Comprehensive U.S. media reported that on December 8th local time, the “safe harbor deadline” for the U.S. election has arrived. After this day, any certified election results will be exempted from further legal disputes.
Most states have completed the certification of election results so far, and Democratic presidential candidate Biden is expected to win the election. U.S. media pointed out that “the window for US President Trump to subvert the election results is closing.”
The “safe harbor” clause was reportedly introduced by the U.S. Election Counting Act of 1887 to protect the certified election results from any further legal disputes after this day.
By December 8, most states had completed certification of results. Colorado, Missouri completed certification of results on the 8th, and West Virginia plans to complete certification on December 9.
The report pointed out that the remaining uncertified states are not the “battlefield states” of this election, which means that they have little chance of changing the election results.
“As time passes, especially after the ‘safe harbor deadline,’ the possibility of changing the outcome becomes slimmer and less,” said Rebecca Green, director of the election law program at William & Mary Law School.
On December 14, presidential candidates will vote in writing in their respective states and the District of Columbia. Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have laws or partisan regulations requiring voters to vote on the basis of the state’s general election results.
So far, Trump has refused to admit defeat, and his campaign has filed lawsuits in several states for the counting of votes, alleging fraud in the election. But so far, the court has not confirmed these allegations, nor has it made any decision to overturn the election vote.
On the same day, the U.S. Supreme Court also rejected a lawsuit to re-examine U.S. President-elect Biden, who won the Pennsylvania presidential election.
