Business leaders in the United States have called on camps of President Donald Trump and his rival former Vice-President Joe Biden to exercise patience to allow that all American votes are counted in a tight presidential race.
This as President Trump declared early victory on Wednesday despite not all ballots have been counted in several key states across the United States.
Trump also made unproven claims of voting fraud while seeking a halt in the counting of ballots in States like Michigan, Georgia, and Pennsylvania much to the dismay of some of his Republican Party allies and members of the business community.
As of Wednesday, Biden has been leading in the electoral college tally but votes in several swing states like Nevada, Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, Alaska, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania are yet to be counted.
The Trump campaign has also floated a move to challenge before the courts the contested results in Wisconsin which Biden won by a slight margin. The Republican re-electionist also called for a halt in vote-counting in Michigan where Biden has been leading as he alleges the result to be dubious due to ballot dumping.
However, the US Chamber of Commerce in a statement celebrated the historic voter turnout of the polls and urged for patience and trust in the democratic system.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Thomas Donohue said:
Thomas Donohue
“While the final outcome of the Presidential race remains undetermined, voters are demanding action and the work that lies ahead is very clear. The Chamber worked hard to maintain a pro-business Senate and is very well positioned to break through the gridlock and work with whoever occupies the White House and a divided Congress to restore public health, revitalize our economy, and help rebuild American lives and communities.”
Donohue said the U.S. will get through the challenging times and will have clarity in due course.
“Once we do, we must all commit to setting aside our differences and rallying around the common cause of our nation’s recovery,” Donohue said.
“In the meantime, we need to be patient and have faith in our systems and trust the local officials who oversee the elections in their communities. Democracy will do its work—and we will be ready to do ours.”
Business groups laud historic voter turnout
Meanwhile, Reuters reported on Thursday that the leaders from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO, the largest U.S. labor federation, the National Association of Evangelicals, and the National African-American Clergy Network said in a joint statement that violence, intimidation, and other tactics would only weaken the United States.
“A free and fair election is one in which everyone eligible to cast a ballot can, all ballots are counted consistent with the law, and the American people, through their votes, determine the outcome,” the joint statement said.
On Election Day on November 3rd, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Evangelicals President Walter Kim, AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka and National African American Clergy Network Co-Convener Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner also issued another joint statement on the election.
Business leaders from commercial businesses, labor, and the faith community also celebrated the record turnout of the recent polls.
“With voting ending today, it is imperative that election officials be given the space and time to count every vote in accordance with applicable laws. We call on the media, the candidates, and the American people to exercise patience with the process and trust in our system, even if it requires more time than usual. It is important to remember that challenges are a normal part of every election. We are confident our country and its institutions can rise to this historic moment,” the business group’s Election Day statement added.
“Although we may not always agree on desired outcomes up and down the ballot, we are united in our call for the American democratic process to proceed without violence, intimidation, or any other tactic that makes us weaker as a nation. A free and fair election is one in which everyone eligible to cast a ballot can, all ballots are counted consistent with the law, and the American people, through their votes, determine the outcome.”
