ELECTION WEEK AFTER VOTERS CAST
THEIR BALLOT, THEN WAITED FOR
THE COUNT.
WISCONSIN CHOSE FORMER VICE
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN BY A 20,000
VOTE MARGIN.
WITHIN HOURS AFTER THE BALLOTS
WERE TALLIED, PRESIDENT TRUMP
SAID HE WOULD REQUEST A RECOUNT.
DOWN BALLOTS FLIPPED AT THE
CAPITOL.
A STATE DIVIDED BY POLITICS
REMAINS A STATE DIVIDED BY THE
PANDEMIC.
POSITIVE COVID CASES CONTINUE TO
SKYROCKET IN THE ABSENCE OF A
STATEWIDE PLAN TO FIGHT THE
VIRUS.
>> I'M FREDERICA FREYBERG.
TONIGHT ON "HERE AND NOW" MAKING
SENSE OF WHAT HAPPENS NEXT ON
THE PRESIDENCY.
A TOP UW ELECTIONS EXPERT IS
HERE.
ZAC SCHULTZ PIN POINTS THE
RESULTS OF THE STATE RACES.
AND MCCOSHEN AND ROSS LOOK AT
THE POLITICAL DIVIDE THAT WILL
PERSIST LONG AFTER THE NEXT
PRESIDENT IS SWORN IN.
IT'S "HERE AND NOW" FOR
NOVEMBER 6.
>> FUNDING IS PROVIDED BITE
FOCUS FUND FOR JOURNALISM AND
PBS WISCONSIN.
>> JOE BIDEN WAS EXPECTED TO
ADDRESS THE NATION TONIGHT AT
ABOUT THIS HOUR, BUT PULLED BACK
FROM THAT AWAITING THE CALL ON
THE ELECTION.
A LITTLE MORE THAN 24 HOURS AGO
DONALD TRUMP SPOKE SAYING AS THE
BALLOTS COUNT STARTED GOING IN
HIS CHALLENGER'S DIRECTION WITH
ABSENTEES TALLIED LAST, HE WAS
BEING ILLEGALLY ROBBED OF HIS
VICTORY.
>> I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE WITH AN UPDATE
ON OUR EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE
INTEGRITY OF OUR VERY IMPORTANT
2020 ELECTION.
IF YOU COUNT THE LEGAL VOTES, I
EASILY WIN.
IF YOU COUNT THE ILLEGAL VOTES,
THEY CAN TRY TO STEAL THE
ELECTION FROM US.
IF YOU COUNT THE VOTES THAT CAME
IN LATE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THEM
VERY STRONGLY.
A LOT OF VOTES CAME IN LATE.
>> WISCONSIN IS IN PRESIDENT
TRUMP'S PRESIDENT
TRUMP'S SIGHTS AS PART OF WHAT
HE BELIEVES IS THE FRAUD CABAL
AGAINST HIM.
THIS STATE HELPED PUT JOE BIDEN
INTO THE LEAD, AS DID ABSENTEE
BALLOTS ACROSS THE STATES
COUNTED AFTER IN-PERSON VOTES.
WE TURN TO PROFESSOR OF
POLITICAL SCIENCE AT UW-MADISON,
DIRECTOR OF THE RESEARCH CENTER
WHICH CONDUCTS THE BATTLEGROUND
POLL.
>> GLAD TO BE WITH YOU.
>> I WANTED TO ASK WHAT YOUR
REACTION IS TO PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
CLAIMS HE OUTLINED THURSDAY
NIGHT.
>> I DON'T THINK THERE'S A LOT
OF TRUTH IN THEM.
HE REFERRED TO LEGAL AND ILLEGAL
VOTES.
TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE ARE NO
ILLEGAL VOTES BEING CAST.
RIGHT NOW ESSENTIALLY ALL OF THE
COUNTS THAT ARE BEING COUNTED,
ESPECIALLY IN PENNSYLVANIA,
THOSE ARE BALLOTS THAT WERE CAST
BEFORE ELECTION DAY, IN SOME
CASES WEEKS BEFORE ELECTION DAY
OR ON ELECTION DAY ITSELF.
SO THERE'S REALLY NOTHING LATE
OR QUESTIONABLE ABOUT THEM.
IT'S SIMPLY TAKING THE STATE A
WHILE TO WORK THROUGH WHAT IS A
PRETTY BIG MAIL OF MAIL BALLOTS.
>> PART OF THE TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN
FIGHT AGAINST THESE RESULTS IS
LAWSUITS IN BATTLEGROUND STATES
AND THE CALL FOR A RECOUNT, FOR
EXAMPLE, IN WISCONSIN, WHERE HE
ALSO CITES IRREGULARITIES, WHAT
OUR ELECTIONS COMMISSION SAY DID
NOT CUR.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT WHETHER
RECOUNTS IN WISCONSIN FLIP
RESULTS?
>> WELL, LUCKILY I SUPPOSE WE
HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A RECORD
HERE OF DOING STATEWIDE
RECOUNTS.
AFTER THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION THERE WAS A FULL
RECOUNT OF THE STATE.
MOST OF THAT WAS DONE BY HAND.
IT WAS A PAINSTAKING PROCESS.
THAT WAS THE RESULT OF A REQUEST
FROM JILL STEIN, THE GREEN PARTY
CANDIDATE IN THAT CONTEST.
IT CHANGED A FEW HUNDRED VOTES
IN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
CLINTON AND TRUMP AFTER TWO TO
THREE WEEKS OF COUNTING BALLOTS.
IT DID TURN UP MORE BALLOTS THAT
WERE COUNTABLE FOR BOTH
CAMPAIGNS, BALLOTS INITIALLY
REJECTED BECAUSE MACHINES HAD
TROUBLE READING THEM.
BUT IT DIDN'T CHANGE THE BALANCE
BETWEEN THEM.
VERY SIMILAR PATTERN IF YOU GO
BACK TO THE 2011 SUPREME COURT
RACE.
THAT ALSO TURNED INTO A
STATEWIDE RECOUNT AND HAD VERY
LITTLE EFFECT ON THE OVERALL
BALANCE.
>> SO WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE AS
THE PRESIDENT SAID WAS
PERPETRATED FROM THE PART OF
DEMOCRATS TO HAVE EFFECT WIDESPREAD
FRAUD ACROSS THE STATE?
>> IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO DO
THAT IN A SYSTEMIC WAY AROUND
THE COUNTRY GIVEN ALL THE
DIFFERENT ELECTION SYSTEMS, THE
ELECTION RULES, THE AMOUNT OF
TRANSPARENCY IN THIS PROCESS,
ALL OF WHAT'S HAPPENING BOTH
BEFORE ELECTION DAY, ON ELECTION
DAY AND NOW.
IT'S VISIBLE, EITHER IN PERSON
OR ON CAMERA.
SO I DON'T SEE HOW THAT SORT OF
THING COULD HAPPEN.
>> WOULD THE U.S. SUPREME COURT
STEP IN TO RESOLVE LAWSUITS AND
WITH ITS CONSERVATIVE MAJORITY
SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT?
>> IT MIGHT.
I THICHG THINK THE MOST PROMISING PATH
THERE TO THE SUPREME COURT IS IN
PENNSYLVANIA, WHERE THERE WAS A
STATE SUPREME COURT DECISION
THAT EXTENDED THE DEADLINE OF
ABSENTEE BALLOTS BY THREE DAYS.
THEY CAN BE COUNTED ACCORDING TO
THE STATE SUPREME COURT.
THE STATE IS CURRENTLY
SEGREGATING THOSE BALLOTS SO
THEY CAN BE HANDLED SEPARATELY
IN CASE THERE'S MORE COURT
ACTION.
REPUBLICANS ARE TRYING TO
ELEVATE THAT NOW TO THE U.S.
SUPREME COURT WHICH ALREADY HAD
ONE LOOK AT THE CASE BUT THAT
WAS BEFORE BARRETT JOINED THE
COURT.
NOW REPUBLICANS ARE ASKING THE
COURT TAKE IT UP AGAIN.
SO THERE'S A POSSIBILITY OF I
GUESS ANOTHER EXAMINATION OF
THAT CASE AND SOMETHING TO
HAPPEN IN PENNSYLVANIA.
>> THE PRESIDENT INCLUDED
POLLSTERS IN THE CONSPIRACY TO
STEAL THE ELECTION, SAYING
SURVEY RESULTS SHOWING BIDEN WAY
AHEAD MOUNTED TO SUPPRESSION
POLLS.
WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THAT,
WITH YOUR OWN BATTLEGROUND STATE
POLL THAT SHOWED BIDEN UP NINE?
>> IT DOESN'T MAKE A LOT OF
SENSE.
BOTH THE DEMOCRAT AND REPUBLICAN
CAMPAIGNS WERE USING THE
PROBLEMS WITH THE POLLS IN 2016
TO MOTIVATE THEIR SUPPORTERS.
DEMOCRATS WERE TELLING THEIR
BACKERS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT GET
COMFORTABLE WITH THE LEAD THAT
BIDEN WAS SHOWING IN THE POLLS,
TO REMEMBER WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN
2016 AND TO MAKE SURE THEY
SHOWED UP.
FOR THE REPUBLICANS THERE WAS A
SIMILAR MESSAGE THAT YOU SHOULD
NOT TRUST THE POLLS, THAT
THERE'S A HIDDEN GROUP OF TRUMP
VOTERS NOT BEING REPRESENTED.
SO BOTH SIDES WERE REMEMBERING
AND LEVERAGING THE FAILURES OF
THE POLLS FOUR YEARS AGO TO TRY
TO TURN OUT SUPPORTERS.
YOU KNOW, TRUMP'S TRAILING IN
THE POLLS ALSO HAPPENED IN 2016
AND HE MANAGED TO WIN THESE
STATES LIKE WISCONSIN, MICHIGAN,
PENNSYLVANIA.
THIS YEAR HE APPEARS TO BE
LOSING ALL THREE STATES EVEN
THOUGH THE POLLS SHOW A SIMILAR
PATTERN.
SO IT'S HARD TO SEE WHY IT WOULD
WORK DIFFERENTLY IN ONE YEAR
THAN ANOTHER.
>> JUST BRIEFLY ABOUT POLLS, ANY
IDEAS YET WHY THEY WERE OFF TO
THE EXTENT THAT THEY WERE?
>> IT'S STILL QUITE A MYSTERY.
THEY WERE OFF IN SOME STATES
LIKE WISCONSIN, BUT NOT OFF IN
OTHERS, LIKE OUR NEIGHBOR,
MINNESOTA, WHERE THE POLLS
SHOWED TRUMP BEHIND BY SEVEN OR
EIGHT POINTS AND THAT LOOKS TO
BE WHERE THE VOTE IS ENDING UP.
SO IT'S NOT A CONSISTENT PATTERN
BUT IS REPEATING SOME OF THE
PROBLEMS WE SAW FOUR YEARS AGO.
>> SO I WANT TO ASK THIS.
COULD THIS COME TO THE POINT
WHERE REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURES
LIKE OUR OWN SUBVERT THE
ELECTORS?
>> I THINK NOT.
THERE HAVE BEEN A VIEW VOICES ON
THE FRINGES CALLING FOR THAT
KIND OF ACTIVITY.
THERE'S BEEN A CALL TO DO THAT
IN PENNSYLVANIA.
I THINK THE PROCESS IS UNFOLDING
IN A PRETTY ORDERLY FASHION
THERE.
AND, IMPORTANTLY, REPUBLICAN
LEADERS IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE
IN PENNSYLVANIA HAVE SAID THAT'S
NOT AN APPROPRIATE ACTION FOR
THEM.
THE LEGISLATURE HAS NO ROLE IN
THE PROCESS AT THIS POINT.
I THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT
ATTITUDE AND SEEMS TO BE HOLDING
UP AMONG LEGISLATIVE LEADERS.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WE LEAVE IT THERE.