Who confirms the US presidential election winner? Politics Weekly

+ 6 ways ballots are protected from fraud US Edition - Today's top story: Who formally declares the winner of the U.S. presidential election? [View in browser]( US Edition | 17 September 2020 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair When the pandemic upended our elaborate election coverage plan early in the year, we regrouped and decided that we would serve readers best by concentrating on the nation’s institutions of democracy and elections. In a time when seemingly every custom and norm is being overthrown, arming you with the history of these institutions and the facts about how they work is a public service – which is what journalism is supposed to be. So here on The Conversation US politics desk, we don’t treat the election as a spectacle. We don’t spend a lot of time on the outrage of the day, hour or minute, nor do we chase who’s up, who’s down or who-was-up-but-who’s-now-down. This week, we’ve got [an explainer]( on the process for certifying the winner of the presidential election. Besides voters and the Electoral College, that process “entwines all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the Senate, House of Representatives, the National Archives and the Office of the Federal Register.” [Another story]( walks you through the six ways mail-in ballots are protected from fraud. And a scholar who currently sees rampant pessimism about the state of America’s democracy writes that such a gloomy view of the country’s plight has actually been a feature of domestic politics for more than 200 years. He quotes John Adams, who said “There is no special Providence for us. We are not a chosen people that I know of.” Happy reading! Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Society With rare exceptions, like the 2000 presidential election, the winning candidate usually declares victory on election night. But the win isn’t actually certified until January. ranklin McMahon/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images [Who formally declares the winner of the U.S. presidential election?]( Amy Dacey, American University No, it's not the TV news networks. The American election certification process is a lot more complicated than that. Election workers are part of the protections ensuring that mail-in ballots aren’t fraudulent. Will Cioci/Wisconsin Watch via AP [6 ways mail-in ballots are protected from fraud]( Charlotte Hill, University of California, Berkeley; Jake Grumbach, University of Washington The mail-in voting process has several built-in safeguards that make it hard for one person to vote fraudulently, and even more difficult to commit large-scale voter fraud. - [Pessimists have been saying America is going to hell for more than 200 years]( Maurizio Valsania, Università di Torino Think American democracy is ending? You're not alone, writes a historian. American leaders have often yielded to despair – as far back as the founding of the republic. - [10 ways to spot online misinformation]( H. Colleen Sinclair, Mississippi State University Here's what to watch out for, so you can protect yourself – and your social circles – from lies, half-truths and misleading spins on current events. - [4 ways to protect yourself from disinformation]( Elizabeth Stoycheff, Wayne State University As the 2020 elections near and disinformation campaigns ramp up, an expert on media literacy offers advice you can use to develop habits to exert more conscious control over your news intake. You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111