Stop the Real Steal

Like many voters, I watched the events following the 2020 presidential election unfold with disbelief and outrage. The signs of misconduct were evident. Leading up to the election, many states rushed to change election laws—often via executive action—allowing for the flood of mail-in ballots we witnessed. For the first time in my life (save 2000), we didn’t know the winner of the race by the next day. Mail-in ballots continued to arrive in key states after Election Day. Poll workers were even rushed out of facilities due to “burst pipes” (only for counting to resume once the witnesses were gone). Let’s not forget the absurdity that took place in Wisconsin:

While I believe there was widespread manipulation, the Democrats only needed to cheat just enough to edge Trump out in a few key states. Biden only "won" by 20,000 votes in Wisconsin, 12,000 in Georgia, and 10,000 in Arizona. Flip those states back to Trump, and the race becomes a deadlock: 269 vs. 269 electoral votes—one vote shy of securing the presidency for either candidate.

But that wasn’t the real steal.

I worked the polls in Connecticut in 2020—the only time I ever wore a mask for an extended period to appease the so-called COVID protocols. For the most part, the day was uneventful. No burst pipes. No hidden suitcases full of "newly discovered" ballots. No surprise mail-in ballot dumps in the middle of the night. And likely, this was because there was no need to waste resources on rigging an election in a solidly blue state like Connecticut.

I’ve also worked the last several elections here in Idaho, where I live in a fairly conservative county with a Republican county clerk. Again, the elections here were uneventful.

I mention this because I’ve had boots on the ground in these elections. When I believed bad actors might interfere, I made sure to keep a close eye on the ballots. The ones I observed weren’t cast under duress or filled out by a bunch of sleep-deprived, purple-haired BlueAnon activists in a dimly lit room, fueled by half-caff soy lattes. They weren’t tabulated days after the election—they were just normal votes.

Yes, there was cheating in some places. Rigging in others. But I believe that in most parts of the country, we have conscientious and principled poll workers, county clerks, and auditors. We use machines that don’t flip votes, aren’t connected to the internet, and just…count.

So, what was the real steal?

I believe the primary goal of the 2020 "steal" wasn’t just to get Biden into office (though they certainly accomplished that). I think the bigger objective was to demoralize you, the disenfranchised voter.

I’ve spoken to so many people post-2020 who believe we’ll never have a fair election again. They might be right. But the only way to guarantee your vote isn’t counted is by not voting at all. By staying home, you’re doing exactly what they want. If they can keep you out of the polls, they don’t need to cheat. You’ve raised the white flag of surrender before the battle's even begun. I implore you, do not do this.

Come to the polls in November. Force them to cheat. Make sure we expose it for everyone to see. Never surrender.

Vote.