This is typical for the the establishment Democrat political machine
In 1998 Dick Gephardt was the most powerful Democrat in nation with control of the party machine.
I was campaign manager for Dick Federer running against Gephardt. Jefferson county has the largest number of voters in Gephardts district. They lease the same counting machines as every other county. i was told by a long time Republican party county organizer and resident that if the voting machine count is close they are “known to go down forcing a hand count”. I was told 6 months prior. The race was close even Federer ahead at noon in St. Louis.
The machines went down (broke of course) and the votes were counted by 5 people, 3 Dems and 2 “Republicans”. The 2 Reps were previous Dems and the Rep judge was a lawyer with the firm that supports Geppy and in return receives sizable business from Geppy associates
Furthermore, the machines in St. Louis were hooked up to a phone line against the rules. We alerted officials nothing was done.
Get this, the noon count of all precincts (25-40%+ all votes)had Federer ahead by 3%. By 3pm it had been reversed, practically a statistical impossibility in this situation.
After this election Gephardt began making plans to leave office. it was his closest ever victory at 53%.
“Those who cast the votes decide nothing.
Those who count the votes decide everything.”
This is why it is important to have as many Republican election officials as possible: Secretaries of State, County Auditors, etc. To make sure the Dims don’t finagle with the ballots and steal the election.