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The Electoral College Vote, And What Happens Next

A supporter of President-elect Joe Biden holds up his mobile phone to display the electoral college map outside the Philadelphia Convention Center after the 2020 Presidential Election is called, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Philadelphia. (John Minchillo/AP Photo)
A supporter of President-elect Joe Biden holds up his mobile phone to display the electoral college map outside the Philadelphia Convention Center after the 2020 Presidential Election is called, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Philadelphia. (John Minchillo/AP Photo)

Dec. 14 marks the day electors from 50 states meet to certify election results. The states have already certified their votes. But key Republicans are still filing lawsuits to overturn the result. We discuss the democracy stress test and what happens next.

Guests

Bertrall Ross, chancellor’s professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. (@Bertrall_Ross)

Jason Stanley, professor of Philosophy at Yale. Author of “How Fascism Works” and “How Propaganda Works.” (@jasonintrator)

From The Reading List

CBS News: “CBS News poll: Most feel election is “settled” but Trump voters disagree” — “With the Electoral College poised to elect Joe Biden on Monday, a sizable 62% majority of the nation’s voters feel the election is ‘over and settled’ and it’s ‘time to move on.’ Large majorities feel their own votes were counted correctly, and a majority acknowledge Mr. Biden as the ‘legitimate winner.'”

Washington Post: “Judges across the political spectrum rejected Trump’s efforts to overturn the election” — “They are both elected and appointed, selected by Democrats and Republicans alike. Some have served for decades — while others took the bench only months ago.”

New York Times: “Trump Has Never Believed in Democracy” — “Donald Trump’s continued effort to overturn the result of the election — an effort buttressed by the support of many Republicans in Congress, it should be noted — is nothing short of an attempt at a bloodless coup.”

Reuters: “Website targeting U.S. election officials draws attention of intelligence agencies” — “The harassment campaign against U.S. election officials following President Donald Trump’s defeat took an ominous turn on Thursday after a website surfaced that accused them of ‘treason’ and included photographs and home addresses, drawing the attention of U.S. intelligence agencies.”

NBC Philadelphia: “What Happens to Trump’s Efforts to Subvert Election in Pa. After ‘Safe Harbor’ Passes?” — “Just 13 months ago, Republican state lawmakers in Pennsylvania hailed Gov. Tom Wolf’s signing of Act 77, a law that made mail-in voting legal.”

Washington Post: “Trump pressures congressional Republicans to help in his fight to overturn the election” — “President Trump is shifting his focus to Congress after the courts roundly rejected his bid to overturn the results of the election, pressuring congressional Republicans into taking a final stand to keep him in power.”

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Trump warns Georgia AG not to rally other Republicans against Texas lawsuit” — “President Donald Trump warned Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr not to rally other Republican officials against a long-shot Texas lawsuit seeking to toss out the state’s election results, according to several people with direct knowledge of the conversation.”

Boston Globe: “Trump attorneys must face disciplinary action” — “Federal District Court Judge Timothy Batten Sr. expressed exasperation as he dismissed one of the latest of dozens of lawsuits filed by President Trump or his allies that have sought to override the result of the presidential election.”

The Atlantic: “‘This Must Be Your First’” — “On the evening of September 11, 1980, my mom was approached by a neighbor who held rank in the Turkish military. He told her to stock up on bread and rice.”

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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