Beware the ‘red mirage’ if California Republicans have an election night lead

By Ryan Sabalow, CalMatters This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. It happens in close races in almost every major election. Early California returns show Republicans winning or at least faring better than expected. Then, as votes are counted over the following days, the tallies shift in Democrats’ favor. This “blue shift” or “red mirage” isn’t a result of California Democrats “finding votes” or rigging elections, as President Donald Trump and his supporters have repeatedly claimed. Trump and his allies in the federal government are already laying the groundwork for questioning the election results as they embark on an unprecedented attack on California’s elections, setting up what could be a showdown over the fundamentals of American democracy. Experts urge you not to be fooled by their claims of “rigged” elections based on early returns.

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