On second day of in-person early voting in Texas, Tarrant County man posted a video on social media, claiming his voting machine had switched his presidential vote to the other candidate. Election officials let him vote again, and the system worked. The man certainly made a mistake the first time he voted. according to state officials. And yet his public assertion of a vote change could have encouraged people to go to that polling station to protest.

This is a scenario we could see many times before this election is behind us. In a context of increased political tensions, such assertions could give rise to denunciations, protests and violence.

Humans run polling stations and election offices, and they can make mistakes. Voters can also make mistakes. Additionally, voting machines sometimes break down and software can function problematically. Not every mistake and human error constitutes a conspiracy to steal the election.

So, before anyone goes public with stolen election claims, they should contact election officials. If something has gone wrong, there may be a perfectly good explanation, including human error or misunderstanding.

Yes, voter fraud exists, but so do false and erroneous claims of voter fraud. There’s an old joke that goes something like this: “Economists have predicted nine of the last five economic recessions.” » Likewise, there are far more complaints of voter fraud and election theft than there actually were.

Consider Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. This led his supporters to threaten and even assault poll workers and election officials, including Republicans who supported and voted for Trump.

THE Wall Street Journal reported on precautions taken in Arizona, one of the key states that could decide the election. Steven Richer, a Republican and outgoing election secretary in Arizona’s Maricopa County, says 10 longtime employees on his staff of 140 have resigned over security concerns. And many of his 3,000 volunteers were frightened after their cars were surrounded by angry Trump supporters.

The Journal adds: “Across the state, election workers participated in active shooter drills and learned how to barricade themselves or wield fire hoses to fend off armed crowds. We have trauma kits containing tourniquets and bandages designed to dress chest wounds and stop serious bleeding.

Those who claim the election was stolen say there was no way Arizona would vote for a Democrat for president, even though it had two Democratic senators and currently has a Democratic governor and has had a Democratic governor from 2003 to 2009.

And Arizona is not alone. For example, the written journal“In Colorado, death threats from election deniers have led some county clerks and election officials to carry bulletproof vests.”

If evidence of widespread voter fraud in 2020 had emerged, one could understand the anger. But no one has proven that the election was stolen, even after sixty lawsuits and numerous state recounts.

And yet everyone is on edge, fearing that this year’s losers will react violently, whether they are Republicans or Democrats – remember that Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election And Stacey Abrams in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial race continued to claim their elections were stolen.

Democrats have added fuel to the fire of election denial by opposing nearly all of the nation’s recent election integrity laws and denouncing reasonable practices like requiring voter ID, which can make it harder to cheat.

Certain state practices add to the skepticism. Swing States Wisconsin and Pennsylvania Do not allow mail-in ballots to be opened and counted until Election Day, which could delay their results for several days and raise suspicions of cheating.

But it is also true that some people will likely attempt to commit fraud. Pennsylvania election authorities are investigating “potential fraud in voter registration applications in three” counties. To be clear, these are not votes cast, as Trump said. These are requests for registration on the electoral lists. Still, everyone would feel better if the Keystone State adopted some election best practices, as Florida has.

What should a concerned voter do? First, be a responsible observer to ensure that the voting process in your area is working properly. Second, if you see anything concerning, talk to an election official. There may be a good explanation.

Third, if that doesn’t work, contact investigative journalists at local TV or radio stations. They have the expertise and resources to get answers.

Electoral fraud exists, but be careful not to attribute to conspiracy what can just as easily be attributed to incompetence or stupidity.

Merrill Matthews is a political and public policy analyst and the co-author of “On the Edge: America Faces the Entitles Cliff.” Follow him on X@MerrillMatthews

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