By love-89.com In Saginaw County, anxiety surrounding the upcoming presidential election has shifted from concerns about election rigging to fears of potential violence at polling places. Vanessa Guerra, the county clerk responsible for overseeing the voting process in this critical battleground region of Michigan, has been fielding an increasing number of inquiries about whether it will be safe to vote on election day.
“I conducted a presentation last week, and, as expected, there were numerous questions regarding the validity of the election results. But now, the focus has turned to safety concerns—people are asking if it will be safe to go to the polls,” Guerra shared. This shift in tone reflects the heightened tensions leading up to what is anticipated to be a razor-thin election.
Saginaw is located in a swing state that could play a pivotal role in the showdown between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Guerra noted that confidence in the electoral process is lacking; one in five Michiganders express doubts about whether votes will be counted accurately, and even among Trump supporters, only 8% feel assured that the election will be fair.
The specter of unrest looms large, especially after the events of January 6, 2021. Trump has warned of a “bloodbath” should he lose again, a statement that resonates deeply with voters given the recent history of political violence.
Guerra, while seeking to alleviate fears about election safety, emphasizes the nonpartisan nature of her office. “It worries me that rhetoric from the top can make voters uneasy. When I started hearing concerns about safety at the polls, that was alarming to me,” she explained.
Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s Democratic secretary of state, also faces threats regularly, underscoring the political volatility of the current environment. Over the past year, she has been the target of dangerous swatting incidents and armed protests calling for the overturn of election results in 2020.
Despite these challenges, Guerra has made efforts to foster trust in the electoral process by holding public sessions and encouraging skeptics to serve as election inspectors. However, she admits that some issues—particularly those related to safety—are harder to tackle.
“Many people are now asking if they should vote early or absentee because they’re worried about potential chaos on election day,” Guerra noted, reflecting a trend as over a quarter of Saginaw’s registered voters have already requested absentee ballots.
On the Republican side, doubts about the integrity of the election persist. Debra Ell, who took charge of the local Republican Party with a pro-Trump focus, maintains that fraudulent mail-in votes were used to sway the last election. “I witnessed Trump leading by a significant margin, and then everything changed overnight. I believe they cheated,” she stated.
Others, like Andrea Paschall, have similar hesitations. Although she has not found proof of wrongdoing specific to Saginaw, she firmly believes the last election was manipulated. “I have little faith that this year’s election will be fair,” Paschall remarked.
In contrast, Guerra has sought to reassure both local Republican leaders and the community that the election process remains transparent and secure. Yet, she recognizes that the only way to mitigate disputes is to have a decisive outcome. “I would prefer a clear margin between the candidates,” she concluded, highlighting the precarious nature of this upcoming election.