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Donald Trump supporters, some armed with rifles and pistols, have descended on election counting centers where mail-in ballots continue to be counted.
In Arizona, a mostly unmasked crowd chanted “stop the robbery” after unsubstantiated claims that votes for the Republican president were deliberately undercounting.
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Six states have yet to declare a winner, including Arizona
It was reported that 300 protesters, some of whom were armed, demonstrated in front of the Maricopa County Elections Department in Phoenix on Wednesday night when Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden had a very fine lead in the critical state of the field of battle.
There are currently six states yet to declare a winner, Arizona among them, and the president’s path to power now seems a little narrower.
Chris Michael, 40, of Gilbert, Arizona, said he went to the polling place to make sure all the votes were counted.
The 40-year-old said he wanted assurances that the count was done “ethically and legally.”
Observers from both parties were inside the polling place while the ballots were being counted, and it was broadcast live online at all times.
Two county officials, one a Democrat and one a Republican, issued a joint statement expressing concern about the spread of misinformation about the integrity of the election process.
Clint Hickman, Republican Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, and Democratic Supervisor Steve Gallardo said: “Everyone should want every vote to be counted, whether it is sent by mail or cast in person.
“An accurate vote takes time. This is evidence of democracy, not fraud.”
A protester wanted assurances that the count was done ‘ethically and legally’
Trump supporters also showed up at the counts in neighboring Nevada. According to local media reports, about 75 people showed up in Las Vegas waving Trump flags and chanted “stop the robbery.”
Elsewhere, in Michigan, dozens of protesters supporting Trump for “stopping the count” marched outside another counting center in Detroit.
Trump supporters demonstrated in front of another counting center in Detroit
The protesters vented their anger before Biden was finally declared winning the state.
Video from the counting center showed frustrated crowds outside the voting center and inside its lobby shouting “let us in”, with police lining up to prevent them from storming the counting area.
Contra protesters in Manhattan called for every vote to be counted
In New York City, hundreds of counter-protesters in Manhattan called for every vote to be counted. It was largely peaceful, but 20 arrests were made after a smaller group began protesting police misconduct.
Similar protests took place in Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Houston, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, and San Diego.
The demonstrations come as the Trump campaign said it filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania and Michigan to demand better access to the places where ballots were processed and counted.
He also called for a temporary halt in the counting of votes in both states and called for a recount in Wisconsin, where Biden already won.
