Election 2020: Relax, really …

Calm down.

We are approaching an historic presidential election. No, that’s not right. We are already in the midst of an historic presidential election, and have been for weeks. At last count (estimate?), over 70 million Americans have voted via mail, electronically or by drop-off boxes.

A lot of folks are anxious about the outcome, and on several levels. First off, will my candidate win? That’s always a worry to those who are politically-minded, but in the current environment, emotions seem to be running warmer than usual.

Then there’s the concern over the nature of the election. Republicans have been told that mail-in ballots are subject to massive fraud; Democrats are concerned that late-arriving but legitimate ballots won’t be counted. And on and on … So far, there’s no evidence of wrongdoing or massive collapse of the system. Efforts to intimidate voters will be met by appropriate response. There may be some isolated ugly moments, but nothing that will make a big impact. Unless you signed your ballot “Bart Simpson,” your vote will count. Even if your real name is Bart Simpson.

• That’s not much of an answer. Let’s try again. Unless there are incredibly close margins in most of the “swing” states such as Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, etc., the outcome will be “known” by midnight Pacific time. What happens in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin will probably tip the outcome even earlier. Likely, you will be able to hold your celebration or lodge of sorrow right on schedule.

• Look on the Bright Side. If Your Team loses, there are still some encouraging takeaways from that. If you voted for Mr. Trump and he lost, you can console yourself that he’s put three conservative justices on the Supreme Court whose  influences will be felt for decades to come. If you voted for Mr. Biden and he lost, you can be comforted that the Democrats will still control the House of Representatives and (probably) the Senate, and will be able to stymie much of what comes out of the White House.

• How confident am I about all this positivity? I look at it this way: study hard for that math test, but a little prayer is never a bad idea.

Jim Tortolano’s Retorts is posted on alternate Wednesdays, swapping spots with Usually Reliable Sources.