Why Did Trump Supporters in Swing States Arizona and Michigan Make Opposite Demands?

by Jeong Hyunjin

Published 05 Nov.2020 19:54(KST)

Updated 05 Nov.2020 20:04(KST)

Trump Supporters Gather at Phoenix and Detroit Election Offices... Biden Supporters Also Protest

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] "Count the votes" vs "Do not count the votes"

On the 5th (local time), as vote counting was underway in Phoenix, Arizona, and Detroit, Michigan?key battleground states in the U.S. presidential election?supporters of President Donald Trump gathered in front of election offices. In Arizona, a Republican stronghold, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was leading, while in Michigan, Trump was being overtaken by Biden.

The reason Trump supporters are making opposing demands in these two regions is that the outcome in these areas greatly influences the election result. Since this election was mostly conducted through early voting, including mail-in ballots, and there was also strong turnout for in-person voting, the party favored varies depending on the voting method.

The Democrats have an advantage in early voting, while the Republicans lead in in-person voting, and the vote count situation has shown significant fluctuations depending on which ballots are counted first. In particular, in Michigan, where the race was close until the previous day, Trump initially held the lead, but as mail-in ballot counting began later, the momentum shifted toward Biden.

In response, the Trump campaign filed a lawsuit in a Michigan court demanding a halt to the vote count until they are allowed meaningful access, citing their inability to participate in the counting process. They requested a review of the ballots that had been opened and counted without their oversight. As the situation unfolded, Trump supporters gathered at the Detroit election office, a key city in Michigan, demanding "Stop the count" and "Stop stealing votes."

Meanwhile, in Arizona, Biden is leading Trump. According to The New York Times (NYT), as of 3:10 a.m. Pacific Time on that day, with 86% of votes counted in Arizona, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden had 50.5% of the vote compared to President Trump's 48.1%. In response, about 150 Trump supporters gathered in front of the Maricopa County election office in Phoenix, demanding "Count the votes."

They shouted slogans such as "Let us in," "Count the votes," "We love Trump," and "Don't steal." One protester criticized Fox News, which reported Biden's victory in Arizona, calling it "sycophantic." Although Fox News predicted Biden would win Arizona, the margin was still too narrow to confirm a final victory.

On the same day, Biden supporters also held protests in major cities, including Seattle in Washington state and New York, insisting that all votes must be counted.