Episode
Running an Election in the Heart of Election Denialism
49:14
Published: Mon Oct 24 2022
Description
This episode contains strong language. Hundreds of candidates on the ballot in November still deny that President Biden won in 2020 — a level of denialism that is fueling harassment and threats toward election workers. Few have experienced those attacks as viscerally as election workers in Arizona. Today, we speak with the top election official in the state’s largest county. Guest: Stephen Richer, the recorder of Maricopa County in Arizona. Background reading: Election officials are on alert as voting begins for midterm elections, the biggest test of the American election system since former President Donald J. Trump’s lies about the 2020 results launched an assault on the democratic process.Over 370 Republican candidates have cast doubt on the 2020 election despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, according to a New York Times investigation.For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Chapters
The top election official in Arizona's biggest county speaks about the challenges of overseeing elections when many voters doubt the legitimacy of the process due to false claims of election fraud propagated by Republican candidates.
00:00 - 02:19 (02:19)
Summary
The top election official in Arizona's biggest county speaks about the challenges of overseeing elections when many voters doubt the legitimacy of the process due to false claims of election fraud propagated by Republican candidates.
EpisodeRunning an Election in the Heart of Election Denialism
PodcastThe Daily
The speaker describes their experience spending the day with their parents campaigning for a political office, interacting with voters and witnessing protests at the tabulation center.
02:19 - 06:24 (04:05)
Summary
The speaker describes their experience spending the day with their parents campaigning for a political office, interacting with voters and witnessing protests at the tabulation center.
EpisodeRunning an Election in the Heart of Election Denialism
PodcastThe Daily
The theory suggests that the machines have been tinkered with by nefarious forces, counting Republican votes as less than one full vote.
06:28 - 12:25 (05:57)
Summary
The theory suggests that the machines have been tinkered with by nefarious forces, counting Republican votes as less than one full vote.
EpisodeRunning an Election in the Heart of Election Denialism
PodcastThe Daily
The speaker recounts receiving criticism from supporters at events where they had previously been invited to speak as a result of conflicting beliefs and opinions, leading to discomfort and awkwardness.
12:25 - 20:59 (08:33)
Summary
The speaker recounts receiving criticism from supporters at events where they had previously been invited to speak as a result of conflicting beliefs and opinions, leading to discomfort and awkwardness.
EpisodeRunning an Election in the Heart of Election Denialism
PodcastThe Daily
A self-styled forensic audit is being conducted on Maricopa County's election equipment, electronic data, and ballots from the 2020 election, with allegations of employee unlawfully deleting files.
20:59 - 29:13 (08:14)
Summary
A self-styled forensic audit is being conducted on Maricopa County's election equipment, electronic data, and ballots from the 2020 election, with allegations of employee unlawfully deleting files. A group with no expertise in conducting a full-scale election audit, and associated with the "stop the steal" movement, was enlisted to conduct the audit.
EpisodeRunning an Election in the Heart of Election Denialism
PodcastThe Daily
Stephen Fowler shares his experience in dealing with election deniers seeking his party's nomination during the 2022 midterms, despite knowing the claims of election fraud to be untrue.
29:13 - 37:01 (07:47)
Summary
Stephen Fowler shares his experience in dealing with election deniers seeking his party's nomination during the 2022 midterms, despite knowing the claims of election fraud to be untrue.
EpisodeRunning an Election in the Heart of Election Denialism
PodcastThe Daily
The embrace of election denialism by the top candidates for state white office sets a dangerous precedent that is likely to be replicated in future election cycles in Arizona, potentially normalizing and supporting belief in fraudulent elections.
37:01 - 45:03 (08:02)
Summary
The embrace of election denialism by the top candidates for state white office sets a dangerous precedent that is likely to be replicated in future election cycles in Arizona, potentially normalizing and supporting belief in fraudulent elections. However, if a candidate like Cary Lake wins, it could lead to a reckoning within the Republican Party regarding the dangerous nature of election denialism.
EpisodeRunning an Election in the Heart of Election Denialism
PodcastThe Daily
Rishi Sunak leads the race to replace Liz Truss as Prime Minister of Britain.
45:03 - 49:09 (04:06)
Summary
Rishi Sunak leads the race to replace Liz Truss as Prime Minister of Britain. Conservative activists in the US claim to have evidence of fraud as they photographed workers outside the Maricopa County election headquarters. In China, Xi Jinping secures an unprecedented third term as the country's leader.