The Army of Election Officials Ready To Reject The Vote

Jim Rutenberg delves into the emergence and strategic evolution of a movement that denies election outcomes, its roots stemming from the chaotic events of January 6, 2021.

The movement coalesces after the 2020 election, with the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021 serving as a key inflection point

The Capitol attack signaled a crucial turning point for the Stop the Steal movement. Following the events of January 6th and subsequent actions like impeachment proceedings and social media crackdowns on election fraud content, the anger and belief that the 2020 election was stolen didn't dissipate. Instead, it continued to fuel a narrative that the election was illegitimate and that the outcome "can never happen again." Despite failing to prevent Joe Biden's presidency, which many of these election deniers considered entirely illegal, the movement swiftly reformed. It coalesced into a new, organized effort to undermine future elections, starting at the local level.

High-profile figures like Cleta Mitchell and Steve Bannon help galvanize this movement, urging supporters to get involved in local election processes

Cleta Mitchell founded the Election Integrity Network, focusing on reclaiming election offices from what she called "leftist groups" and retaking the election system one county at a time across America. Meanwhile, Steve Bannon, through his podcast, emphasized local involvement and pushed forth the narrative that significant change could only be achieved through local action. Rutenberg notes the strategic focus was on fixing the election system "in my own backyard."

The movement adopts a "precinct strategy" of infiltrating and taking over local Republican parties and election oversight boards

Rutenberg and Bannon discuss a "precinct strategy," a systematic approach for local activists to start their own election integrity groups. This approach encourages infiltrating local Republican parties and election oversight boards. Additionally, an unidentified speaker mentions a "peaceful purge" of bringing in "America firsters," demonstrating a coordinated effort to regain control by engaging with local politi ...

Local election processes and officials have become a key target for a movement that refuses to accept the legitimacy of election results, putting unprecedented strain on the democratic system.

Local election boards and officials, who are tasked with the routine but critical duty of certifying election results, become a key target

Rutenberg points out that certification of election results, typically a straightforward procedure, is disrupted by groups that do not believe in the fairness of elections post-2020 and demand the board members to refuse certification. He notes that in at least 20 counties across several states since 2020, board members have been voting against certification, an event that used to be extraordinarily rare.

These boards are increasingly facing pressure and hostility from election deniers demanding they refuse to certify results

During meetings to certify elections, like the one in Washoe County, the room is often packed with people pressurizing the board to reject election certification. People like Robert Beatles play an organizing role at the local level, providing direction on how to challenge election results and setting up media hubs such as Operation Sunlight to disseminate information among those questioning the integrity of elections.

The movement argues local officials have discretion in certification, even though this contradicts long-standing legal precedent

Assistant District Attorney Edwards implies to the local election board that they are not mandated to certify the election but should vote their conscience. Clara Andriola, initially deciding against certification based on information that lacked credible evidence, later reconsiders when realizing not certifying could potentially be a felony. Election deniers contend that there are no la ...

In an unprecedented event in Nevada's history, Washoe County's election board deadlocked on certifying local primary results.

In July 2022, the Washoe County election board deadlocks 3-2 on certifying local primary results, with one Republican commissioner, Clara Andriola, joining the two other GOP members in voting against certification

Specific details on the events in Washoe County were sparse, but it is known that the board consisted of five members with diverse opinions on the certification of election results. Clara Andriola acknowledged that improvements in the election process were needed, indirectly hinting at issues that merited further investigation. Despite a lack of credible evidence, Andriola, along with two other Republican board members, voted against certifying the vote. This incident marked the first time that a county in Nevada failed to certify an election since the state’s admission to the Union in 1864.

The Washoe County situation exemplifies how the "precinct strategy" is playing out on the ground

The precinct strategy emerged in Washoe County through the actions of local activists and the involvement of Robert Beatles, a financier. Local activists such as Janice Hermsen and Susan Van Ness, considered "election integrity investigators," were involved at the grassroots level. They, along with Beatles, were mobilized to investigate the election results. This strategy played out as these individuals engaged with the community's concerns and undertook considerable efforts to uncover alleged fraud.

The discourse among unidentified speakers in the community illustrated their deep involvement in Beatles' campaign to challenge the 2020 election results. For exa ...