In the recent vice presidential debate, Republican Senator JD Vance declined to give a direct answer when queried about the results of the 2020 election and avoided addressing other questions regarding election integrity.
Moderators inquired if Vance would consider challenging this year’s election outcomes, even in cases where all governors have certified the results. They also referenced his past statements about proposing states submit “alternative electors” before certifying elections.
Vance did not directly respond, instead stating that he was “focused on the future” and indicating that “censorship” posed a more significant threat to democracy.
When his opponent, Tim Walz, pressed further, asking if Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, Vance maintained his stance on focusing on future matters. Walz criticized Vance’s reply as a “damning non-answer.”
JD Vance had previously commented to ABC News that, if he were vice president in 2020, he would not have certified the election results as former Vice President Mike Pence did. Vance asserted that he would have advised states like Pennsylvania and Georgia to consider multiple slates of electors, believing that Congress should have resolved the disputed election results.
The debate on electors was a central issue in the Trump campaign’s efforts to contest the 2020 election results, leading to several criminal investigations. Legal experts emphasize that the Constitution does not permit a vice president to compel states to present multiple slates of electors, and it is the states’ prerogative to make such decisions. There was no basis for states to contemplate multiple electors in the 2020 election.
Furthermore, a vice president’s role during the certification process is largely ceremonial. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, federal law clarifies that the vice president’s responsibilities are limited to “ministerial duties,” without the authority to determine the validity of electoral votes or resolve disputes.
For further insights, NPR’s post-debate analysis features commentary from Asma Khalid, Susan Davis, Tamara Keith, and Stephen Fowler.
