With the US Presidential Elections frenzy escalating and too close to call, conspiracy theories abound with regard to the voting process
While walking through the campus of Ohio State University (OSU) there is a Buckeyes American football game going on in the afternoon. I scramble to get myself a ticket and reach the stadium. I find out that I’m early, so I talk to some of the people about the US election.
Pete, who is an usher, tells me that he retired from the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) 25 years ago and had opted for Republicans. I ask him if he wants ‘Obamacare’. He does but feels that whoever becomes the president will not be able to repeal it. I almost whoop in delight when I find out that he’s currently a day trader. Here’s a guy who understands the highs and lows of life.
Later, I run into Gail, a senior with four kids scattered across the continent. I ask who she voted for. Interestingly, she answered that she voted for a ‘write-in’ candidate (someone whose name is not listed in the ballot). In other words, it is form of a protest vote.
The election is so close that conspiracy theories are doing the rounds. The Democrats say “vote early” while the Republicans say “vote often”. Astonishingly, no voter ID required in order to vote. In this day and age, it’s quite unbelievable. Some Democrats claim that supply of the voting machines is controlled by the Republicans. I am sceptical. However, I am told the story made it to Forbes Magazine and was promised a link to the story which has not come till date.
The OSU marching band put up a fabulous show, amidst a lot of cheering, before the game began. American football continues to baffle me and I cannot understand what the fuss this game is about. Americans love sports though. Various metaphors are used to describe a ‘tie’ or a close race. For example, in baseball it is “bottom of the ninth and the ball game is tied”. In basketball, it is “first overtime”. In American football it is “fourth quarter and the teams are neck and neck”. The Buckeyes game turns out to be one-sided, with Ohio defeating Illinois 52 to 22. The crowd goes home happy.
Two billion dollars later it is now a 100 meters dash to the end. It is too close to call as candidates are virtually neck and neck. The 6th November can’t come too soon for many Americans.
(Harsh Desai has done his BA in Political Science from St Xavier's College & Elphinstone College, Bombay and has done his Master's in Law from Columbia University in the city of New York. He is a practicing advocate at the Bombay High Court.)
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