Pro-Trump Demonstrators Amass at Vote Counting Locations

The American people were warned time and again that the 2020 election could take some time to decide, due to the the unprecedented interest in voting, and the unprecedented number of ways in which they would be voting.

The election itself came during the COVID-19 crisis, and pitted voters against an illness for which there is no cure or vaccine at this time.  This fact led many to choose to avoid the long lines and well-populated voting locations in favor of mail-in voting – something that President Trump has repeatedly expressed concerns about during the lead-up to the election.

Now, as the vote-counting process drags on, supporters of the President are making their displeasure known. 

A crowd of protesters, some of them armed, claimed the vote had been stolen from President Donald Trump as they gathered outside the counting center in Maricopa County, Phoenix, late Wednesday, ahead of the release of new results in the presidential and Senate races.

It was one of several demonstrations across the country — some about the election, some about racial inequality. In New York, 50 people were arrested, officials told NBC New York.

In Maricopa, some in the 300-strong crowd chanted “count the votes” and “Fox News sucks,” after the TV network called Arizona in Joe Biden’s favor.

Officials looked to quell the crowd’s fervor.

Clint Hickman, the Republican chairman of Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, and Democratic supervisor Steve Gallardo issued a joint statement expressing concern about how misinformation had spread about the integrity of the election process.

“Everyone should want all the votes to be counted, whether they were mailed or cast in person,” it said. “An accurate vote takes time. This is evidence of democracy, not fraud.”

Should the election drag on through Friday and the weekend, there is little doubt that these demonstrations could intensify.