STORY BY GIL RUBINSTEIN, PHOTOS BY TOMOKI CHIEN

Amid brewing uncertainty surrounding the presidential election, a group of roughly 60 demonstrators gathered in Mountain View to express support for a fair, democratic election process, with the pervading theme of the night being to “count all the votes.”   

The group of demonstrators — largely older long-time residents of the Bay Area — stood at the intersection on El Camino and San Antonio roads, holding signs as passersby honked in support.

The protest was organized through Protect the Results, a platform described on its website as “a coalition of voters ready to mobilize if Trump undermines the results of the 2020 presidential election.” The national organization called off the protests, but a handful of organizers like Stephen Rosenblum — who put together today’s protest — went ahead regardless.

“The goal is to make sure the results are correctly tabulated,” Rosenblum said. “If there’s going to be a coup of any kind, our only hope is to be out in the streets in large numbers.”

Rosenblum did acknowledge the small size of the protest in a relatively small town.

“This is not directed at the president,” he said. “This is directed at the American people.”

One demonstrator, Betty, who declined to give her last name, held a sign reading, “Trump supporters: Stop drinking the Kool-Aid.” 

“We’re here because every vote should be counted,” Betty said. “Obviously there are large cities, but it’s important for small communities to come out and demonstrate.”

An organizer later asked her to put down the sign so as to not incite any confrontation, wanting to keep the demonstration non-partisan and purely about the democratic process.

“I really believe in America,” Ken, who declined to give his last name, said. “I want a democratic republic and the foundation of that is fair elections; I respected the election results in 2016, and I want everyone to respect the results of this election as well.”