>>507681258 (OP)I think US politics is just a bunch of shady backroom deals in order to get elected.
When you really think about it, there's no bullet proof way to prove who really wins.
Black-Box Counting Systems
If votes are counted by machines with proprietary software and no clear audit trail, you’re relying on blind trust.
Without open-source transparency or verifiable paper backups, manipulation becomes hard to detect or prove.
Centralized Control
If a small group of people oversees ballot design, storage, counting, and adjudication, the risk of bad actors increases.
Decentralized systems (like state-run or county-run elections) add complexity but also reduce single-point failure.
No Real-Time Transparency
In many systems, the vote count isn't public until the end. If there’s no continuous public monitoring or verification, it’s easier to question what happened behind closed doors.
Inconsistent Recounts / Audit Standards
If recounts are rare, difficult to trigger, or inconsistently done, that undermines confidence.
Ideally, there should be routine post-election audits, even without disputes.
Mail-In / Remote Voting Complexity
While convenient, mail-in ballots introduce more steps: delivery, signature verification, postmarks, etc.—each a potential vector for error or abuse.
Media and Narrative Control
If the media universally declares a winner before full counts or challenges are resolved, it can bias public perception and pressure institutions to conform.
Suppression or Lack of Oversight
When observers (especially from multiple parties) are barred from observing the count closely, it undermines trust.