WaPo: As Gov, Doug Mastriano could refuse to certify results if Democrats win the state in 2024

[Noahv]

Here are all the things Trump's puppet Doug Mastriano can do to steal the election from Biden, or whoever is the Democratic candidate in 2024 nationally:

He can simply not sign:

One crucial function that the governor performs himself is signing the official certificate of the electoral college votes, and it is not clear what recourse there would be if a governor refuses to do so

He can just decertify voting machines n Democratic-heavy areas:

He vowed to decertify voting machines in counties where he suspects the result was rigged.

He will push to give Republican legislators the ability to pick electors (they would of course pick electors who agree to not vote for the Democrat who won the state):

And he asserted that the Republican-controlled legislature should have the right to take control of the all-important choice over which presidential electors to send to Washington.

In PA, the Governor picks the Secretary of State. There's no election for it:

Those concerns are made especially acute in Pennsylvania by the fact that the governor has the unusual authority to directly appoint the secretary of state, who serves as chief elections officer and must sign off on results. If he or she refuses, chaos could follow.

Doug Mastriano’s Pa. victory could give 2020 denier oversight of 2024 - The Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/05/18/doug-mastrianos-pa-victory-could-give-2020-denier-oversight-2024/?itid=hp-top-table-main

[littlemissmartypants]

1. Thanks for sharing this, Noahv. And welcome to DU! ❤

[SouthernDem4ever]

2. Does Congress have to accept those criminal results?

Can they reject the state's cert?

[Ligyron]

3. JFC, We are in uncharted waters here people.

The pukes start pulling that crap and democracy is over.

To the streets at that point.

[oldsoftie]

4. Shapiro simply HAS to win in November. He MUST.

ALL the trumper state picks MUST be defeated.
I have happily voted for Brian Kemp in GA. Perdue is a lackey & MUST be defeated. Again. And I read that over 10% of early voters have been democrats crossing over for the GOP primary.

[gab13by13]

5. WE are extremely lucky in Pa.

to have a Democratic governor and AG. The governor and AG have already pushed back on the Magats rat fucking.

i keep telling everyone that GOTV isn't enough, I know from just looking at Pa. results. Year after year in Pa. more people vote Democratic and year after year Republicans pick up seats. I don't for a second believe the bs that redistricting wasn't so bad for us this time. Republicans have already gerrymandered enough places that makes them favored to win the House. Can we overcome that? Yes we can, but now we are going to have to flip seats. Absolutely GOTV.

Mastriano isn't the only potential governor who will overturn state elections, there are at least 3 more running. Democrats better have lawyers ready because there are Magats in charge all over the country in charge of counting the votes. Democrats are going to need a hot line to call because the Magats are telling us they are going to cheat.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Remnants of Royalty in the PA Constitution

History

The province of Pennsylvania was originally governed by the book A Frame of Government. The book had four versions, released in 1682, 1683, 1696, and 1701. Pennsylvania's first constitution of its statehood was ratified in 1776. Four versions followed, one in 1790, 1838, 1874, and the latest in 1968. The 1968 version was heavily based on the previous constitution and is sometimes considered as a revision of the 1874 constitution.[4]

https://ballotpedia.org/Pennsylvania_Constitution

Most of the basis of the PA Constitution pre-dates the US Constitution. When I say royalty, I mean power reserved in legislatures and office holders with specified limited methods of revision. It's like they couldn't conceive of actual power to the people, or to miscreants in office. Even if 60% of the legislature are miscreants who do little except vote themselves raises and toe the conservative line.

[gab13by13]

7. The Pa. state legislators

have also taken power away from the governor and given it to the legislature, which they gerrymander to keep it Republican.

[Septua]

8. "He vowed to decertify voting machines in counties where he SUSPECTS the result was rigged."

He commented in a sound bite he believes the 2020 election was rigged. WTF?

So as PA governor, with a hand picked SOS, who will "clean up" all the election irregularities to eliminate any hint of election irregularities, he thinks there could still be election irregularities?

WTF?

[PortTack]

9. If that were to happen PA would lose it's right to record electoral college votes for President

The electoral college act has very clear language regarding this. If a state refuses to certify it’s vote by a certain date, they lose their right to have a say in said election. The winning total of 270 would then be dropped by however many EC votes they hold.

Example
Illinois holds 19 votes if they were to refuse to certify the winning total would then be reduced to 251.

[Septua]

11. But what if they declare the election total incorrect...

..pick GOP electors and certify on time? That's their f'n plan.

[Rhiannon12866]

10. This is one of the most important issues of the upcoming election and the ultimate in voter suppression

The winner of any election, in this country, across the world and throughout history, is the candidate who gets the most votes, the choice of the people. Somehow, the current Republican party doesn't get this - don't like the results? Stop the vote count or just refuse to acknowledge the winner - This has to stop right now. It didn't work for TFG and cannot be allowed to continue at any level, national, state or local.

[gldstwmn]

12. I don't know if we have discussed this yet:

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=rUOjg3kl0CcCh_oFN9vQCQ