US Election 2020: Pressure mounts on Pennsylvania election chief as America awaits result

With Pennsylvania playing the potentially decisive role in who wins this year’s US presidential election, the longer the count drags on, the more pressure will rise on those doing the counting, especially Kathy Boockvar. The secretary of the commonwealth, Boockvar in charge of overseeing elections in the state of Pennsylvania. She is facing lots of challenges, including handling of the pandemic-safe election. 

During the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, without adequate support from the state Legislature, and while being attacked by Trump, who contends the state’s system is being rigged against him, Boockvar has become a national spotlight. She is already facing calls to resign. However, while acknowledging the same, Boockvar said that at the moment there are several challenges she is facing, but those challenges are exceeded by the hype. 

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In an interview with The Morning Call, Boockvar said, “it is going to take longer to count”. She added, however, that doesn’t mean that the result will be less secure or less reliable. There is a possibility of Boockvar being the next Katherine Harris, who was Florida’s secretary of state who found herself in the national spotlight during the Bush-Gore recount over “hanging chads” in 2000. But she said that it is a very different analysis that the issues they had in Florida back in the day. 

The 52-year-old has worked as an attorney. As a lawyer, she has even helped clients who belonged from low-income groups, with civil rights, employment and other issues. She was chief counsel for the state auditor general then executive director of Lifecycle WomanCare. She is also a former poll worker and a former candidate. 

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Key states still counting votes 

Meanwhile, some states still left to be called by US media, including Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada and Alaska. Trump has accused the authorities of ‘secretly dumping ballots’ and falsely claimed victory in Michigan. The US President has repeatedly sown mistrust among Americans regarding the integrity of the states in counting the votes. Trump who has already termed the November 3 election as “embarrassment” and “major fraud”, has sued Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia while demanding a recount in Wisconsin.

In stark contrast to Trump’s rhetoric of hate and misconduct, Biden has been addressing the Americans by not only denying to claim victory before the official announcement but trying to bring the highly-divisive United States together. Reiterating that “we are not enemies”, the Democratic challenger who has already served as the vice president in the former US President Barack Obama administration, acknowledged the “deep and hard” opposing views in the nation. However, he called for US citizens to come together in a bid to make progress in the nation. 

READ: US Records Nearly 100,000 New Coronavirus Cases In One Day As America Steps Out To Vote

READ: No Winner Yet; Vote Counting Continues In Tense US Presidential Race