CLAY COUNTY – It’s been more than three of what feels like the never-ending 2020 presidential election and Clay Today readers on both sides of the aisle are feeling exhausted.

It’s been 20 years since the U.S. has had an election as unclear as 2020, when the 2000 George W. Bush and Al Gore election created the term “hanging chad” and changed the face of subsequent elections. This year’s election is not quite the same dilemma, but the heart of the problem is the same: some people believe the election results aren’t what they seem.

We asked our readers what they thought for this week’s Facebook Question of the Week and they range from patient to tired.

“When the legalities are finished, there will be a declared winner,” reader Missy Leilani said.

Even Leilani’s comment reveals the dilemma of this year’s election. Leilani believes there are lawsuits – likely those of President Donald Trump who is filing lawsuits in many states to challenge what he perceives as voter fraud – to be completed first, whereas supporters of Joe Biden believe the election is a done deal. Biden has been named president-elect by many in the media. The election won’t be officially over until electoral voters file their votes next month.

Reader Lee Smith said this is unlike the 2000 election.

“No, not at all like the 2000 election where votes were counted, a concession [was made], and we had a new president,” she said. “This is more like a horrible nightmare where a sick man will not concede.”

She said President Trump seems to be staging a military coup and that she worries he’ll attempt to start a war. He does not care about the good of the country, she said. Scott Harrington challenged her, as one does on Facebook, and said 71 million people voted for Trump. He said that makes a sizable support group and that Trump is using the legal system to ensure the vote was constitutional and lawful.

“Do not be concerned,” Harrington said. “Republicans or Trump supporters haven’t rioted, looted or killed police officers or destroyed any cities. You’ll be safe. Now, I would be worried if Trump lawfully overturns the election and the Biden supporters take their violent protests to the streets, businesses and communities.”

Others chimed in to say that Trump has “every right to not concede the election until all the many voting fiascos are resolved.” This again points back to the issue at hand: half the country doesn’t believe there are fiascos in this year’s election while the other half does.

Where do you fall on this topic of discussion with the 2020 presidential election? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Question of the Week on the official Clay Today Newspaper Facebook page.