According to a report from Reuters, over 130 groups from Planned Parenthood to Republicans for the Rule of Law have formed the bi-partisan “Protect the Results Coalition.”
The groups so far have planned nearly 400 events and are prepared to protest starting November 4, the day after Election Day if Donald Trump interferes with the results.
Sean Eldridge, founder and president of Stand Up for America, said “We can’t assume that Donald Trump will respect the peaceful transfer of power.” Eldridge said his group, which he started back in June, would be ready to mobilize if Trump tried to get states to stop counting ballots or block results in other ways.
Other activists further defined election interference as the President claiming victory prematurely or refusing results reported from states.
Kaela Bamberger, an organizer from the group Shut Down DC described the gravity of the potential situation stating, “We are very concerned that Trump is going to try to steal this election, using his position of power.”
Bamberger warned that non-peaceful transitions of power in other countries prove that action taken by the groups is warranted. “Time is of the essence,” she said later adding, “The longer the person claims to be in power and tries to force their position of power to be extended, the more likely it is there’s nothing to be done about it.”
So far President Trump and the Republican party have made unbased claims about mail-in voting being dangerous and an avenue for mass voter fraud.
Trump himself has not directly expressed a promise of a peaceful transfer of power. White House deputy press secretary, Sarah Matthews stated, “The President will accept the results of a free and fair election.”
Trump has recently called for results to be announced the day of the election, which is highly unlikely given the influx of mail-in ballots states have received due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some states also have extended mail-in ballot deadlines, which would make such an announcement difficult.
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