The Voting Thread (Procedures, Turnout, Legal Challenges)(Update: Trump to file suit in PA, MI, WI, AZ, NV, GA) (3 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.

 

[JimEverett]

Trumps handling of the violence is what tanked his numbers back in June. Americans have a short memory so when this dies down in a couple weeks, it won’t make a difference.
Trump needs nothing critical happen in the next two months that requires a unified message or leadership for him to win.

I don't know if the response to the protests caused a drop or not, I could certainly see the response in Portland dragging his numbers down. But the violence takes focus off the virus and the economic problems - things that definitely bring Trump down the more in focus they are.

 

[Nebaghead]

I don't know if the response to the protests caused a drop or not, I could certainly see the response in Portland dragging his numbers down. But the violence takes focus off the virus and the economic problems - things that definitely bring Trump down the more in focus they are.

Look at his numbers for June, they dropped after the George Floyd shooting. He was divisive and I think that showed, plus he made some stupid gaffes and the optics of gassing people to hold a bible upside down was a bad look. People forget quickly and his numbers have creeped back up.
I think this will fade fairly quickly but he needs to hope nothing requiring leadership or empathy happens as he is lacking in not of those.

 

[The moose]

Look at his numbers for June, they dropped after the George Floyd shooting. He was divisive and I think that showed, plus he made some stupid gaffes and the optics of gassing people to hold a bible upside down was a bad look. People forget quickly and his numbers have creeped back up.
I think this will fade fairly quickly but he needs to hope nothing requiring leadership or empathy happens as he is lacking in not of those.

Yep this week he should be up he has been spewing to his base four days in a row.

I agree unless the world decides to make a 180 you know people quit dieing and everyone is making money then he will have to do something major.

And if that dog and pony show for the last four days doesn't move the polls I am scared what he will do next.

 

[Dragon]

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has informed the House and Senate Select Committees on Intelligence that it'll no longer be briefing on election security issues, a senior administration official told CNN. It'll provide written updates, the official said.

https://us.cnn.com/2020/08/29/polit...ligence-congress-election-security/index.html

Don't those 2 commitees have oversight duties over the Intelligence services? How can they do that if they are not kept informed ?

 

[GrandAdmiral]

Considering this administration's antics when it comes to congressional subpoenas, I doubt this goes anywhere...

House committee to subpoena postmaster general for ‘withholding’ documents from Congress | CNN Politics

A key House committee plans to subpoena Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Wednesday, over documents its chairwoman said DeJoy “has been withholding from Congress,” the committee said Monday.

www.cnn.com

 

[zztop]

GOP, Trump campaign sue Montana over all-mail voting option

President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign and the Republican Party have sued Montana after Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock gave counties the choice to conduct the November election entirely by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic

abcnews.go.com

I wonder if he is going to do this for all the states that have this as an option

 

[nolaspe]

So, about voting illegally.... https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/20...qY-NhTe8oBU1Ttrtm_oSVgV8hFDpuzEeDW0jDUow9tyr0

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump suggested that people in North Carolina should vote twice in the November election, once by mail and once in person, escalating his attempts to cast confusion and doubt on the validity of the results.

"So let them send it in and let them go vote, and if their system's as good as they say it is, then obviously they won't be able to vote. If it isn't tabulated, they'll be able to vote," Trump said when asked whether he has confidence in the mail-in system in North Carolina, a battleground state.


"If it's as good as they say it is, then obviously they won't be able to vote. If it isn't tabulated, they'll be able to vote. So that's the way it is. And that's what they should do," he said.

It is illegal to vote more than once in an election.

 

[MT15]

What the crap?



Better legal advice:

 

[superchuck500]

This is the craziest thing he's said yet about voting.

If he says this shirt again, it's a real problem.

 

[MT15]

Why does saying it again make it more of a problem?

 

[superchuck500]

Why does saying it again make it more of a problem?

Because I think saying it once in Wilmington, NC in an address to a local audience at a memorial event can be fairly easily forgotten if somebody on his team can convey to him that he's encouraging illegal acts - and needs to reconsider this line of rhetoric. If he truly didn't realize it was illegal, then okay.

If he repeats it, or says it again to a much larger (TV) audience, it confirms his intention and his disregard, and I think it would demand public rebuke.

 

[superchuck500]

Just in case anyone is keeping score anymore, Trump (arguably) violated North Carolina law yesterday in encouraging the audience to vote twice.

 

[MT15]

It’s a felony in NC? Is that what I’m reading?

Law and Order President, not so much.

 

[superchuck500]

It’s a felony in NC? Is that what I’m reading?

Law and Order President, not so much.

Yes, it's a felony.

But to actually be a crime he would have to "induce" it - which I suspect requires more than rhetorical encouragement from a candidate. It likely requires either an exchange of value or some other kind of more direct encouragement.

 

[superchuck500]

 

[MT15]

So, theoretically, if any of his dimmest supporters actually try this as he has instructed them to do, he has then committed a felony?

 

[superchuck500]

So, theoretically, if any of his dimmest supporters actually try this as he has instructed them to do, he has then committed a felony?

They will have committed a felony - I don't know if he will have because it depends on whether his encouragement amounted to "inducement". Personally, I don't think it does, but it's still forked up.

 

[wardorican]

Can I throw in here that it's funny that Bill Barr isn't sure if voting twice (once by mail, then showing up in person) is a crime or not.

Now, there is a little nuance to that... I'll use Florida as the example...

How to Vote a Vote-by-Mail Ballot
Instructions are included with the vote-by-mail ballot. If the voter decides to go to the polls to vote, the voter should bring the vote-by-mail ballot (marked or not). The vote-by-mail ballot will be canceled and the voter can vote a regular ballot at the polls. If the voter comes to the polls without the vote-by-mail ballot, the voter can vote a regular ballot if the supervisor of elections' office can confirm that it has not received the voter's vote-by-mail ballot. If it is confirmed that the supervisor of elections office has already received the voted vote-by-mail ballot or it cannot be determined, the voter cannot vote a regular ballot at the polls. However, if a voter believes that he or she has not already voted, he or she shall be allowed to vote a provisional ballot.