Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Quotes About Voting on The West Wing Special
"Election night this year probably isn't going to look like the election nights we're familiar with. We're used to the networks projecting the winners in each state just minutes or even seconds after the polls close. But this year, because of COVID-19, a record number of ballots will be cast by mail, and in many states mail-in ballots will be counted last . . . And what you're likely to see, whether it's the presidential race or down-ballot races, is one candidate will be well ahead on election night and the other candidate closing the gap as all the ballots are counted. It's not a sign something sinister is happening. It's a sign that every one of our votes are being carefully counted . . . It could be days before a winner is determined, declared, and certified. But it won't be because anything fishy is going on. And this is important to remember."
"In American elections, candidates don't declare themselves the winner. State election officials and nonpartisan news outlets, like the Associated Press, declare the winner. So all of us, no matter who we vote for, have to wait for that full and careful count to be completed and not to be swayed by speculation or misinformation. Have confidence in the election. We're America. We're good at this."