By Judi McLeod ——Bio and Archives--May 11, 2020
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“That would be the biggest shift in voting since the 26th Amendment gave 18-year-olds the vote in 1971. “Trump is leading the Republican opposition to mail-in ballots with false claims that vote-by-mail is riddled with Democratic-led fraud and would ensure that “you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”“False claims that vote-by-mail is riddled with Democratic-led fraud and would ensure that “you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again”? How’s that for Fake News disseminating pure propaganda?
“Democrats are pressing states to make absentee voting easier, clashing with Republican lawmakers and in some cases suing to try to force the issue. (Bloomberg) “If the U.S. turns largely to vote-by-mail this November, the counting process could trigger unpleasant memories of the 2000 presidential ballot-counting in Florida, when it took more than a month to settle on George W. Bush as the victor over Al Gore.”That was back in the days when the electorate was told, “Your president’s in the mail.”
“When people cast ballots at polling places, results are typically counted right at poll-closing time, and races are almost always settled on Election Night.” (Bloomberg)Even if you’re a humiliated Hillary Clinton and send John Podesta out at 3 a.m. to begrudgingly admit defeat.
“State elections administrators are also preparing to retrain poll workers to learn how to count ballots. They’re also looking for spaces big enough to allow counting while still keeping to social distancing rules. (Bloomberg) “Voting rights advocates say the delays could undermine confidence in the 2020 election, especially if the race is close.
“Those late-arriving ballots tend to be more Democratic-leaning, a trend that political scientists call “the blue shift.” “When he saw his lead narrow in Florida’s 2018 Senate race, Republican Rick Scott argued that “unethical liberals” were trying to “steal an election.” “House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has made similar claims about late-counted ballots in his home state of California. “The disputes would come amid a crisis of confidence in the U.S. election system. A C-SPAN/Ipsos poll in October -- months before the pandemic -- found that only 53% of registered voters said that the 2020 elections would be open and fair, with many expressing concerns about foreign interference, the accuracy of ballot counting and the lack of voter ID requirements in some areas.
“Typically, about 1% of mail-in ballots are rejected for not arriving on time, missing a signature, or mismatching signatures, according to statistics compiled by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. In 2016, when just under a quarter of voters mailed in ballots, that added up to more than 318,000 ballots that were thrown out.” …”Voting-rights advocates say the requirements for witnesses and notary seals may be impossible to meet if voters are under coronavirus-related lockdowns or in self-isolation at the time of the election.”Obamagate provides a screen for Michelle Obama who has, in effect, come up with a new way to steal the 2020 election. “Just last month, the former First Lady advocated for voting by mail due to the coronavirus pandemic through her nonprofit organization When We All Vote, which encourages U.S. voter participation.” (Refinery29, May 6, 2020) And she’s doing it on the basis that her When We All Vote nonprofit organization is “NON-PARTISAN! Don’t let Barack and Michelle steal the 2020 election with a Democrat manipulated Mail-in Vote.
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