Despite setbacks, election denial continues to thrive in Republican Party

Phoenix, Arizona – For almost thirty years, Buster Johnson quietly held a position on the Board of Supervisors in Mohave County, an area known for its strong conservative views in western Arizona.

While former President Donald Trump insisted without basis that massive fraud caused his defeat in the 2020 election, the notion that any wrongdoing occurred in Mohave was almost comical: Trump won the county by over 50 points.

However, that had minimal effect in curbing the growth of election denialism in Mohave County — as well as within the broader Republican Party.

Johnson, a long-time Republican who used to serve as the vice chair of the state's party chapter, expressed confusion over the unexpected demand to introduce new practices, like manually counting each ballot.

This request is often made by those who deny election results, but experts argue that this method of counting votes is more likely to make mistakes, is less effective, and costs more money.

Responding to the requests of his constituents, Johnson supported a proposal to move to hand-counting of votes. However, he also attempted to clarify to the county's voters that this approach might not be practical.

"Such events were unheard of prior to 2020," he remarked regarding the surge of requests for a complete reform of the voting system.

"We have a solid Republican base here. Our voting history has consistently leaned toward the Republican Party."

In July, Johnson was defeated in the Republican primary by Sonny Borrelli, a state senator who supported Trump's unfounded allegations of widespread election fraud in 2020.

Borrelli, on the other hand, received support from Trump, the present Republican presidential candidate, who praised him for being "at the forefront of the battle against fraudulent elections right from the start."

After Trump's loss in 2020, a number of Republican leaders and candidates nationwide, particularly in key battleground states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Nevada, started to support his unfounded claims of widespread election fraud.

In numerous instances, individuals who rejected the validity of elections sought statewide roles that would allow them significant control over how elections are conducted.

Others also expressed backing for Trump's purported attempts to undermine the voters' decision by trying to disrupt the election certification process.

Trump and his supporters are being accused of enlisting state officials to file fraudulent Electoral College certificates following the 2020 election. Consequently, he is facing a federal criminal charge in Washington, DC.

For Republican candidates at all levels, emphasizing election denial in their campaigns proved to be an effective strategy to gain support from the former president.

Voters have shown an openness to the idea of election fraud. A poll conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion in October revealed that over half of the voters, specifically 58 percent, expressed worries about potential irregularities at the polls.

The figure was even greater among just Republicans, with around 88 percent voicing concerns about election fraud.

Patrice, a Tucson resident who recently relocated to Arizona from the East Coast, expressed his awareness of the importance of introducing new measures to guarantee the security of elections. He requested that his last name be kept private so he could openly share his concerns regarding the electoral process.

Patrice said, “If you’re uncertain about something, shouldn’t you look into it and ask questions?” She added, “There are events taking place that definitely warrant some scrutiny.”

However, embracing Trump's storyline about fraudulent elections has not worked out well for certain Republican candidates running for office.

In the 2022 midterm elections, numerous prominent figures who backed election denial and received Trump’s endorsement ended up losing in the general election.

This included gubernatorial hopeful Kari Lake and Mark Finchem, who was running for secretary of state, both of whom did not succeed against their Democratic opponents.

Certain political analysts speculated that, following the challenges faced in 2022, Republican leaders might distance themselves from rejecting the validity of elections to avoid straying too far from moderate voters.

Instead, numerous Republicans, including Trump, have persistently promoted misleading assertions regarding US elections and questioned the validity of earlier outcomes.

“People should use paper ballots, vote on the same day, show voter ID, and that's all there is to it,” Trump stated while casting his vote on Tuesday, expressing skepticism about the commonly used electronic voting systems.

A few days prior, on November 2 in Salem, Virginia, he made unfounded claims that Democrats were sabotaging the voting process, adding to the confusion surrounding the election.

"I would be thrilled to secure the popular vote even if they resort to cheating. Let them cheat," he stated.

A number of his supporters have since taken up his approach of challenging election outcomes that don't go their way. Lake, who is currently campaigning for a Senate seat in Arizona, has yet to accept her defeat in the 2022 elections.

"I find this trend quite worrying," Kim, a voter at an early voting location in Tucson, shared with Al Jazeera. She requested to use only her first name so she could express her thoughts openly.

"I genuinely believe that the process is valid and effective. As a teacher, I can relate to that feeling of disappointment where, if things don't turn out as expected, one might think, 'The system must be flawed.' Rather than reflecting on how you can improve, it's easy to blame external factors."

She exclaimed, "This is absurd."

Experts caution that circulating unfounded allegations of election fraud can erode trust in the electoral system and potentially provide justification for restricting voting rights under the guise of enhancing election security.

Joanna Lydgate, the CEO of the States United Democracy Center, an organization that monitors election denial throughout the United States, shared with Al Jazeera, “The movement against democracy has been planning for the last four years to weaken our electoral process.”

Those who deny the legitimacy of elections are attempting to disrupt every part of the electoral process. Their goal is to create chaos and challenge results they disagree with. However, in the end, our elections are conducted in a manner that is fair, transparent, and safe.