or, How to Preserve Our Constitutional Republic

A guide for the perplexed…

• Today is Election Day
• Every voter should have free, fair, safe, convenient access to the polls
• If you haven’t done so already, go vote
• After the polls close, count all the votes
• This may take time
• In some locations, this may take days
• We are adults, we can wait

Follow these steps and you—yes, you—will help preserve, protect, and defend our constitution and representative government, and also prevent embarrassing and potentially de-stabilizing nonsense like this:

“Fake News” — 1948 edition:

Photo credit: Library of Congress. This November 4, 1948, photo is believed to be in the public domain and/or used under Fair Use provisions of U.S. copyright law. (source and more info)

In a now-iconic combination of impatience, wishful-thinking, and editorial hubris, the Chicago Daily Tribune’s first post-election edition of November 3, 1948, declared challenger Thomas Dewey the victor in that year’s presidential contest. Incumbent President—and actual winner of the 1948 race—Harry S. Truman, was amused.

May the best candidates win—after all the votes are counted.