsylvania's votes in the Electoral College should go to him on account of his seniority (by which he seemed to mean he'd inherited more money and declared more bankruptcies). Once again, his supporters demonstrated in towns and cities throughout the US.

The officials decided to allow one more recount. Again Tweed won by one vote. The electoral officials said, 'enough is enough', and declared Dromeda Tweed the President-elect.

So, yesterday I witnessed the Battle of Little Pighorn. Vart held a rally at this fading, dusty Texas town, typical of many where his supporters are concentrated. I was there, along with about a hundred other reporters and several hundred ('many, many thousands,' according to Vart) fanatical Vart supporters. His message was 'fight, fight.' After the rally finished a group of about fifty men, many armed with assault rifles, stormed through the town's main drag, smashing windows of the street's pawnbrokers and second-hand clothing stores and torching the battered pick-up trucks and rusting cars that lined the kerbs.

What next? The formal process is that the Electoral College will ratify its vote in mid-December, Congress will certify the result in January, and Dromeda Tweed will be sworn in as the first female president on January 20th.

But will Vart and his furious supporters allow the formal process to proceed? They're saying he was robbed, they allege cheating and vote manipulation, and they threaten mayhem. America is in turmoil. Many commentators fear a new civil war.

*** Three weeks earlier ***

Chuck Scott pushed through the front door of his suburban house in the small town of Looestone, near Philadelphia. He walked into the kitchen, brandishing three envelopes.

'The postal vote papers have arrived,' he said.

'Why three?' said his wife.

'Good question. One for me, one addressed to you, Mrs Amy Scott, and then there's this one – for Ms Toyota Scott.'

'What? What are you talking about? Nobody has such a silly name.'

'Look. See for yourself.'

Amy donned her reading glasses and scrutinised the envelope.

'They're mad,' she said. 'I handed in the voter forms in that office in town in the same way we've always done. I can't understand… oh.'

'What?'

'I also handed in the form to renew the car registration. The guy in the office must have got everything mixed up. Never mind, no harm done. Just bin it.'

'Hold on,' said Chuck. 'That wouldn't be fair to the car.'

'Don't be ridiculous.'

'Look, we know it's going to be a very close race. It would be wrong to throw away a chance of getting the right outcome. Or left outcome.'

'So what are you going to do? Ask the car which candidate it favours?'

'Now you're being silly. Cars can't talk.'

'Of course they can,' she said. 'The Toyota talks to me all the time. "Turn left at the lights, take the next right…" You know.'

'Good point. I'll pop out, set the sat nav, and ask it for directions. If it says, "turn left" I'll mark its vote for Tweed, and vice versa.'

'You can't say fairer than that,' she said. 'Make sure you choose the right destination. Or left.'

30/9/24