The Washington Post is reporting that:
A private security company is recruiting former U.S. military Special Operations personnel to guard polling sites in Minnesota on Election Day, an effort the chairman of the company said is intended to prevent left-wing activists from disrupting the election but that the state attorney general warned would amount to voter intimidation and violate the law.
The recruiting effort is being done by Atlas Aegis, a private security company based in Tennessee that was formed last year and is run by U.S. military veterans, including people with Special Operations experience, according to its website.
The company chairman, Anthony Caudle, posted a message through a defense industry jobs site this week calling for former Special Operations forces to staff “security positions in Minnesota during the November Election and beyond to protect election polls, local businesses and residences from looting and destruction.” He said in an interview earlier this week he is planning to send a “large contingent” to Minnesota but did not specify the numbers.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) said in a statement Friday that he joined election officials in “strongly discouraging this unnecessary interference in Minnesota’s elections, which we have not asked for and do not welcome.”
“Federal law and state law are both clear: No one may interfere with or intimidate a voter at a polling place,” he said. “The presence of armed outside contractors at polling places would constitute intimidation and violate the law. I request this company cease and desist any planning and stop making any statements about engaging in this activity.”
Ellison added that “we don’t expect to have to enforce our laws against voter intimidation, but we will use every resource available to us and all the power of the law if we have to.”
Caudle did not respond to a request for comment Friday on Ellison’s statement.
Much more at the link.
I just checked out Atlas Aegis’s “Our Team” page, their Chairman, Anthony Caudle is not part of the Special Operations community. He was in the 1st Battalion/509th Airborne Infantry Regiment, which serves as the Opposing Force personnel at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk. It is not attached to or part of the 82nd Airborne Division, which is garrisoned at Ft. Bragg. 1st Battalion/509th ABN INF is not an operational unit or element it is a training unit/element. Moreover, he indicates he was in their Headquarters and Headquarters Command Company, which means he was part of a group of Soldiers responsible for paperwork, bunks, showers, equipment, and meals. Is he Airborne? Yes. Does his bio indicate any operational deployments as an Airborne Soldier? No, not it does not.
Of the remaining four members of the team one is a Green Beret, one served in both the Ranger Regiment and in 1st Special Operational Detachment Delta, and one is a physician who is certified in Undersea Warfare Medicine, which is what is taught at the Navy Undersea Medical Institute. It means he is certified to work as a doctor on a submarine. Naval Special Warfare medical training is done within the Navy Special Operations Medical Institute, which certifies corpsmen and combat medics for the Naval Special Warfare community. So it is unclear if he comes out of the Navy Special Warfare community, ie Navy Special Ops, or if he wore dolphins, not a trident. The final member has no military experience, or even civilian service with the Department of Defense or the Services.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, as reported by The Washington Post and quoted above, has already indicated that what Aegis is saying it has been contracted to do will run afoul of both Federal and Minnesota state laws regarding elections.
It will also run afoul of Minnesota’s laws on unlawful militias.
Does the Second Amendment protect private militias?
No. In fact, the Supreme Court decided in 1886—and repeated in 2008—that the Second Amendment “does not prevent the prohibition of private paramilitary organizations.” District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570, 621 (2008) (citing Presser v. Illinois, 116 U.S. 252 (1886)).
Is it legal to act as a private militia in Minnesota?
No. All 50 states prohibit private, unauthorized militias and military units from engaging in activities reserved for the state militia, including law enforcement activities. Some, including Minnesota, also prohibit paramilitary activity during or in furtherance of a civil disorder. Minnesota’s laws are described below:
Minnesota Constitution: The Minnesota Constitution forbids private military units from operating outside state authority, providing that “[t]he military shall be subordinate to the civil power.” Minn. Const. art. I, § 14.
Minnesota Statutes
Prohibition on private military units: Minnesota law makes it illegal for groups of people to organize as private militias without permission from the state. It is a misdemeanor for “any body of persons, other than the National Guard, troops of the United States,” military students, and veterans organizations, “to associate themselves together as a military company with arms.” Minn. Stat. § 624.61.
Prohibition on paramilitary activity: In Minnesota, it is a gross misdemeanor to either:
“(1) teach[] or demonstrate[] to any other person how to use or make any firearm, or explosive or incendiary device capable of causing injury or death, knowing or having reason to know that it will be unlawfully employed for use in, or in furtherance of, a civil disorder”; or
(2) “assemble[] with one or more persons for the purpose of training with, practicing with, or being instructed in the use of any firearm, or explosive or incendiary device capable of causing injury or death, with the intent that it be unlawfully employed for use in, or in furtherance of, a civil disorder.” Minn. Stat. § 609.669.
Georgetown University Law School’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP) recommends the following actions at the bottom of their fact sheets on the illegality of militias in all fifty states if one sees armed groups and/or individuals near a polling place:
What should I do if I see armed groups near a polling place or voter registration drive? First, document what you see:
- What are the armed people doing?
- What are the armed people wearing?
- Are they carrying firearms? If so, what type? If not, are they carrying other types of weapons?
- Are they wearing insignia? If so, what does it say or look like?
- Are they bearing signs or flags?
- Do they seem to be patrolling like a law enforcement officer might do?
- Do they seem to be coordinating their actions?
- Do they have a leader?
- Are they stopping or talking to people outside of their group?
- Do they appear to be provoking or threatening violence? If so, what are they doing specifically?
- Are people turning away from the polling station after seeing or speaking with them?Second, call Election Protection at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) to report what you see.Assistance in also available in Spanish at 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888- 839-8682), in Arabic at 844- YALLA-US (844-915-5187), and Asian languages at 888-API-VOTE (1-888-174-8683). A video call number for American Sign Language is available at 301-818-VOTE (301-818-8683).
If Mr. Caudle deploys his paramilitary contractors to Minnesota on behalf of unidentified Minnesota business owners with the contract run through a shell company (unidentified business organization/UBO) to obscure who is actually hiring and paying him, they are not only going to run afoul of Federal and Minnesota election law, but also Minnesota’s state laws against private paramilitary units and activities.
As they say in the Ranger Regiment: “That’s a technique!”
Open thread!
Adam L. Silverman, PhD served as a Senior Fellow for Special Operations at the Center for Special Operations Study and Research at US Special Operations Command’s Joint Special Operations University in 2015. He served as the Senior Civilian Advisor/Cultural Advisor, under temporary assigned control, to the Branch Chief at US Army Civil Affairs, which is part of US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), from October 2012 through December 2013. In November 2018 he gave the keynote address at the US Army Psychological Operations Regiment’s 100th Anniversary Regimental Dinner.
Recipe Exchange: Spicy Lime Cilantro Chicken
Haroldo
Thanks for the analysis, particularly of the Aegis ‘Team’.
Ken
So that unidentified Minnesota business owner using a shell corporation to hire a militia to violate state and federal law – what might he be charged with? Something in the conspiracy line, or a more direct charge of commissioning an illegal act?
And could such charges be made against a political party that hires a militia, even if the court order forbidding the party from interfering with elections has recently lapsed?
Adam L Silverman
@Haroldo: They’ve got two very legit Special Operations bubbas and a highly qualified former Navy doctor who may or may not be out of the Naval Special Warfare community. But the chairman is, at best, sort of SOF adjacent and only because he was in an Airborne unit.
Mary G
Lord, these people are both stupid and evil:
Adam L Silverman
@Ken: That I don’t know. You’ll have to wait for one of our legal eagles to way in.
Adam L Silverman
@Mary G: That’s not actually legal in Michigan. The whole constitutional sheriff bullshit was always a grift. Unfortunately, the rubes actually believed it and now there’s several generations of law enforcement that somehow think the only people that are supposed to interpret and enforce the US Constitution are county sheriffs.
Paul T
Follow the money. Which Russians are paying for these morons?
Adam L Silverman
@Paul T: My guess is it is some local heavily involved in the state and county Republican parties.
Mike in NC
Yutsano
They seem nice…
A Ghost to Most
Laws? They don’t need no stinkin’ laws. They make their own laws.
As an aside, I got to tell my nazi brother today to steer clear, or I will knock his punk ass down. Not exactly sparkle ponies, but here we are.
MobiusKlein
First Chairborne?
Cameron
@Mike in NC: Dems have the $$. They should hire Blackwater to guard polling places.
dimmsdale
Thanks for weighing in on this, Adam. This is exactly the sort of thing I’ve been expecting; presumably Democratic governors have been gaming this out and have something in mind beyond a sternly worded public statement. While ‘militias’ may indeed be illegal, that’s not such an easy call when the armed goons claim to be acting on their own with no affiliation, and enforcement of safe zones around polling places may fall to local law enforcement who feel themselves kindred spirits to the armed goons. I don’t know what local laws (if any) could be brought to bear on AR-toting cosplayers who are merely behaving in a threatening manner (as opposed to actually physically threatening people). It may be that in some parts of the country, law-abiding voters have to run some kind of gauntlet, similar to what women trying to enter abortion clinics have to put up with. What recourse do individual citizens have here, and what should localities be prepared to do, to protect voters’ access to the polls? (I suppose the main purpose of all this is to instill a physical fear in voters’ minds; I hope it doesn’t work. Wouldn’t work with ME, I’d wade through a battalion of these scumbags to vote Trump out, or die trying.)
PsiFighter37
Sounds like a group of white guys who are insecure about having small dicks.
Cameron
@Mary G: Christ. Sheriff Asswhup Hogleg has to weigh in.
Yutsano
@Cameron: No. No no no no no no and no. No enriching that family any further. Erik Prince has a shit ton to answer for. Hiring his goons for even monitoring a tea party is too much. Eve if you’re being sarcastic here…just no.
Elizabelle
When I saw this WaPost article today, I knew it was AdamBait.
Do you think the FBI has paid a visit to Mr. Caudle to discuss his business practices?
And: a lot of anonymity and deniability here, no?
Unmask them! Who are these weasels, with active fantasy lives? Sounds like an opportunity for grift, too.
WaPost says Caudle had a small contract with Ted Cruz in 2016, when he was with a different security outfit. The November Group.
Lacuna Synechdoche
WaPo via Adam @ Top:
Adam @ Top:
I don’t think it’s local business owners that are contracting Aegis, Adam. This sounds like it’s the RNC, or someone affiliated with them. Maybe a large donor. Or maybe Trump/Trump Administration/DOJ?
It sounds like someone has decided the GOP, or Trump (if there’s any difference at this point), can win Minnesota if they intimidate, block, or disrupt voting in St. Paul / Minneapolis, and/or block the counting of absentee ballots, or steal ballot boxes, or some combination of all that.
Makes me wonder where else they might be planning to do this? Detroit? Madison and Ann Arbor? Miami? Philly? Atlanta?
I don’t imagine they’re planning this just for Minnesota.
piratedan
anyone watch the TX SEN debate, do we have any impressions on how Hegar was doing?
Jeffro
I think Kay and possibly others have mentioned this before in regards to the psychos who act out, hurt/kill someone, and then find themselves staring down the barrel of decades of jail time: don’t.
In fact, that would be a great message to send now, election and law enforcement officials (hint hint hint): just don’t, unless you want to spend years upon years alone in a cell.
trumpov doesn’t give an F about you…neither does anyone else, not even your well-heeled state/local funders. And you’ll want to be able to live with yourself down the road, after this current storm passes.
Adam L Silverman
@Mike in NC: Not as far as I know from the reporting.
Aziz, light!
These men are not nihilists, Donnie. They’re Nazis.
Adam L Silverman
I’m off to walk the four foots. Back in about 45 minutes or so. Try not to get arrested for paramilitary activity while I’m gone.
MisterForkbeard
@piratedan: We had someone in a previous thread give a report about halfway through, I think.
IIRC, it was essentially “Cornyn is doing very badly, Hegar is doing a lot better, but neither are doing well because the moderator won’t let them finish their answers.”
Elizabelle
@Lacuna Synechdoche: Yep. It’s possible Caudle does not know who specifically is in the “consortium” since his outfit, such as it is, was contracted by the intermediary.
In its posting, Atlas warned applicants would have to cover $300 in expenses for licensing in Minnesota, and that Atlas was paying them $910/daily, of which $200-plus was a per diem for food, lodging and car rental. Atlas posted that they needed these mercenaries for 15 to 30 days around the Election. Which seems like they want to be on site and stir up problems after Election Day too, while the vote counting continues nationally.
Punchy
@MobiusKlein: Yups. Great moniker. In other news, just WTF is going on w/ Chris^2 T ? 6 days in the hospital does not a good sitchy portend…..
Ken
Quick, some front pager – replace the landing page with a PNG saying the blog’s been shut down for insurrection.
Ken
@Punchy: Yeah, sounds bad. I hope he saw that infomercial about free treatment with regeneron and dex and had someone call.
Lacuna Synechdoche
@Elizabelle: I guess the thing that worries me is that Minnesota’s Democratic voting population is probably concentrated in the St. Paul – Minneapolis area.
It raises the question: is it possible to ensure a GOP win in a swing state by targeting a single city there for electoral disruption? If so, how many states would be vulnerable to such a tactic?
Anya
These people are dangerous. They’re gonna do something dangerous and Trump will just exacerbate the situation. I hope the FBI is going to enforce the law and not go along with Trump and Barr’s interpretation what they consider legal. Trump thinks the federal law enforcement are his special forces and right now he feels cornered so we can expect anything from him.
Elizabelle
@Lacuna Synechdoche: Thank Dog the WaPost is on the story. The NY Times has now put a call into Caudle as well. Not returned, although Caudle has promised more information is forthcoming.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Elizabelle
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Yea! May the good guys prevail against the deplorable Abbott.
Ken
I wonder if he was saying that into his cell phone while using his other hand to fill a suitcase with bundles of currency. The tropes call for it.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
It’s almost too weird and incoherent to sound like a threat. Almost
John Revolta
@Mary G: @Adam L Silverman: As somebody at LGM pointed out, this smells a lot like Sherf Fringe here had prior knowledge of the “operation” and wants to smooth things over.
Ken
@John Revolta: Since the conspirators seem to have posted everything to Facebook, any link to the sheriff should surface quickly enough.
ThresherK
Atlas Aegis?
Has anyone called it “Operation Atlas Thugged” yet?
Faithful Lurker
@Adam L Silverman: As I said in a much earlier thread (yesterday, I think) Lauren Culp, who is running for governor in Washington State against Inslee is a member of the CSPOA. They’re the guys who believe that the only legal authority rests in county sheriffs. He is running very strongly in the far western WA county that I live in. This county is much bluer that the ones south and north of us. It will be a shock for much of WA if we wake up and find him governor.
Ruckus
@PsiFighter37:
And go to extraordinary lengths to prove exactly how small, and likely ineffective they are…..
Elizabelle
@ThresherK: Ha!
James E Powell
OT, but in loving memory of Steve Gilliard FTFY! It’s Yankee Elimination Day!
Kent
Here in the Vancouver area I see more Culp signs than Trump signs but I don’t think there is all that much chance he will win here, at least in the urban parts of the county. Clark County is pretty purple. It split almost exactly 50/50 between Clinton and Trump so who knows. But the Culp/Inslee race is pretty under the radar in this part of the state. We get more OR political coverage than WA because we are in the Portland media market.
John Revolta
@Lacuna Synechdoche: Is it possible? Trump won Wisconsin in ’16 by 22,700 votes. 90,000 people were disenfranchised in Milwaukee alone.
Gin & Tonic
@Faithful Lurker:
Where I live, not only do we not have a county sheriff, we don’t have any county government of any sort. I guess this is what anarchy feels like.
Bruuuuce
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Two in two days: TX today and OH yesterday. Very good news, indeed!
debbie
I love that the Michigan idiots hoped to establish their own territory and govern by the Bill of Rights. You know, the bill that’s only about the Second Amendment. ?
debbie
@Bruuuuce:
LaRose has said he’s appealing yet again.
Bruuuuce
@debbie: As expected. Any reasonable court would uphold the ruling — but as we know, too many courts (as packed by the slimeballs in the Senate) are not currently reasonable
mali muso
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Woot! That’s great news. And I just finished up writing 20 postcards to voters in Corpus Christi encouraging them to vote for Eric Holguin for TX State Rep. Let’s swing for the fences!
Comrade Bukharin
As an election judge in suburban Minneapolis this is somewhat disturbing, but I trust our Democratic governor and AG to be on top of things.
Uncle Cosmo
@ThresherK: They have now, boychik!
Faithful Lurker
@Kent: I live in Jefferson County on the other side of the Sound. It’s pretty much rural and poor with pockets of wealth, a lot of veterans and exhippies. I worry that the governor’s race is being taken for granted and attention is not being paid. I really don’t want to live in a state where the legal authority is the local sheriff. I grew up in Jacksonville Florida where the sheriffs and police where so corrupt that the upper class white folks where afraid of them. It ain’t fun.
Adam L Silverman
@Lacuna Synechdoche: It would not surprise me if this was being done on behalf of the Hennepin County and/or Minnesota state Republican Party.
Raven Onthill
An ordinary and ill-regulated militia. Boize moi.
Kent, Lurker: David Neiwert on Culp: https://crooksandliars.com/2020/08/washington-gop-nominee-governor-cop-ties. Culp was indeed present at CSPOA’s October 2019 annual conference.
Another one to watch out for: R-90, aka the child-molester priest protection act.
Adam L Silverman
@Lacuna Synechdoche: Philadelphia, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Minneapolis, Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Portland, etc, etc, etc.
Adam L Silverman
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Abbot will appeal it no later than Monday morning and request a stay. It will go to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals where the district court ruling will be overturned.
Comrade Bukharin
@Adam L Silverman: Would be interesting if that was the case. The Minnesota Republicans are a hard right outfit these days. Moderates like Arne Carlson and Dave Durenburger are long gone.
Adam L Silverman
@John Revolta: It would not surprise me. If he did, then he’s just created a lot more trouble for himself because I guarantee you that by now Michigan’s AG Dana Nessel has opened and inquiry into whether he’s affiliated with these chucklefucks.
Adam L Silverman
@Faithful Lurker: I’m very familiar with them. It would not be good for anyone if he gets elected governor of Washington.
Kent
@Faithful Lurker: Here in WA presidential polls are running a pretty consistent +28 for Biden and averaging around 63% Biden, 28% Trump. I just can’t imagine any potential scenario where 28% of the population votes for Biden but then crosses over to vote for a complete right wing nutcase for Governor.
But what do I know. The only governor’s poll I can find on 538 was from mid-September and it as +16 for Inslee, 53% to 37%. So perhaps there is some cadre of loyal Republicans who will vote party line for the GOP except for Trump.
Adam L Silverman
@Gin & Tonic: So you live in Purge central?
Adam L Silverman
@Bruuuuce: Ohio has already been appealed and a stay has been put in place pending the appeal.
Adam L Silverman
@debbie: Wouldn’t that be the Bill of Right?
Adam L Silverman
@Comrade Bukharin: Perhaps we can interest you in a shootin arn?
debbie
@Adam L Silverman:
You would think.
Adam L Silverman
@debbie: Actually for these idiots it would be the Bill of Might Makes Right.
Peale
@Mary G: This is another item on my list of boneheaded but now dangerous ideas that have been allowed to fester and grow. Adding “Sheriffs are Kings and all laws passed by Congress since 1783 are invalid” to the list of things that our social & intellectual betters who do things like sign letters condemning liberal “cancel culture” haven’t seemed to be able to put to rest for the past 50 years.
Comrade Bukharin
@Adam L Silverman: I’m good for now, but who knows what the future holds.
Lacuna Synechdoche
@John Revolta:
Yeah, phrasing the “Is it possible…” part of my earlier comment as a question was more a rhetorical device than anything else – a probably futile attempt not to come across like a paranoid nutcase.
C’est la vie.
Adam L Silverman
@Peale:
So you’re responsible for this mess?
Kent
@Lacuna Synechdoche: At least this time around we have a Dem Governor in WI rather than Scott Walker as well as a Dem Sec. of State so one hopes that will curtail the very worst abuses. But it’s going to be a nail biter and I don’t know if I can take 25 more days.
Lacuna Synechdoche
@Adam L Silverman:
That makes sense. Yeah, that could very likely be the case.
Lacuna Synechdoche
@Kent:
Yes, that’s reassuring.
John Revolta
@Lacuna Synechdoche: I know the feeling.
prostratedragon
@Lacuna Synechdoche: Illinois example. Not really a swing state, but Hillary carried it in 2016 based entirely on the Chicago metro vote, plus a little corner of the St. Louis metro that’s in IL. Previously, in 2014 a slight tilt the other way got us Bruce “The Vandal” Rauner as governor. That taught Chicago a lesson about getting our butts to the polls that would take more than some cosplayers to overcome.
Adam L Silverman
@Kent: @Lacuna Synechdoche: Neither of whom have much authority because the gerrymandered Republican supermajorities in the state legislature rewrote the Wisconsin code to turn it from a strong governor and strong cabinet state into a weak one after Walker lost the election, but before his successor could take office.
Aleta
@Lacuna Synechdoche: As well, I think it’s a promotional effort by Caudle to advertise his company more widely. Hard to say whether he offered his services first or was approached first. The Post story was immediately picked up by major news sites and blogs. Then everyone went straight to his website. MN officials say they had no notice or contact before the Post approached them.
Yutsano
@Kent: I would put Loren Culp’s chances at winning somewhere between zero and negative infinity. I don’t see any scenario where he gets a shit ton of vote crossers from Democrat to Republican. Inslee at the end of the day is a nice polite Democrat. He’ll carry King and Pierce easily and the other blue pockets will push him over. It just won’t be overwhelming.
Having said that, I don’t want him within 200 yards of the Senate. I would much rather we get the second Indian-American woman into the Senate. Yes I have a massive crush on Jayapal why do you ask? :P
debbie
Just heard what I guess is Joe’s negative ad (more like a comparative ad). Glad they’ve returned, considering Trump’s planning on being everywhere this weekend. Bring it to them, Joe!
Punchy
@prostratedragon: Thats KS in reverse this year. Almost always a red state due to Neckbeard Central for the whole state west of Larry, but if Larry + KC metro + some of Witchy decide to go out in full-force, they can get the state blue (see Gubbnah Kelly). Thats why Bollier has a chance this yr….massive turnout = blue even in traditionally red state. See: Cackalacky, South.
James E Powell
@Lacuna Synechdoche:
All of the swing states have large blue cities in a sea of red. And they don’t need to shut things off, just hold down the margins. Rural whites do not spend hours standing in line to vote.
John Revolta
@Adam L Silverman: I remember that, that was quite the little doe-si-doe. I think soon we’re gonna have to do something about lame-duck legislating in general.
prostratedragon
@Punchy: Gogetem! I might add that the collar counties of metro Chicago except for Lake used to be pretty reliably GOP. Now, Lauren Underwood can get elected to Dennis Hastert’s old DuPage County-based seat. I think she’s considered likely to be re-elected. There’s been some demographic change, but that area is still pretty White. Turnout, including countering suppression, would be a good investment for most of the money that’s pouring in.
prostratedragon
@John Revolta: Require all lame duck acts be confirmed by the incoming body? For sure something needs to prevent what was done in WI and, iirc, NC.
westyny
@John Revolta: I thought it was roughly 200,000
Mary G
Took out a link and two hashtags to avoid moderation.
Adam L Silverman
@Mary G: Jill Biden will be there next week too.
Burnspbesq
Good news, but hard to imagine the Fifth Circuit affirming.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/article/Federal-judge-blocks-Abbott-order-that-shuttered-15635513.php
Steeplejack
I am out of sync. This whole day has felt like Thursday, and this doesn’t feel like a Friday night. Apparently I need to reboot for the weekend.
Tomorrow (Saturday) is the day I predicted Trump would get his COVID crash (medical, not political), or some sort of related event. Monitoring incoming data streams . . .
Adam L Silverman
@Steeplejack: Have you considered unplugging yourself for at least fifteen seconds and then plugging yourself back in?
sanjeevs
@Adam L Silverman: Why would you hire ex Special Ops for something like this? Unless they plan on literally stealing the ballot boxes.
Or this is a grift to collect money from rubes. It’s a newly created company so they have no reputation to manage
Steeplejack
@Adam L Silverman:
Didn’t work. Also tried Ctrl-Alt-Del (which were hard to reach simultaneously). Maybe need to check which time server I’m connected to.
Jay
Jay
TriassicSands
@Kent:
@Lacuna Synechdoche:
But the legislature is Republican, among the worst in the country, and they could, apparently, have the final say about which slate of electors is certified — the one the people elect or one of their own choosing. According to Jeffrey Toobin (New Yorker Magazine) it is possible for state legislatures to do that.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@TriassicSands: This is wrong, the electors go to the winner of the popular vote by law. The legislature can attempt to change the law but the Governor can also veto the bill.
ETA: Specifically in the case of Wisconsin, the AG said it would be illegal for the Legislature to attempt to do this.
J R in WV
@Adam L Silverman:
Because when a rural person is elected to the office of sheriff, they mystically become endowed with all necessary constitutional law knowledge whether based upon the English Common Law, the Articles of Confederation, and/or the US Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court over the past 232 (very!) odd years.
Even though they barely graduated from High School, and have run a gutter installation company (or perhaps flooring installation, nothing too technical like plumbing or electrical…) for the past 23 years.
Have I got that about right???
brantl
@Adam L Silverman: Weigh in.
r€nato
I am proud and honored to be a longtime pollworker who has been trusted by the excellent people at our county elections department with running a polling site since 2010. I begin work in a week and a half at an early voting site and will be there through Election Day.
I’m a little nervous about the prospect of Trump-inspired vote vigilantes trying to disrupt my site or generally attempt to use my site to intimidate voters and/or create publicity for propaganda purposes.
Fortunately, I don’t put up with bullshit (especially from goddamn fascists), I am familiar with the election laws that pertain to such activities, and I am frequently several steps ahead of such nitwits who generally don’t think things through very far.
Our voting site will be on private property and I intend to coordinate with the on-site security so that I can have them there at a moment’s notice if necessary to escort them off the property. I know to also immediately notify the county elections boardworker hotline as well, and they will send out MARSHALS (not cops, MARSHALS) if necessary.
Furthermore, since such activities will likely take place outside the electioneering limit, I am perfectly entitled to record video of such activities and share it to the entire world via social media.
If these cretins attempt to get up to such shenanigans INSIDE the electioneering boundary, I cannot take photos nor do any audio or video recording per our training (and state/federal law? not 100% sure about that one but it’s immaterial, our training says no photos or video or audio recordings period and that’s good enough for me) but I sure can immediately call the same hotline and have MARSHALS show up to throw the bums out.
We are also given incident report forms as part of our materials for every single election. I will most certainly fill out such forms with witness names if any voters report activities by these goons that smell even the least bit like voter intimidation.
My prediction is that such incidents will be few, far between, and result mainly in utter failure as well as eternal notoriety for the perps. Maybe even a few of them will be stupid enough to have listed their employers on their social media pages so that when their names are discovered, they get fired as well.
r€nato
@Mary G: outstanding! So he’s just fine with Antifa making a citizen’s arrest of himself! His rules, not mine! Calloo callay!