Election deniers- the stupidest of the right-wing MAGA stupid. The folks that WON Republican victories in Cascade County in 2020 and now 2022. These people, who have won for two terms, continue to claim that our free and fair elections are a lie. And their extremism is getting way out of hand.
On Friday, election deniers attempted to intimidate staff of the Clerk and Recorder’s office. They surrounded the building, took pictures of staff cars and license plates, and made every effort to make election workers feel unsafe. Read about their disturbing anti-democratic tactics here: https://dailymontanan.com/2022/11/12/absolutely-insane-cascade-county-election-official-says-cops-called-after-skeptics-escalate/
Today in the Exhibition Hall at the fairgrounds, election workers publicly tallied the remaining ballots. Despite widespread Republican wins in Cascade County, dozens of election deniers showed up, many in their finest army-man cosplay, to continue their intimidation attempts. It all seemed rather over done when looking at the election workers themselves. The small group of folks tallying elections were almost entirely senior citizens, one of them an older gentleman with his Vietnam veteran hat on. Personally, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a large assembly of folks acting like they’re hell bent on beating up someone’s grandma. And yet, here we are.
One man watched carefully through binoculars, a rather amusing sight as he was just a few feet away from where the tally was openly happening in front of all of us. A woman in head-to-toe camo and combat boots stood behind me. She made an accusation that the ballot box wasn’t actually sealed. (It was.) She got angry that I was taking pictures. She made several comments about election fraud and claimed she’d seen extra, illegal ballots being delivered the prior week. This was allegedly the same woman who had been taking pictures of staff’s cars on Friday. Like most bullies, she was utterly infuriated when faced with even the slightest pushback. Still, her litany of conspiracy theories continued.
And then? Her candidate won. The officials handed the results to candidates. A Republican woman tried to lead a cheer to spell out SANDRA. The group got lost somewhere around the “D” which is fine; spelling is hard.
With the Republican wins official, I asked the group of election deniers if they still believed the election was rigged. Unsurprisingly, they wouldn’t provide a straight answer. One woman claimed they were simply there to watch the process, yet had no comment when I mentioned the camo-clad woman next to her had spent all of Friday harassing election workers.
And here we approach the cognitive dissonance that belies the entirety of the far-right. Election deniers claim that our election system is broken. They cry foul and accuse election staff of fraud. Even with today’s results, none of them would admit that the election had been won freely and fairly. So, which is it, Cascade County?
Did Rina Fontana Moore run a free and fair election?
OR
Are the results of the 2022 election not to be trusted?
These are “Yes” or “No” questions. The answer cannot be both. You cannot be simultaneously claiming victory in the election while claiming that the election is fraudulent. I mean, you can, but if you do you’re an idiot.
As disappointing as the election results are, we accept those results. That’s what rational people do when confronted with challenging concepts like “addition.” We don’t create a complex web of conspiracies when things don’t go our way. Nor do we dress up like soldiers (which is likely really insulting to actual soldiers, btw) and go harass folks who are trying to do their jobs.
But these election deniers have likely done themselves a real favor electing Sandra Merchant. Merchant now has a full time job that she is neither qualified for nor even understands. May these election deniers band together in their stupidity. Cascade County has elected Merchant, and we’re about to get exactly what we deserve by doing so- a goddamn mess.
With the elections being openly counted mere feet away, we can only assume this man was looking for Sandra Merchant’s qualifications.
I can’t believe you would write a story like this… There are so many things that you wrote that are not true!!!
Please detail what is “untrue.” Let’s address it.
Yes please. I don’t understand what is untrue here. Perhaps that the Republican candidate won since election fraud is so blatantly rampant, or perhaps that camouflage claud women were really men in disguise? Please, explain the untruths? Spelling is hard, or perhaps not? I’m confused, much as the Republican Party of Cascade County seems to be.
Why are you getting only one side? Anybody that is not concerned about the voting machines have not been paying attention. I don’t care who won or lost I just want assured it was done fairly. Many people don’t vote and will tell you “why vote,it won’t matter anyway”. Other states have found fraud in machines, why would Montana be any different. If there’s no problems then prove it. Why not answer question these supposed election deniers are asking? Who programs the machines, who maintains them. Why were hand counts ballots denied? How is a recount accomplished, possibly by hand. If the machines are so good, why a recount? Did Cascade county get Zuckermammoney? Btw, it’s hunting season in Montana, a lot of people wear cami.
https://wtf406.com/2022/09/the-big-lie-in-cascade-county/
We won’t be wasting time trying to reason with election deniers. Unreasonable people can’t be convinced.
In this article these type of folks are called “uneducable”, and indeed they are. They’re moving her by the boatload attracted by all the low wage jobs like Walmart. They really add nothing to the community except more mouths to feed and mega MAGA attitude. They enjoy voting against their own best interests just to own the libs and please Jesus. It’s a sort of revenge of the uneducables.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/24/us/politics/montana-misinformation-national-heritage.html
You do realize that Montana is paper ballots only, no machines, right? Also. This is a personal blog. She reported what she saw. As for camo. There are no deer in Exhibition Hall.
Are you sure? Maybe the guy in camo with the binoculars was looking for them.😂
I think the answers to your questions, Beth, are right here:
https://sosmt.gov/elections/resources/
You have to dig deep and cross check with MCA Title 7, Chapter 4, but the information is there. Its just boring.
MCA Title 7, Chapter 4….as if any election denier (even after they win) would spend an ounce of a brain cell educating themself on something so important as election law.
I’m just wondering why the people behind the voting machines are programming them to have the democrats lose. Seems counterproductive. Some of those house races are only a thousand votes apart, why aren’t the voting machines rigging the election so the dems can keep the house majority? It doesn’t make any sense!
First off, there are no machines used in Montana. If you actually voted you would know that. So you not knowing that tells me you don’t bother to participate in voting which in my mind removes your right to say anything about how they do counts.
Second. You’re right. It is hunting season. But as someone who hunted and comes from a huge family of hunters, we don’t wear our camo causally around town. Not only is it ridiculous, but it picks up too many scents that are hard to get rid of that keep deer, antelope and bear far off from ya cause they can smell the stupidity of you doing that.
And third. Montana has been hard red for years now and even when we were purple it was still hard red. So if the elections are so “rigged”, are y’all telling me GOP supporters cheated this whole time? Cause…well, they keep winning.
It is regather disgusting that ONE idiot got so many people to start down this path nose to a$$ with each other. It’s embarrassing to know I live in a state, county or city that panders this BS. MONTANANS have never blindly followed outsiders. All our grandparents are rolling in their graves right now. Our state use to be the one state who didn’t follow the national lead. Now not only do we follow the crazy train, sometimes we’re actually driving the damn thing.
Everyone is allowed their opinions. But I will damned if I and others won’t call y’all out on those opinions that are covered in blatant lies and made up conspiracies. Don’t like it? Then shut up. The quiet ones are sick of the BS.
I often don’t agree with Jasmine on all issues but this is what happened yesterday it’s a sad day forcCascsde county
Jasmine, very fair assessment of what has been taking place locally. Conspiracy theorists have nothing better to do with their lives. Even when the elections go their way they are not happy with the outcome? Crazies are everywhere and both parties fringe extremists need to crawl back into their caves.
The logic that drives some people is kinda like this:
I’m getting 2 weeks worth of groceries for my family of 5 at Walmart tonight. If I can find a checker, I am going to insist they add up my food and beverage with a pencil and paper. And every other customer in the store today will be demanding the same. There will be no errors.
Oh, and I want a receipt so I can check the results at home.
I sure hope the gentle-person who was using binoculars inside the building found the deer his hunting tag allows and was not harassing the poor elderly folx who volunteered to be harassed, threatened, and berated.
Even when they win, they can’t keep their crazy under control. It’s quite frankly terrifying.