Wow, federal judge rules Trump & Louis DeJoy were "involved in a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service” & will issue injunction reversing changes leading to mail delays under DeJoy https://t.co/HnKJPg3frx
fwiw, "i heard"... too long ago to remember where, but probably on or near NPR:
1. The machines that were removed were letter-processing machines. They were removed to make way for parcel machines, since there are a lot more parcels now, and way less regular envelope mail. Sorry i don't have a source at hand for this, but i think it was someone from inside usps.
2. A postal workers union rep said (pretty sure on NPR) that the additional mail for mail-in voting would not be a problem, citing that it would be WAY less than the billion(?) items/cards they handle between Thanksgiving and Christmas every year. (otoh, the holiday mail does not have a really hard deadline, and doesn't have to be postmarked)
That said, I wouldn't trust the new postmaster general, the secretary of the treasury, or anyone else still "serving" in this administration any farther than i could throw them (and i'm apparently an old lady, so that's not far).
fwiw, "i heard"... too long ago to remember where, but probably on or near NPR:
1. The machines that were removed were letter-processing machines. They were removed to make way for parcel machines, since there are a lot more parcels now, and way less regular envelope mail. Sorry i don't have a source at hand for this, but i think it was someone from inside usps.
That actually sounds reasonable. But if it's true, why aren't they shouting that from the rooftops in response to all the criticism they're getting?
That photo above is interesting, to someone who works for the unbiased Electoral Commissions here (that is, outside the USA). Those people wouldn’t be allowed to stand so close to the entry of the polling place, not to impede voters or staff. If they refuse to comply with our supervisors’ directions, police would called and they’d be removed (probably arrested). They’d need to be at least double the distance from the line of voters - the longer the line, the further from the building they have to be. (Which means they need to consider what they’re trying to achieve: scare voters, or gain publicity)
That photo above is interesting, to someone who works for the unbiased Electoral Commissions here (that is, outside the USA). Those people wouldn’t be allowed to stand so close to the entry of the polling place, not to impede voters or staff. If they refuse to comply with our supervisors’ directions, police would called and they’d be removed (probably arrested). They’d need to be at least double the distance from the line of voters - the longer the line, the further from the building they have to be. (Which means they need to consider what they’re trying to achieve: scare voters, or gain publicity)
According to the article, “Election officials said that the group stayed about 100 feet from the entrance to the building and, contrary to posts on social media, were not directly blocking access to the building.” (The legally restricted area in Virginia, the article says, is 40 feet.)
According to the article, “Election officials said that the group stayed about 100 feet from the entrance to the building and, contrary to posts on social media, were not directly blocking access to the building.” (The legally restricted area in Virginia, the article says, is 40 feet.)
Thanks, Dave. And yet, there’s the comment that some staff and voters felt intimidated, indicating the group was still too close, as well as the header stating that they did disrupt voting. (I have my ‘musing expression’ on)
I had a long discussion here yesterday with a young Australian man who told me he’s proud to be a Conservative, and that he thinks Trump is good for America despite all the negative things we read... a young, intelligent, well-educated and articulate man who cares for community, family, fair play (equal rights for all) and personal responsibility. He can’t see the blatant problems of voter tampering already discussed widely in US media, apart from the postal service issues and the major protest/violence issues. And since he’s getting his news from social media (because you can’t trust the media corporations), he’ll probably believe it if told there’s a need to suspend the result of your elections. Sigh.
something to watch out for in PA for the coming November Follies
Republicans lose vote for the PA Assembly, maintain power anyhow thanks to partisan gerrymandering, can now spoil tens of thousands of 2020 ballots simply by refusing to take any steps to protect the voting rights of citizens. It’s torches and pitchforks levels of outrageous. https://t.co/aRCyLgB0f2
I thought this might be worth re-posting in the politics area. In Essex County, votes are counted by a bipartisan commission - wonder if this is common elsewhere - let's hope so.
FBI: Foreign actors likely to sow disinformation about delays in election results
The FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a public service announcement on Tuesday warning that mail-in ballots "could leave officials with incomplete results on election night," and that foreign actors are likely to spread disinformation about the delays.
The bottom line: The agencies called on the public to "critically evaluate the sources of the information they consume and to seek out reliable and verified information from trusted sources," including state and local election officials.
The big picture: The agencies expect foreign malign actors to disseminate false reports of "voter suppression, cyberattacks targeting election infrastructure, voter or ballot fraud, and other problems intended to convince the public of the elections’ illegitimacy."
How can Trump and his friends from outside of the country rant about election fraud when his own FBI undercuts him like this?
One thing I didn't expect in a Trump administration was how he totally turned against orgs like the FBI, the CIA and pretty much every other form of governmental authority. Didn't see that coming. A Dem could never, ever get away with that.
How can Trump and his friends from outside of the country rant about election fraud when his own FBI undercuts him like this?
while it's likely that troll farms from other countries will do this, it's actually redundant. The right wing trolls in the U.S. will undoubtedly be screaming election fraud from the minute the polls close. We can expect all the primetime Fox hosts to be telling their viewers that the Democrats are stealing the election. It's going to be a shitshow unless Trump is way behind in the vote count on Election Night before the mail ballots are counted.
The president keeps making clear that unless Democrats win by an unquestionable landslide, he will fight the results of the election and trigger an unprecedented legitimacy crisis, unless he's allowed to simply steal power.
I heard an explanation on CNN today as to why these electors could not be changed, that they were voted in not appointed. Am I following this correctly? It was an interview today by Kate Bolduan.
I heard an explanation on CNN today as to why these electors could not be changed, that they were voted in not appointed. Am I following this correctly?
From Jeffrey Toobin’s article in the latest New Yorker:
It is unclear, however, what will happen if a slow vote count puts a state in jeopardy of missing the deadline [for submitting its electoral votes]. The Court’s opinion in Bush v. Gore provides one possibility, based on Article II of the Constitution, which says that the states must appoint electors “in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct.” In its Bush v. Gore opinion, the Court observed that, in the early days of the Republic, the state legislatures, not the voters, selected the Presidential electors in some states. Thus, the opinion went on, “the State, of course, after granting the franchise in the special context of Article II, can take back the power to appoint electors.” The bland legal language obscures the magnitude of this conclusion. It means that a state legislature can simply ignore the votes cast by the state’s citizens and award its Presidential electors to the candidate of its choice. “This is the most frightening prospect of all,” Issacharoff said. “It’s a deep confrontation with the idea that we as citizens have the right to vote for President.”
In 2000, Republicans in the Florida legislature had been planning to invoke this constitutional provision if the length of the recount jeopardized the state’s ability to submit electors in time to be counted. But, to date, no state in the modern era has attempted to preëmpt its voters in this way. Still, the Constitution can arguably be read to give legislatures the power to do so. It’s even conceivable that, if President Trump claimed that a Biden victory in a state was based on fraud, a Republican legislature could overturn the result.
There’s more, but I don’t advise reading Toobin’s article if you’re a restless sleeper.
The Trump Brigade comes to Joisey
The media needs to get into the habit of naming Federal judges and who appointed them. They do it sometimes, but not nearly often enough.