By Ethan Kim and Mason Pirkey
On November 7th, 2020, the 2020 presidential election was called for Joe Biden by several news outlets like the Associated Press. Biden secured the necessary 270 electoral votes to become president when Pennsylvania was called for him, making him the presumptive president-elect.
Several of our writers commented on the election, most notably the ones that have formally endorsed Biden in the months leading up to the election.
Managing Editor Edwin Tieu said, “The American people have spoken. Four years of a tumultuous, hectic, and sometimes divisive Trump administration have come to an end. I hope that America can rebuild our relationships with foreign allies that we have alienated under this Trump administration, and get back on track to stop climate change and global warming.”
Sports Contributor Adam Driscoll said, “The Biden presidency will be similar to the Obama Presidency. He will definitely have a better handle on the COVID-19 pandemic and heal the wounds and divisions that were created by the Trump administration. I think he will also be a true advocate for promoting the general welfare of humanity as a whole, not just in the United States.”
An anonymous politics contributor stated, “This election was a clear referendum on the Trump administration’s failure to handle the pandemic and racial justice. I hope Biden will handle this virus and economy better than his predecessor.”
Editor-at-large Noah Chun said, “Although our nation was saved from destruction by a slim margin of about 5 million votes, our path ahead is rocky and our future still uncertain. Those who have contorted their minds to try and convince themselves that the election was stolen and attempt to deny a peaceful transfer of power are traitors to the nation, destroyers of democracy, and the seed that allows extremism and fascism to grow.”
Chun is a passionate critic of the president, calling him the “greatest threat to our democracy.”
The unique nature of the election also raised some concerns over the integrity and security in the months before election day. Considering some portions of the ballots were mailed in, it was speculated that there would be massive voter fraud.
As the legal team from Trump prepare for a series of lawsuits that challenge the results of elections across the nation, LCHS students also weighed in on the security of the election.
An anonymous politics contributor said in a brief statement, “There seems to be evidence of minor voter fraud in specific cases but not enough to overturn the electoral points of a state, let alone an entire election. From what I have seen, this election was fairly secure.”
To add on, in an Outspoken Oppa social media poll surveying 157 La Cañada High School students, 71% believed the 2020 election was fair and secure while 29% did not.
Since President Trump has yet to concede to Presumptive President-elect Joe Biden, the world is anxiously anticipating what will happen in the next few months.
Right now, multiple lawsuits are going to be filed by the Trump legal team to challenge the results from multiple states. Some have argued this election is similar to the 2000 election since the nation did not have a definite president-elect for several weeks.
However, the 2020 election is not close to the 2000 election. The election that pinned Al Gore and George W. Bush against each other relied on a single state, Florida, to determine the results of the election. However, the 2020 election results are seemingly more cemented and confident than the initial results of the 2000 election.
For President Trump to overturn the results of the election, he must prove there was enough voter fraud to invalidate a significant portion of votes in more than one state.
When that legal process is concluded, and Biden still has enough electoral votes to gain the presidency, then Trump must and most likely will concede.
Editor’s Note: The excerpt after the separator is the opinion of the credited author.
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