Kerby Anderson

Today is Election Day, and two important questions should be resolved very soon. The first question is: Who will win the election? Unless there is some glitch in election reporting, we should know that in a few hours. The second question is: How peaceful will be our transition of power? In the past we have had a few bumps in the road.
Back in 1960, there was some question about whether John F. Kennedy won the presidency fairly. Rumors quickly spread that voting in Illinois and Texas had been manipulated. Perhaps the narrow margin of victory (112,000 votes) should be challenged. Richard Nixon conceded the election because he said, “our country cannot afford the agony of a constitutional crisis.”

In 2000, George W. Bush led Al Gore in Florida after the first results were tallied. Because the vote was so close, a statewide recount was implemented. The machine count was even closer, so a legal battle developed. Those of you who are older probably remember the debate over the “hanging chads.” The case finally reached the Supreme Court that ruled the hand recounts unconstitutional and essentially declared Bush the winner. Al Gore then conceded by saying, “While I strongly disagree with the Court’s decision, I accept it.”

What about this election? Much has been made of Donald Trump saying he would have to decide if he would concede the election if Hillary Clinton was the winner. Some commentators fear this might threaten the age-old tradition of a peaceful transition of power that comes when the defeated candidate concedes to the winner.

But it is reasonable to ask what might happen if Donald Trump wins. Hillary Clinton might concede the election, but what about all the angry protestors who have shown up at Trump rallies? Are they likely to start marching into the streets?

We can hope that none of this happens, and we should also pray to that end.