The Voting Thread (Procedures, Turnout, Legal Challenges)(Update: Trump to file suit in PA, MI, WI, AZ, NV, GA) (12 Viewers)

[Lapaz]

There is a lot of push-back from Trump on voting by mail, but most states allow it, and 1/3 allow it without any excuse. His rationale is that it will lead to vast fraud, but of course that isn't his real reason. His real reason is that he thinks it will be worse for conservatives, but studies have shown that states that have instituted much broader voting by mail haven't had any statistical changes in party voting.

Stanford study: Mail voting doesn't benefit one party over another

Coronavirus-spurred limits have intensified a push to allow more mail balloting in November.

www.politico.com

Voting Outside the Polling Place: Absentee, All-Mail and other Voting at Home Options

Most states offer at least one method for any eligible voter to cast a ballot before Election Day. While some states provide early in-person voting, this webpage addresses absentee voting and all-mail voting.

www.ncsl.org

Although, normally voting by mail doesn't affect party votes, I bet it might this year if we have another resurgence of Covid, because I think the right is much more apt to discount the virus than the left. I know that is why Trump is against it.

Whether you're left or right wing, expanding mail in votes is the right thing to do to reduce the likelihood of spreading the virus, to expand voter participation, and to make it easier for those that do show up to stay distant. It will also allow any people with susceptibilities to remain safer. I think voting by mail could be made extremely secure by having people vote using traditional postal mail, coupled with requiring a confirmation either by phone, email or text. If done by phone, then voters can provide confirmation that can include confirming their form number. If done by email or text, it can include a picture of their form, and then confirmation that that was their form. Rather than staffers individually calling people, this can be automated by having voters call the number, text the number, or email the address provided to them on their form. A website can even be created with a database of those that have voted, and perhaps a link to allow people to confirm their vote was correctly registered. For people without computers, a site can include a means to access the database over the phone with some confirmation information. These types of systems are used extensively by banks and other sites that need security, so I think they are mature enough to use. We could even use such a site for people to confirm their vote on the day of the election.

 

[not2rich]

I have said all along that the risk is that states wait too late to try to shift to a mail-based voting system. I don’t buy the 5 to 10 years bit but it is a problem to try to make it happen now or even later. And it’s also not lost on me that resistance from the president and Republicans has hampered the effort so substantially that probably killed it in many places.

So congratulations - another sensible Covid adaptation that would be helpful and well within our capacity to achieve shut down or made a cluster fork by the cess pool of American politics.

Correction. Not American politics. Republican politics.

 

[insidejob]

Trump Has Launched a Three-Pronged Attack on the Election

And it starts with undermining the U.S. Postal Service.

www.theatlantic.com

It's the Atlantic, so it's a long read. But I think it's worthwhile.

 

[Eeyore]

'Friday Night Massacre' at US Postal Service as Postmaster General--a Major Trump Donor--Ousts Top Officials | Common Dreams

"America is in a dead sprint to authoritarianism. The man is pulling out all the stops to prevent the citizens of this country from holding a legitimate election in which he might face removal from office."

www.commondreams.org

 

[Richard]

'Friday Night Massacre' at US Postal Service as Postmaster General--a Major Trump Donor--Ousts Top Officials | Common Dreams

"America is in a dead sprint to authoritarianism. The man is pulling out all the stops to prevent the citizens of this country from holding a legitimate election in which he might face removal from office."

www.commondreams.org

In addition to the suspicious actions taken by DeJoy in his new role as Postmaster General, I understand that he and his wife hold significant interests in competitors to the USPS. If there is a more glaring example of a conflict of interest, I don't know what it would be.

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

I realize this guy’s just an actor, so his opinion means no more or no less than anyone on this forum.. but i agree with him completely:


.

 

[cuddlemonkey]

I realize this guy’s just an actor, so his opinion means no more or no less than anyone on this forum.. but i agree with him completely:


.

I love Ron Perlman. Still waiting for Jim Jordan to step up and fight him. lol

 

[zztop]

Trump supporters: HOW WILL THE USPS HANDLE THE INFLUX OF MAIL-IN VOTING!?!

Trump crony/campaign donor - now running the USPS: Fires a bunch of USPS workers
(watch this turn info a cluster fork at elections)

Trump supporters: SEE I TOLD YOU SO!

 

[Saintamaniac]

I realize this guy’s just an actor, so his opinion means no more or no less than anyone on this forum.. but i agree with him completely:


.

Biden should tweet that on the day he's sworn in, those 22 USPS execs will return to their jobs.

 

[SaintForLife]

If you thought I was advocating for exclusive mail-in voting, it's because you either failed to comprehend my posts or you were creating a straw man.

Or maybe I overlooked you saying that while I was trying to respond to multiple people and multiple posts.

 

[cuddlemonkey]

Or maybe I overlooked you saying that while I was trying to respond to multiple people and multiple posts.

If it was a throwaway comment, I could see that. But it was stated and reiterated in multiple posts to which you responded. If it was neither of the reasons I stated, then the third option- failure to actually read the posts- is just as bad. It is impossible to carry on a conversation if you openly admit to not reading the posts to which you reply.

 

[insidejob]

I realize this guy’s just an actor, so his opinion means no more or no less than anyone on this forum.. but i agree with him completely:


.

Ron Perlman has been on point with his twitter critiques of everything going on. He's one of my favorite follows, especially when he engages those who reply to or comment on his tweet.

 

[SaintForLife]

If it was a throwaway comment, I could see that. But it was stated and reiterated in multiple posts to which you responded. If it was neither of the reasons I stated, then the third option- failure to actually read the posts- is just as bad. It is impossible to carry on a conversation if you openly admit to not reading the posts to which you reply.

If you don't think I'm being honest about overlooking that you didn't say exclusive mail in voting while I was trying to respond to multiple people in multiple threads then I'll save you the trouble next time of not even discussing a subject with you.

 

[cuddlemonkey]

If you don't think I'm being honest about overlooking that you didn't say exclusive mail in voting while I was trying to respond to multiple people in multiple threads then I'll save you the trouble next time of not even discussing a subject with you.

When faced with the options of actually reading the posts you respond to or taking your ball and going home, you chose the latter. Shocked, I tell ya...

 

[Richard]

Let's discuss what is in posts and if we have an issue with the way people are posting or responding, either report it to a mod or take it to PMs please.

 

[insidejob]

I've now seen this reported from people in multiple parts of the country. Actual postal workers telling people who ask not to use the USPS to mail in their ballot and to drop it off instead. From both R and D sources.

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

I've now seen this reported from people in multiple parts of the country. Actual postal workers telling people who ask not to use the USPS to mail in their ballot and to drop it off instead. From both R and D sources.

This is unbelievable.

I mean, it’s totally believable.. but if you just stop, step back, and think about the fact that we cant trust our mail-in ballots to not be hijacked or simply not delivered in a Presidential election..... What in the world.. i‘ve been reprimanded before on here for being overly confrontational to Trump voters as a whole- but, in all seriousness- how do you people[tm] defend this? Am i guilty of spreading ‘fake news’, even though there are tons of reports , as noted, from R and D sources about this?? Hell, i myself wouldnt normally have any inside scoop on what happens at the post office, but i actually talked to my cousin yesterday who‘s brother-in-law ( a major Trump supporter who works for the USPS in Oregon) who said morale is very low at his branch, things are moving very slow, and he‘s now thinking of taking an early retirement- all because of the recent actions with the USPS.. and he’s a dyed-in-the-wool Republican! But i guess that’s fake news too... Or maybe it’s just Trump trying to ‘troll the Libs’ again.....


FakeNews.. TrolltheLibs..FakeNews... TrolltheLibs... Just keep repeating that and it explains away everything, i guess.

 

[coldseat]

This is unbelievable.

I mean, it’s totally believable.. but if you just stop, step back, and think about the fact that we cant trust our mail-in ballots to not be hijacked or simply not delivered in a Presidential election..... What in the world.. i‘ve been reprimanded before on here for being overly confrontational to Trump voters as a whole- but, in all seriousness- how do you people[tm] defend this? Am i guilty of spreading ‘fake news’, even though there are tons of reports , as noted, from R and D sources about this?? Hell, i myself wouldnt normally have any inside scoop on what happens at the post office, but i actually talked to my cousin yesterday who‘s brother-in-law ( a major Trump supporter who works for the USPS in Oregon) who said morale is very low at his branch, things are moving very slow, and he‘s now thinking of taking an early retirement- all because of the recent actions with the USPS.. and he’s a dyed-in-the-wool Republican! But i guess that’s fake news too... Or maybe it’s just Trump trying to ‘troll the Libs’ again.....


FakeNews.. TrolltheLibs..FakeNews... TrolltheLibs... Just keep repeating that and it explains away everything, i guess.

When Trump was elected, I knew how bad and corrupt he was capable of being. None of what he has done has surprised me. But I honestly thought that as some point along the way, as Trump moved further and further from reality and grew more corrupt. That there would be enough Republicans stand up and say enough. I figured there was enough decency left in them that even though they were willing to elect a legit racist for spite of Hillary, that eventually they would acknowledge and recognize the damage that choice has wrought and turn course.

Up until the coronavirus, with the economy running well and nature of politics there was at least enough reason for them to continue propping him up in hopes of staying in power. But now? Now they're just letting him run with attempting to destroy every federal institution we have in the service of the desperate hold on power and to save his ego. All the while people are dying left and right because of an absolute failure of the federal response to the pandemic. They are destroying our country from within and they know it.

There really is a Trump Derangement Syndrome, but it's with his supporters. Both in our population and in our government.

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

When Trump was elected, I knew how bad and corrupt he was capable of being. None of what he has done has surprised me. But I honestly thought that as some point along the way, as Trump moved further and further from reality and grew more corrupt. That there would be enough Republicans stand up and say enough. I figured there was enough decency left in them that even though they were willing to elect a legit racist for spite of Hillary, that eventually they would acknowledge and recognize the damage that choice has wrought and turn course.

Up until the coronavirus, with the economy running well and nature of politics there was at least enough reason for them to continue propping him up in hopes of staying in power. But now? Now they're just letting him run with attempting to destroy every federal institution we have in the service of the desperate hold on power and to save his ego. All the while people are dying left and right because of an absolute failure of the federal response to the pandemic. They are destroying our country from within and they know it.

There really is a Trump Derangement Syndrome, but it's with his supporters. Both in our population and in our government.

I remember the night he got elected, tossing and turning because i thought, as crazy as Trump seemed to me, even during the run up to the election- that the idea of him walking around with the nuclear codes was just a recipe for disaster.. Had lots of convos with people who told me i was overreacting, that the President is a peon and none of this stuff would ever affect our daily lives...... For a while i even thought- why let the right wing sycophants and braincell-deficient types who voted for Trump be right, and let him take up space in my head rent-free? So i just figured, hey, I’m a middle-aged, straight white guy, I’ll just ride it out for a few years and then we’ll get the country back on track.. Still felt bad for our minority and gay and disabled and otherwise different brothers and sisters, but it was a way to stay sane..... Now, fast forward to 2020 and, like everyone else, ive been forced at various times to stay home, or cancel plans, or just basically live a very different life than I’m used to.. AND I’ve had my income substantially reduced.... So, while it isnt nuclear war- it’s still pretty damn insidious and life-altering- all because we put a guy in charge who literally disbanded the pandemic response team to save a few bucks, then pretended (and is still pretending) that it isnt that bad.