Matt BlazeJan 13, 2024

This is an interesting look at the mindset and culture of MAGA election deniers and what election officials are up against.

Summary: Trump sympathizer who believed 2020 had fraud became an election official in a community of people with similar views. But his far-right constituents were unhappy with *everything* he did, because they regard every election procedure as *inherently* suspect, every safeguard as *inherently* insufficient. He quit.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/12/politics/arizona-election-director-maga-invs/index

Show threadMatt BlazeJan 13, 2024

Notably, there absolutely *are* some voting technologies, such as DRE machines, that are inherently insecure. But the complaints here had nothing to do with any actual security problems or principles. They objected to paper ballots in absentee voting (a well-established process that has long existed in every state). They objected to voting centers. And so on.

But no discussion of Risk Limiting Audits or other (actually effective) controls that could genuinely improve security.

Show threadMatt BlazeJan 13, 2024
The lesson here seems to be that election denial, at least in these circles, has little to do with any actual demands for improving election integrity, but is more a proxy for a less focused, but extreme, dissatisfaction with and mistrust of government generally.
Show threadMatt BlazeJan 13, 2024
This is definitely consistent with my experience with these communities. You can't engage with them on actually improving elections, because that's not what they're really concerned about.
Show threadMatt Blaze
Anyway, please be extra nice to election officials. They have an essential job that's difficult under even the best circumstances, but right now they're being forced to put up with more bullshit than anyone should have to see in a lifetime.
Jan 13, 2024 at 1:04amWeb
Show threadMatt BlazeJan 13, 2024
I suspect that elections (and election workers) are almost a random scapegoat for the grievances, real or imagined, of the MAGA crowd. Trump just happened to point them at elections, and election workers have the misfortune of being in the crosshairs. It could almost as easily been, say, teachers or road workers or fire fighters on the receiving end of all this directed anger. (And teachers certainly have gotten a share of it).
Show threadNonya Bidniss šŸ„„šŸŒ“Jan 13, 2024
@mattblaze Yes, agreed and apparently Trump has made claims about election fraud for many, many years. So this is just a handy disinfo tool for him to stir up FUD, a go-to rabble-rousing tool he turns to. Then came his own election loss, and as we know he'd been telegraphing "fraud!" before the election even happened.
Show threadStrange Culprits HAS MOVEDJan 13, 2024

@mattblaze Demographics don't favor "us 'real' Americans anymore!!!" ... So they want to dismantle representative democracy to cling to power.

Remember children, the only good Nazi is a DEAD Nazi 

Show threadfincootJan 13, 2024
@mattblaze I think he watched Gangs of New York and thought Boss Tweed was the man! After all look at the house Tweed built.'
"Ballots don't count. Ballot counters count! Work the ballot counters" Which just goes to show...nothing new about him. Hopefully the holes created in elections in the last hundred years aren't yet enough.
Show threadS AufrechtJan 13, 2024
@[email protected] I don't think it's random. He targets three categories: scapegoats, those he can performatively bully, and those who might stop him. Black female election workers being somewhere between a perfecta and trifecta.
Show threadSusan Romano For HarrisJan 13, 2024
@mattblaze teachers, librarians, hospital workers, poll workers, postal workersā€¦.
Show threadacmJan 13, 2024
@mattblaze and librarians.
Show threadDannyboyguymanJan 13, 2024
@mattblaze not at all to diminish the nonsense election officials are subjected to, but so are we all. I'm just a lay observer of current events and feel beset by deranged disinformation every day. None of us deserve this
Show threadMatt BlazeJan 13, 2024
@pinsk How sad for you.
Show threadDannyboyguymanJan 13, 2024
@mattblaze right?
Show threadCat WestJan 13, 2024
@mattblaze @pinsk( Iā€™m looking for the ā€œover their headā€ emojiā€¦ šŸ˜œ)