Getty A ballot bin is seen at the Gwinnett County Board of Voter Registrations and Elections offices on November 7, 2020.
An Arizona man’s “recount or revote” petition on Change.org has accumulated more than 2.5 million signatures. Although it’s still short of the more than 4 million signatures gathered by a similar petition for Hillary Clinton in 2016, the petition has taken off. Anthony Kintz created the petition after the election.
More than 2.5 Million Have Signed the Petition
Change.org
Kintz, who lives in Queen Creek, told Lynchburg Reporter that he made the petition when he felt that “something wasn’t right.” He said his goal is for a recount or a revote. Kintz, who is married and has two children, said that he supports President Donald Trump, but will support “fair and accurate” results that show President-Elect Joe Biden won.
He titled his petition: “Recount or revote the entire 2020 presidential election.”
He wrote on his petition that he wants the entire election recounted or “re voted” with “better overwatch.” He added: “We also ask that no media outlet be able to report the votes cast for one candidate or the other until such time that 100% of the vote has been received and counted and verified. We ask this be mandated to all electoral races local, state and federal.”
His bio on Change.org reads: “I am a God fearing redneck American. I was raised up 23 years in Iowa. Now residing in Arizona. I keep my head down and stick to my own. But as with any redneck we have a limit. I may be a self declared redneck but I am no idiot. I firmly belive in MAGA.”
Kintz told Lynchburg Reporter: “The understanding is that 100,000 signatures are needed within 30 days for a review by the Supreme Court and we got 100,000 signatures in the first 48 hours.”
Change.org petitions don’t guarantee any particular action will result from the petition. The idea behind them is that by showing the number of people supporting a cause, that might lead to change. For example, Sallie Mae changed its forbearance fee policy after a petition in 2012.
The Supreme Court only reviews decisions of lower courts (via appellate jurisdiction) when parties petition the U.S. Supreme Court if they’re not satisfied with a lower court’s decision, U.S. Courts reported. The primary means of petitioning the court is by seeking a writ of certiorari. The Supreme Court also has original jurisdiction over a small category of cases (meaning it can hear a case without it being heard in a lower court first.) This only applies to disputes between states or among high-ranking officials like ambassadors.
Although Change.org doesn’t guarantee any particular group will “hear” a petition, We the People at Petitions.WhiteHouse.gov — a different petition site — does. We the People notes that for those petitions: “If you gather 100,000 signature in 30 days, we’ll review your petition, make sure it gets in front of the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response.”
The site notes: “Once the petition reaches the required threshold, it will be put in a queue to be reviewed by the White House. Others can still sign the petition while it is awaiting a response. When the White House responds, everyone who has signed the petition will get email from the White House to let you know that we’ve reviewed and responded to the petition.”
The site also says: “In some cases, the White House response might not address the facts of a particular matter to avoid the appearance of improper influence (such as in specific procurement, law enforcement or adjudicatory matters). In addition, the White House will not respond to petitions that violate We the People’s Terms of Participation. In some cases, a single update may be used for petitions on similar topics.
The New York Times Contacted Top Election Officials in Every State & Found No Record of Outcome-Changing Irregularities
The New York Times reported that after contacting top election officials in every state, 45 responded and none reported any evidence of fraud or irregularities that could have changed the outcome of the election. The Times also spoke to state officials or found public comments for four out of the other five states, which also did not reveal any irregularities that could have changed the outcome. Texas officials didn’t respond, but Harris County officials said there were only minor issues.
The New York Times noted that some states listed small problems, such as a small number of double votes or technical glitches, but nothing that would have been outcome-changing. Officials are all conducting a standard certification process that reviews the voting.
A Petition for Hillary Clinton Got More than 4 Million Signatures in 2016
Change.org
In 2016, more than 4.8 million people signed a petition asking the electoral college to give the election to Hillary Clinton.
The original petition read: “Donald Trump has not been elected president. The real election takes place December 19, when the 538 Electoral College Electors cast their ballots – for anyone they want. If they all vote the way their states voted, Donald Trump will win. However, in 14 of the states in Trump’s column, they can vote for Hillary Clinton without any legal penalty if they choose. We are calling on “Conscientious Electors” to protect the Constitution from Donald Trump, and to support the national popular vote winner.”
The requested change did not happen, but the petition later noted: “This petition resulted in more electors switching candidates for political reasons than in any other election in US history.”
The petition stayed up and shifted its focus to supporting progressive candidates for Congress. The most recent update was posted four weeks ago.
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