well this is either going to insanely apt or incredibly ironic https://t.co/B2zkMOYc84
— an anxious archaeologist (@merovingians) November 7, 2022
Thousands of votes in PA were rejected following a GOP lawsuit. People waited in line up to two hours to cast new ones.
“Oh I’m going to vote. It’s not a question,” said 59-yr-old Kirby Smith. “I’m going to fight back.”
Via @emmersbrown + @AmyEGardner https://t.co/yrh3enhepD— Olivier Knox (@OKnox) November 8, 2022
White House mantra is that Biden is optimistic about Democrats’ chances in midterms. Biden last night to a DNC virtual reception: “Imagine what we can do in a second term if we maintain control. I know that sounds like a very high expectation, but I think—anyway, I’m optimistic.” https://t.co/RJcRzksq0O
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) November 8, 2022
2/2 Why, in my view, this comparison is significant:
– The circumstances are as closely comparable as they can be;
– It's the same publication, same lay out, many of the same characters;
– Yet four years ago, their theme was "let's wait to see." Now "Dems in disarray."Jeesh pic.twitter.com/F9zy5j1ZuA
— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) November 7, 2022
I pulled the AP race call times for every house race in 2018 and 2020.
Calls took more than twice as long in 2020. The average state had its last race called on Wednesday afternoon in 2018 and on Friday in 2020. https://t.co/VbcqnwA6aB
— Philip Bump (@pbump) November 7, 2022
Wy does it take so long to count mail- in ballots? Because some legislatures have decided that it should. From @BrennanCenter https://t.co/irnKu2H7ik
— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) November 8, 2022
Each FBI field office has established election crimes coordinators for the mid-terms. Here’s how to report incidents to them: https://t.co/vHcxTRNxvb
— Frank Figliuzzi (@FrankFigliuzzi1) November 7, 2022
I can’t be certain, but I’m pretty sure this is the most widespread election monitoring effort ever undertaken by the DOJ Civil Rights Division. This is what it looks like when @TheJusticeDept is true to its mission. https://t.co/i0hTpe2jFo
— Sherrilyn Ifill (@SIfill_) November 7, 2022
la caterina
I just voted in central Brooklyn (Bed-Stuy). There was a LINE. Been in this nabe 12 years. i’ve never seen that in a non-presidential election year. It was encouraging to see the diverse crowd of voters.
UncleEbeneezer
“I can’t be certain, but I’m pretty sure this is the most widespread election monitoring effort ever undertaken by the DOJ Civil Rights Division. This is what it looks like when @TheJusticeDept is true to its mission.”
Thanks Garland…/s
piratedan
@UncleEbeneezer: tbh, would rather there be some federal oversight than not… do I wish he would get off the mark and indict some self-professed criminals, that is also a yes.
geg6
I have been trying to stay out of politics today, but my John just called me after voting in person today (I am permanent absentee, so I did weeks ago). In all his (75 years) and my (12 years) experience voting here, there has never been a line in our polling place longer than one or two or three people. John reported a long line at 10:30 am. Took almost an hour to vote. I’m amazed. But, not totally optimistic because this is a Trumpy county.
Elizabelle
Did anyone see the Blood Moon this morning? Clear skies in central VA. It was remarkable.
WaterGirl
@UncleEbeneezer: Why is that snark or sarcasm?
Dangerman
@UncleEbeneezer: “Politicizing the DOJ”
/every losing Republican
ETA: Every loser Republican?
Kay
I think one the things that drives political media crazy about Biden is Biden won’t trash himself. They want him to say he’s losing and he won’t because one of The Media Rules is “Democrats must self-criticize and Republicans don’t have to”
Fuck them. I agree with Biden. Don’t give them anything. He’s optimistic. Tough shit if they don’t like it and will spend the next 3 weeks insisting he trash his own Party and work- he won’t.
Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony
@geg6: That concerns me. In 2016, there was a crazy line at my polling place. Same in 2020. Today? No line. Granted, this is the first time MO has had no excuse needed early absentee voting, and I know some people got their votes in early, so maybe that is it. Its just I live in a pretty Dem heavy area. I was hoping there would be a big line today.
Ladyraxterinok
Voted about 10:30 Central Time in my assisted living complex. There is a polling place within the complex
There were about 10 plus people who voted while I was there
Hope the Democratic candidate beats the Republican governor
She was ahead in pollimg so the Republican governors poured lots of money into his campaignI in the last days
Baud
@Kay:
👍
Kay
Biden’s big sin was pulling out of Afghanistan and then he compounded it by defending it. They were fucking screaming at him that he MUST admit their take– that we should stay in Afghanistan forever.
How dare he support his own policy when they disagree with it.
cain
I consider this blood moon thing and and planetary alignment as a great sign!
Baud
@geg6:
Hard to say. Even the most Republican districts are about 30% Dem.
Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony
@Kay: If only Biden had a tire swing and a cocktail party. They might have forgiven him.
Montanareddog
@UncleEbeneezer:
Florida: federal election monitors won’t be permitted in polling places
Kay
@Baud:
Yes, because what these people absolutely reward is harsh self criticism and humility. That’s why they love Trump and authoritarian daddy figures- they’re so humble.
The MOMENT he admits the slightest miscalculation the douchebags will be off to the races with how their brilliant analysis was right all along. There’s no upside.
Kay
@Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony:
The uniform Afghanistan pile-on was as bad as the “but her emails” pile on. They’re goddamned lemmings. The industry must reward conformity and conventionality because that’s who they hire and promote. It’s fine! Lots of industries are like that- maybe most.
MisterForkbeard
@la caterina: In California, and there was a big line for the local ballot drop-off. I’m hopeful for turnout reasons, but… <gestures at everything>
Alison Rose
@WaterGirl: I think he’s going off the “Garland sucks because trump isn’t in jail yet” BS we see from some on the left who think Garland can’t do anything right.
Baud
@Kay:
Agree again. They love admissions against interests from Dems. It gives them permission to do what they want to do anyway.
JoyceH
@Elizabelle: I saw it, sort of, when I took the dog out. Clear here but from my house it was dropping behind trees. I’ve seen suggestions that the Blood Moon is a portend of the wrath of the womenfolk. Suspect an early pointer of election outcome will be the percentage of women voting.
OzarkHillbilly
‘He was chosen’: the rightwing Christian roadshow spreading the gospel of Trump
If you have a stronger stomach than I do, go for it.
geg6
@Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony:
I’ve been taking heart in a few things. First, a lot of people I know have already voted and a couple of my female friends whose significant others are GOPers have told me that the SOs announced long ago that there was no way they were voting Oz or Mastriano ever and they aren’t religious crazies and have daughters, so overturning Roe was a big deal to them. Second, the people my John was running into were former teaching colleagues (he was a teacher for about a decade in the 80s) and/or students who he was pretty sure would vote Dem. Third, and I know this is one of those stupid things, but I’ve never in my life seen so many yard signs (in actual yards, not along highways) for Dems. Tons of Shapiro, Fetterman, Deluzio and (state rep) Matzie signs in places I never thought to see them.
I’m pretty confident about Shapiro and Matzie. Fetterman and Deluzio are my worries.
Betty Cracker
This isn’t good:
Everyone in the predictions business says Republicans are going to have an epic night (in Florida), and I believe them because they lead in early voting, registration, blah blah blah. I guess we could take this as a sign of nervousness, but I think it’s probably dick-swinging.
Another Scott
According to BlueVirginia.US, total turnout in my county (Fairfax) is about 5% above last year’s election (Gov, Lt. Gov, AG) at the same time of day. It’s not a particularly competitive election (2 House races with strong D incumbents). I’m taking that as a good sign.
Forward!!
Cheers,
Scott.
Old Dan and Little Ann
My liberal enclave polling place was busier than than usual at 7:15. Volunteer said they were steady since 6 a.m.. I’m usually a youngish voter that early (47). I saw lots of women younger than me today.
Citizen Alan
@OzarkHillbilly: Evangelical christians have mostly taken the mark of the beast at this point. It is a satanic heresy. And a repudiation of the Gospel.
JoyceH
@OzarkHillbilly: I saw an article where “Trump insiders” explained that what turned Trump against DeSantis with that stupid new nickname was that goofy last minute DeSantis ad about how he was created by God to be a Fighter. That’s trespassing on Trump’s turf, HE’S the Chosen One, by golly!
Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony
@geg6: Fingers crossed.
Suzanne
I just got back from voting with SuzMom. No line. Dem-heavy location. I will note that there are a zillion polling places around here, so each one doesn’t have too many voters assigned to it.
Baud
@geg6:
Weird that Shapiro turned out to be In a stronger position than Fetterman. Hope they sweep.
Jackie
OT, but figured we could enjoy a bit of laughter!
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) got hit with a beer can at the parade for the World Series champion Houston Astros.
Jackie
@Kay: And yet the GQP wants to stop supporting another country trying to keep their democracy…
UncleEbeneezer
@WaterGirl: I’m just mocking the people who do nothing but complain about Garland while ignoring the very real and important stuff that his DOJ has been doing on crucial civil rights issues.
Kay
Here’s the authoritarian daddy’s reward for his faithful scribes:
He wants to 1. put them in prison 2. have them get raped in prison.
I know seven or eight of them made a bunch off Trump books but are the whole gang going along with this madness?
You can’t help people like that.
Matt McIrvin
@Betty Cracker: Nixon used crooked authoritarian tactics in the 1972 reelection campaign that he was going to win in a landslide anyway. Sometimes it’s a reflex; they just can’t help themselves.
MazeDancer
10 mins to vote in teeny Upstate purple village. Still, that is longer than usual.
Included waiting in line while little ole lady explained to man bun address checker where she lived. All smiley.
Bought 2 GF baked goods, for $1 each, strictly to support the Library. Tested one on way home.
Everyone happy. All-American.
It was good for a moment.
UncleEbeneezer
@Alison Rose: EXACTLY! This DOJ has been doing some really good shit under Garland’s guidance but very little of it ever gets praised or even acknowledged.
Kay
@Jackie:
Ohio Democratic voters are all real heroes in my book because what we learned in Ohio this past year is the Ohio legislature will completely ignore laws and courts, which “voting” can’t fix. Sad but true. They can vote their little hearts out and they can’t beat these levels of corruption.
Ohio voters supported gerrymandering reform. Ohio courts sided with the voters. Ohio lawmakers ignored both voters and the court. They’ll be sitting in their offices unlawfully because the map is unlawful.
The corruption is out of control.
zhena gogolia
We’re having a livestream with people in Kyiv and Dnipro and I can’t stop crying.
WE HAVE TO WIN TODAY!!!!
FUCK REPUBLICANS!!!
Alison Rose
@UncleEbeneezer: It’s the updated AG version of OBAMA IS WORSE THAN BUSH, HE SOLD US OUT!!!!
UncleEbeneezer
@Montanareddog: Is that Garland’s fault? This seems like a pretty good argument for the fact that his DOJ is doing the right thing and the GOP is responding in panic.
gene108
Republicans have been trying to prevent people from voting, since the 1980’s. The RNC got in trouble for it back then, when Reagan was President. That’s how brazen they were.
It’s one of the most underreported issues we’ve been dealing with, since the 2000 Florida election showed thousands of eligible voters purged on dubious grounds.
I really think our path to fascism and ruin will not be by violent insurrection, but by chipping away at gains people made to make voting easier, so elections can be close enough to steal (e.g. 2000).
****************
I think the PA decision will have a bigger impact on tight House races, like Susan Wild’s, than on the statewide races.
*****************
Sorry for doom posting. I’m just furious with how much Republicans can get away with.
Montanareddog
Geminid
@cain: The Red Moon eclipsed by the Blue Earth? A very good sign indeed!
Raven
@gene108: if you’re sorry don’t do it
Nicole
Thanks for the updates, guys- I’m very anxious about today. Though the eclipse was super cool and a neat way to start the (very) early morning.
Normally I’d be doomscrolling Twitter right now for updates, but I got really hot under the collar when someone I know posted a “Look at all these fundraising emails I’m getting har har joke’s on them because I don’t vote” and I responded that I understand why he doesn’t vote; as he is a white male, whoever wins isn’t going to affect him. I’m sure he got mad and as I am a coward I don’t have it in me yet to deal with his response.
Though I didn’t intend what I said as mean; I just thought about A) how, not even ten years before he and I were born, black men and women (and a few white allies) were laying down their lives over getting access to the ballot box. It’s, I think, disrespectful to blow it off just because there’s never been a circumstance where he risked losing access. Just keep your mouth shut about it, then. Don’t denigrate what other people died for to gain for those who came after them.
And I B) thought about progress since I was a child- marriage equality, the ACA. Did I personally benefit from these? No; I’m straight and I was fortunate to have good health insurance prior to the ACA. But they have made life so much better for so many people.
On a personal level, my mom died of breast cancer in 1982. Had she survived, she was hoping to get reconstructive surgery where she had the mastectomy, if she and my dad could find the money, as reconstruction wasn’t considered a medical necessity in the 1980s. When I got breast cancer in 2016, I knew my reconstruction would have to be covered, because Congress passed legislation in the 1990s requiring private health insurance to cover reconstruction after mastectomy. It was a gift to know that I had choices about what I wanted to do afterwards. Voting matters.
Kay
@gene108:
Do you really think it’s “under reported” though? I think bringing it to the forefront has been one of the Democratic messaging successes of the Obama era. Even 10 years ago media were still spouting nonsense about “dead people voting” and “voter impersonation fraud” which were ludicrous on their face. It’s much better now.
Miss Bianca
@UncleEbeneezer: Yeah, but what has Garland done for us *lately*?/s
btw, in case you didn’t see it on the relevant thread, wanted to thank you for posting all those great links to African-American artists the other day. Made me think of my sister. Sent at least one link – Fred Hampton’s Door #2 – to my niece.
UncleEbeneezer
@Montanareddog: Gotcha. Yeah, it’s disgusting but not real surprising. Finally watched Selma last night and so little has changed from their tactics.
Betty Cracker
@UncleEbeneezer: I don’t think it’s panic at all. More like brazen authoritarianism.
UncleEbeneezer
@Miss Bianca: I did see it. You’re welcome. I find there is so much we can learn from the art of PoC/Indigenous People etc. Their stuff is almost ALWAYS political, to some extent.
Layer8Problem
Voted an hour and a half ago out here in my blue outer borough and the gentleman handing out flyers on our ballot proposals ten feet from the politicking limit said the turnout looked “presidential.”
Sister Machine Gun of Quiet Harmony
@Betty Cracker: I agree with you.
Montanareddog
M31
only politicking around here was some 5th graders who put up a sign advertising their bake sale
“To-Do:
(x) VOTE
(x) TREATS”
edited to add: and marijuana legalization is on the ballot here, and those kids are going to make BANK if that passes
gene108
@Kay:
I think so.
I don’t think people are aware of how many ways their votes can be nullified by laws Republicans pass to make voting harder. It’s mostly reported as problem for black people, so it gets ignored, but those laws can just easily catch anyone.
Barbara
@Miss Bianca: It’s another, perhaps softer form of viewing DOJ as the Department of “Just us,” which I first heard coined by Richard Pryor. The idea being that your personal priorities, whatever they are, should be the priority of the DOJ, rather than having the DOJ address the kinds of legal burdens that you are unlikely to face as a result of being in a particular demographic group, even if the legal burdens on other people are objectively much worse or far reaching or more unjust.
Chris
@Kay:
Nah. Biden’s big sin was being a Democrat. Afghanistan was just the first thing the media found that had any legs to jump-start their “Biden’s Failed Presidency” coverage.
Chris
Yeah, that’s one of the ways I’ve never seen the mainstream media this bad before. It has been this bad before, but usually only during election years (2000 and 2016, most especially). Whereas now, they’ve decided that every moment of a Democratic presidency needs to be given the full-blown Butter Emailz treatment. It’s just been a constant never-ending blitz since August of last year.
Almost Retired
Good turnout here in a majority Latino neighborhood in Las Vegas where I’m working, although for some reason many of these voters are pretending not to understand my High School Spanish. Anecdotally, there seems to be some ticket-splitting here, to the benefit of the Republican Gubernatorial candidate (current Clark County Sheriff). But I feel good about Cortez Masto and the down-ballot races in Nevada that BJ supported.
I did have to endure one rant from a wingnut at the Blackjack table last night about California liberals ruining Las Vegas. Given my performance at the table, I’m one California liberal who benefited the Nevada economy quite nice, unfortunately. I told him that at my precinct in Los Angeles, the poll workers are drag queens and there’s a litter box for voters who identify as house pets.
Break over….
Mo Salad
I did just delete 1400 emails and 26 text conversations. Felt cathartic.
Thank Dog for the Gmail right click “find all emails from…” function.
To be fair, the worst offender is the Liverpool ECHO with its constant LFC clickbait updates.
skerry
Twitter suspended League of Women Voters of Caifornia Executive Director on Election Eve. She did not violate any Twitter policies. This stifles voter education, keeping a reliable source from sharing non-partisan material benefiting millions. Her crime? She had tweeted
UncleEbeneezer
@Montanareddog: It’s both. Authoritarian and panic at the threat of (those) people being able to vote.
Ksmiami
@UncleEbeneezer: because he needed to prosecute Trump et Al yesterday and now we are dancing into fascism- this has played out before
Matt McIrvin
@gene108: For perspective–A lot of that is a reaction to state-level changes that really did make voting easier than it used to be. It wasn’t so long ago that nobody had early voting or mail voting without an absentee excuse, most of them had onerously early registration deadlines, etc. (Liberal Northeastern states were, amazingly, often among the worst offenders.)
And the terrible stories about Florida making it effectively impossible, and sometimes a jailing offense, for ex-felons to vote are the reaction to a reform that made it legal for most of them to vote–previously they weren’t allowed at all, as in most of the South. DeSantis is trying to effectively put it back the way it was before.
So it’s a give-and-take.
trollhattan
My NH bro tells me that while they had had widespread access to mail ballots, the rules have reverted to it being nearly impossible and so nearly everybody has to vote in person, today. Wonder who could have been behind that?
Eunicecycle
@gene108: I was thinking the same thing, that some of the techniques used to suppress mail in votes will suppress R votes, too. Like having to have the date on the envelope-what does that have to do with anything? I guess the Rs figure they’ll suppress more D votes than Rs, so they don’t care.
Matt McIrvin
@Nicole: The way I see it is, I benefited from the ACA because I no longer have to worry about whether my less fortunate friends have health insurance. Big gain to peace of mind. (And I also know people for whom pot legalization was a huge boon to pain management.)
Often if it’s not you, it’s still someone close to you–except for the people who live entirely in a trust-fund-baby social bubble. Of course they’ll say it’s liberals who are in a bubble.
JMS
@Baud: Not weird. The political ads around here are all about Mastriano being the worst human ever. Meanwhile Shapiro ran well ahead of Biden statewide in 2020. Lots of independents and moderate republicans already know him and think he’s just fine. Fetterman would be doing better without the stroke but he always had the harder race. Fingers crossed.
dave319
@Chris: Spot on. The Blob had its “Joe We Told Ya So” narrative and just needed a trigger to launch it.
Martin
@Eunicecycle: Yeah, they aren’t going to challenge a batch of votes they don’t have a statistical advantage on. This is super obvious if you look at *where* they challenge ballots and where they don’t.
Matt McIrvin
@Eunicecycle: It used to be that mail ballots were heavily Republican because they were dominated by overseas military families. Which is why in recent elections they’ve started trying to make this fine rhetorical distinction between absentee votes (OK) and mail votes (FRAUD!!)
In Massachusetts there actually is, I think, still a purely bureaucratic distinction between the two–if you have an excuse, you can still request an absentee ballot, which is not the same thing as the mail ballot you can get without an excuse, even though they are functionally identical, for arcane reasons of recent regulatory history (pre-COVID, only some elections had mail ballots but all of them had absentee ballots). But it’s an absurd point to hang a theory of election fraud on.
Baud
@Martin:
It should raise a Bush v. Gore problem, but the Republican justifies designated that a one time use case.
Baud
@Matt McIrvin:
Everyone is in some bubble. It’s just that some bubbles model reality better than others.
apocalipstick
@WaterGirl: Because so many people just know that Merrick Garland is either in cahoots with the right wing or a dithering fool because he hasn’t, you know, buried Donald Trump under the jail, or at least charged him 1170 counts of something.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Matt McIrvin: Old people use mail ballots too.
Baud
One person in California won the lottery.
Martin
@Baud: Yeah. I mean, this is why California structured their vote counting system the way they did. The law requires that ballots be cured including contacting the voter for clarification before the count. That’s why it take a month to get CAs count.
If you count and then have processes to remedy, you open up the system to cherry picking which places you challenge because those places have outsized interest (I mean, you had the entire weight of a presidential election on Palm Beach county – no wonder it broke under the strain). But if you don’t provide a count, parties don’t know where to apply leverage. By the time they recognize that they need to challenge, the state says ‘yeah, we called and clarified all of those ballots – there’s no reason to question their intent’.
I mean, if election officials simply stopped trying to kowtow to news networks wanting to call every race on Election Day and focused instead on processes to get it right, this would be SO much better.
Chris
@Matt McIrvin:
You also benefited directly from the ACA in the sense that no matter how bad your life gets, you at least know that society will step in to make sure your health care is still looked after. (In the states that took the Medicaid expansion at least).
Not to minimize the problems of the currently poor (which I very much was at the time the ACA went into effect), but given the astronomical cost of health care in this country, even a lot of people living a solid middle-class lifestyle are just one run of bad luck away from ending up bankrupted by medical bills. Or at least they are absent something like the ACA stepping in.
Eunicecycle
@Martin: that’s why I thought it was weird that in Wisconsin, I think, someone was challenging military votes. Like wanted them all thrown out! I think the judge ruled from the bench, throwing out the suit. But what was that about???
Chris
@dave319:
The Blob has its biases just like the Village does, and when it comes to partisan politics, those biases are that it’s a Republican club since Vietnam.
Baud
@Eunicecycle:
Probably couldn’t figure out a legal argument that would count some mail in votes but not others.
mrmoshpotato
James, please go back to 2016 and realize that the NYT can go fuck themselves. It’ll save you a lot of aggravation.
Martin
@Matt McIrvin: Relatedly, the technology for how to track ballots has changed radically. I don’t think most people understand how it’s even possible for the board of elections to know if a voter voted twice, but they totally can now. You can go on Election Day, drop off a mail in ballot and then immediately submit a same day ballot, and they’ll know you did that. Only one will get counted. How they determine which one, and how they judge your intent being to vote twice or to cure a spoiled ballot varies by location. They may send a ballot for your dead wife, but when the ballot comes back, odds are they’ll have an updated list and scrutinize the timing of when that ballot was returned and when she died.
That’s why every Bigbrain GOP operative who tries to prove how easy it is to commit voter fraud gets busted – because it’s pretty fucking hard to do.
Dangerman
@Baud: Altadena. Haven’t been to Altadena. Crud.
Martin
@Eunicecycle: Most military votes are democratic. Military officers are primarily white right-wing nut jobs but the enlisted are primarily people of color, many of whom are there because they couldn’t find a better job (this is why the GOP was outraged at how low the unemployment rate was – ‘who then will fight our wars for us!?’ – they are getting better at saying the quiet part out loud) and the much larger population of enlisted military tend to vote Democratic. I mean, Obama won the national military vote over John McCain.
Martin
@Baud: I’ll be buying a suspiciously large number of BJ Pet Calendars this year.
UncleEbeneezer
@Baud: Ticket was sold in my city!
artem1s
@Chris:
and they basically had to add ‘see the Dems failed at least as bad as W on Afghanistan”. They pretty don’t have anything they can blame solely on Biden. Pretty weak sauce and they know it.
Primer Gray (formerly yet another Jeff)
@Another Scott: *waves from Annandale*
My station said it’s been pretty busy and steady all day. Of course, we just had Don Beyer on the ballot for the Dems.
Another Scott
@Eunicecycle: Their mantra now seems to be that only votes cast in person on the day of the election should be counted. No absentee, no vote by mail, no early voting. They seem to assume that they have an advantage that way (via controlling voter ID, number of polling places, etc., they think only their unemployed and self-employed rabid fans are willing to crawl over broken glass to vote for them outside of the line-free polling places in their gated communities). It’s all about tilting the playing field in their favor because they know that they cannot win fair elections any more.
They know that they just have to keep it close enough to steal and the GQPers in office and the courts will try to do the rest.
Grr…,
Scott.
JPL
@mrmoshpotato: A few months ago, I called to cancel my subscription, but I wanted to keep the crossword. They offered me $4.00 a month with a rebate for the last few months. That includes crossword, cooking and internet access to the NYTimes. It’s only for a year, but I’ll reconsider when it expires.
Matt McIrvin
@Chris: It is, among other things, one less thing tying you to your job. When I’ve been between jobs I’ve generally exercised COBRA for reasons David Anderson can surely explain, but if that period had extended beyond a few weeks, ACA coverage would become the far better option.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Martin: When I was working for the Army, my two nearest cubicle neighbors were ex-Army. One was a Master Sergeant, one an officer and a West Pointer. Both African-American.
Their conversations were interesting.
West Point guy told me once (in 2017) that
I was so stunned I couldn’t talk to him for weeks.
Ohio Mom
@Matt McIrvin: Yes, there are government programs that are direct benefits to me or people I know but then I think about something like a Superfund site cleanup in Louisiana (assuming there must be more than one in that sorry state), a place I have no connection to and never hope to visit. Still glad I indirectly made that happen by voting the way I do.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@UncleEbeneezer: Is that your subtle way of saying you won? :-)
Ruckus
@piratedan:
First – I am not a lawyer.
Second – I’ve served upon a felony jury trial and was called up for a first degree murder trial, the guy coped at the last minute so it didn’t go to trial. I’ve seen some of this stuff up at least reasonably close.
Third – I’ve known a number of lawyers as friends and I know that the more serious the trial the more T’s are crossed and I’s dotted, and double/triple checked. And the crimes that have been committed by RW nut jobs are not everyday crimes, there are a lot of them from one day, and many of the charges are not crimes that are normally seen, the case has to be made and made solid and all of this is happening in one jurisdiction. It’s a crime unprecedented in this country. They have to get it done right and that takes time. They have tried quite a number and jailed quite a few. And the lead trouble maker/cause was president. None of this is easy, none of it will go quick. They have to take their time to get it right from the git go. It is not a quick process, ever. And given this country it shouldn’t be. We have rights spelled out differently than many countries and that’s a good thing. But that same rational means that some things take longer to get positively correct.
Matt McIrvin
@Martin: I’ve heard multiple stories in recent days of people who died before Election Day but had completed a mail-in ballot already. It got me wondering if those votes were legal–the answer is, it depends on the state; in some places it is legal.
FelonyGovt
@Almost Retired: That was a lot better and more creative than my response would have been, which is that Las Vegas would be tumbleweeds without the Californians he hates so much going there all the time.
Martin
@JPL: Ms Martin has taught me that any initial offer can be a permanent offer if you are willing to argue enough with the sales person on the phone and are wiling to walk away if you don’t get what you want.
Part of why I could retire early is that we don’t pay for shit. Ms Martin once changed our long distance service 4 times in 6 weeks before finally breaking the back of whatever sales person at that last carrier. We’ve never paid for a credit card. We’ve never paid a bank fee – EVER. She’s even gotten cashier checks for free.
Personally, I find it frequently embarrassing. It feels like a violation of the social contract to not pay what I consider a fair price, but it’s her jam and I’m not going to get in her way. She wears it like a badge of honor.
Ohio Mom
@Martin: Yesterday my sister told me a story from her part of Michigan where an early voter just died. Since she died before Election Day, her vote won’t be counted. Is someone constantly cross-checking the death certificates against the voting rolls?
Then we pondered other scenarios: if you vote first thing Election Day and die on your way home..You vote absentee early from a faraway place and then die before Election Day but Michigan doesn’t have anyway to find out about that because Timbuktu…
What’s fair, depends on your state and how advanced the technology of its laboratory of democracy is I guess. So much for equal treatment under the law.
cain
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: Wow, a libertarian – west point must have really whacked him repeatedly. A lot of military people identify with their fellow mates than their race or the broader civil rights issues.
Jackie
From Political Wire:
”A key Georgia county has extended the deadline for over 1,036 absentee ballots to be received through November 14, nearly a week after Election Day,” CNN reports.
“Cobb County election officials failed to send out the ballots after they say procedural errors were made on at least two days in October, when absentee ballots were requested but not created and mailed.”
Great news!!! Of course it means a longer delay in announcing the results, but Democracy wins!
cain
@Matt McIrvin: In a red state – it depends if the voter is a republican.
cain
My wife is gonna watch the elections – I’m just going to read a book and drink a lot of booze. But I’m hoping by tonight we have a good idea how things are going to shake out.
Matt McIrvin
@Martin: In Massachusetts I don’t think they can connect your Election Day ballot to your name, because of the way they’re submitted, but they can tell you voted. But they *can* make the connection with the mail ballot, and also with an early-voting ballot, prior to counting (since those are submitted in labeled envelopes).
So the Election Day ballot would have to take precedence if you manage to submit both. But if they already received and accepted your early ballot and then you come in on Election Day, they won’t let you check in at the polling place.
Martin
@Matt McIrvin: I would argue that it should be legal everywhere if the ballot was received before they passed away.
I mean, if the ballot was filled out fraudulently, it’s such a small number of ballots that it would have no meaningful effect on results over time. And if it was filled out validly, rejecting it as one of their last civic acts is deeply disrespectful. Give them the benefit of the doubt.
Someone I know succumbed to cancer last week. I happen to know they validly filled in their ballot – they posted a picture of them holding it to social media as evidence. I knew they were on a short clock and it was really sad that they felt they needed to provide proof of their civic participation. She said it was D straight ticket.
Betty Cracker
@Martin: I’m not nearly as accomplished as your wife in that regard, but I did recently get our carrier to substantially cut our monthly bill AND give me an iPhone 14 Pro Max. Of course, that just means they were screwing us before, but I’ll take it.
PS: the camera on this phone is amaze-balls:
Chris
@Martin:
I would argue that when in doubt, it’s always best to go with the most inclusive option – the one that recognizes the most ballots rather than disqualifies them.
rikyrah
@Kay:
Joey B is not new to this.
He’s true to this.
Matt McIrvin
@Martin:
Anyway, I’m sure the standard conspiracy retort would be that the board of elections is in on the scam.
Layer8Problem
Tonight we have a notion of ignoring the hyperventilating and Kornackiing with the rolled-up sleeves and head out for dinner, hopefully a strong martini on my side of the table, and a movie. Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin is out but my better half has a delicate nature and might not be up for mutilation. Armageddon Time is around too but it seems a bit of a downer given the day and the “national conversation.” The local Alamo Drafthouse has Casablanca, which I would do in a heartbeat ’cause it’s perfect, but it’s playing too damned early.
zhena gogolia
@Dangerman: I have, it’s very nice.
Kay
When you’re watching tonight just remember how motivated these people are to declare a GOP sweep.
They all called it too early in 2018 and Democrats did really well as votes were counted. They’ll do the same in PA and MI this time. This is now about their personal, marketable credibility as paid pundits and opinon people, not about “what happened”, and since they all announced a huge GOP wave a month ago they are going to try to create one by 9 PM.
Matt McIrvin
@Ohio Mom:
You vote absentee then go on an extended interplanetary space mission, and one astronomical unit out from Earth you die within a few minutes of midnight Election Day such that, according to the theory of relativity, whether or not you were alive on Election Day depends on the rest frame of the observer.
Geminid
@Ohio Mom: One item in the underrated Infrastructure bill revives an excise tax on certain chemicals that funds Superfund cleanups. Toxic sites near poor communities are being given priority. Some of these projects have been stalled for years because the money ran out.
Kay
@rikyrah:
It’s stubborness, which to me is kind of human and endearing. I wouldn’t give them anything either.
Martin
@Matt McIrvin: In most places the same day ballot simply replaces any by mail or absentee. They know you did both. They don’t have to connect the same day ballot to you, just know that you showed up and cast one and they discard the mail-in one. Here in CA a same day ballot is generally used to cure a defective ballot.
The goal here is that there’s no need to lay traps for the electorate. You can let them do what they feel they need to do, detect what they’ve done, resolve what they’ve done, and then scrutinize their motives for doing what they’ve done. That’s pretty much where modern election philosophy is (among the folks where the is their expertise). You get a bunch of politicians that want traps and keep putting them in there, but the experts now know how to remove the traps and keep the elections secure.
You couldn’t really do it 20 years ago – the tech was still a bit too out of reach of election officials. It existed, but it was expensive, and required expertise they had. But today, it’s everywhere and it’s cheap. A lot of voters, particularly older voters don’t understand how this changed – how we went from ‘you only give voters one opportunity to vote to ensure one vote per person’ to ‘you can give unlimited opportunities to vote and still ensure one vote per person’. Feels like magic.
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
@M31: There was a table of girl scouts selling cookies at my polling place(community center) in Connecticut, smart! Glad I went early because it was busier than usual but cold, Brrrrrr!
Suzanne
Does anybody else just feel completely exhausted and burned out? I am so, so tired. I just want it all to be over and I want to go hibernate and sleep in a dark room for a week.
TheTruffle
Now Mediaite is concern trolling Dems by publishing an op ed saying Dem political organizers need to watch Fox News. Excuse me?
Ruckus
@Ceci n est pas mon nym:
I was in the navy – quite a long time ago…. and it was not really different then. Enlisted lifers and younger officers mostly have jobs that pay OK if not great and will have a decent pension if they stay in. And if you enlist at 20-25, you’ll be 50-55 when you retire. But one thing it requires is to have is the understanding not to make waves, not to stand out, not to get negatively noticed. Go along to get along. Conserve your spot. It creates a core of never take a chance, never speak up, never go against the grain. Always follow the rules, no matter what, never speak up, never have an original thought, the cost is too high for the unlikely reward.
IOW become a conservative.
Martin
@Matt McIrvin: It would be beneficial if the election folks put out explainers to the public over how it works. When you institute these kinds of shifts you have to do that to maintain public trust. I trust the system because I understand how it works. I’ve written code that does this in other contexts. But most people don’t understand how it’s possible.
JPL
@Jackie: Several of the ballots were sent to college students, so hoping they return them.
JPL
@Suzanne: When I woke in the middle of the night, I decided to forego sleep in the hope that I’ll tire early. I’ll find out tomorrow what happens.
...now I try to be amused
@Kay:
It’s like Reagan’s Eleventh Commandment can be useful to Dems too, eh?
OGLiberal
Just voted. My Congressperson – the excellent Frank Pallone – will win easy. None of the Dems running at the county level will win – probably won’t even be close. Township race will easily go Dem and the Board of Ed race is Dems v. Dems. (although, officially, it’s a non-partisan race) Our second home is in PA and worried there because the commercials were non-stop anti-Fetterman and Cartwright. In NJ now but was up in PA for about a week and I didn’t see one Oz or Bognet ad – they were all anti-Fetterman and Cartwright. Cartwright is apparently Nancy’s left wing lap dog. The anti-Fetterman ads are allegedely about fracking but it’s really just an opportunity for them to show Fetterman stumbling over the question over and over and over again. I fear the Fetterman gambit might work.
JPL
@Martin: Nice! That’s better than me, but the ex did let me negotiate car deals.
Chris
@Ruckus:
My grandfather was a West Pointer from a family of West Pointers, did three tours in Southeast Asia (and as combat personnel no less), and by the mid seventies was a colonel who seemed all set to make general. Then he said out loud when talking to a reporter that Vietnam was a “dumb war.” And was only too happy to repeat it to his upset superiors when they called him about it.
Apparently, a bunch of his old classmates called him in shock in the following weeks, and multiple versions of this conversation happened:
“Dude, why did you say that?”
“Well for one thing, it’s true.”
“Yeah, but don’t say it!”
“Why not? It’s true.”
“Yeah, but now they’re never going to let you make general!”
He died years before I was born, so I never got to ask him about this stuff, much to my chagrin. But my impression is that after thirty years in the military and so many of them pissed away on that whole Vietnam mess, he’d pretty much reached the point of “go ahead, tell M what you want. If he fires me, I’ll thank him for it.”
Nelle
@Martin: Don’t let your wife meet my husband. Together, they could bring the whole parasitic financial system to a halt. One of his retirement hobbies is making a couple of hundred dollars off of opening credit cards that have it as a reward, earning the reward, closing it, then in a few weeks, getting a similar offer, often from the same institution. So he goes another round.
TheTruffle
@OGLiberal: Fetterman is good at trolling and attacking Oz. So there is that.
Ruckus
@Martin:
I just checked my CA drop off ballot because I could go vote if necessary. Accepted 10/29, took about 15 seconds to fill out the info and about 1 sec to get the reply.
I like that CA wants you to vote, massively encourages you to vote, provides ample ways and places to vote, makes sure your vote counts and has a very easy/fast way to check. It is far easier than when I lived/worked in OH, which at the time seemed to do exactly the opposite of CA. And LA county has a 1/3 larger population than the state of OH, let alone the rest of the state. I wonder if OH is still as bad as it was, when I had to stand for 4 hrs in the rain one November to vote? Aw the joys of having a rethuglican government.
Suzanne
@JPL: I am, like, existentially tired. I told Mr. Suzanne that I needed a week vacation that is just in my bed. No cleaning, no kids activities, no home improvement projects. Sleep and books and TV.
OGLiberal
@TheTruffle: I will say that it took a long time before the Oz signs came out on the lawns that had Mastriano signs up for a quite some time. Really didn’t happen until Trump had a rally with Oz in Wilkes-Barre. What’s more prevalent in NEPA than any election signs (except for the faded Trump/Pence ones from 2016) are the multitude of Let’s Go Brandon, Fuck You Biden, Impeach Biden-Harris, Socialism Sucks, Jesus is My Savior – Trump is My President signs/flags…along with the blue stripe flag and the Confederate flag because, you know, PA was such a strong member of the Confederacy. Drove by a pickup the other day that has at least 5 different wingnut flags flying from the truck bed. These people are certifiable.
Brachiator
@Layer8Problem:
Dinner and a movie sounds like a great idea. I intend to skip the mad rush to predict results after 1 percent of the votes have been cast and the heavy breathing analysis of What It All Means by cynical pundits and strategists.
Come Wednesday I will look at California results and what things look like elsewhere.
UncleEbeneezer
@Dorothy A. Winsor: Ha! If only! My wife always wants to buy lottery tix and I always say it’s a waste of money. The place that sold the ticket is just down the street. I will never hear the end of this, lol
trollhattan
@Ruckus: EGGzactly. CA’s a ninth of the US population and has managed, somehow, to make voting easy and give us near-real time feedback on the status of our ballot, from BEFORE it arrives to us in the mail, to when it’s been tallied.
“It’s just sooo hurrrd.”
Dorothy A. Winsor
@UncleEbeneezer: Rats. I was hoping you were taking us all on vacation
Brachiator
@Matt McIrvin:
In California, everyone receives a mail in ballot. If you go to a voting center to cast your ballot, they cancel your mail ballot when you check in and confirm your information.
You used to have to find your name and address on a voting list. Now they scan your name if you bring your sample ballot or other voter info sent to you. Otherwise you verbally confirm your info.
It’s all pretty simple and straightforward.
Ruckus
@Chris:
There might be quite a few lifers that changed their minds at some point, I never had to. I didn’t go in because I like war or think that this country should rule the world, or because I didn’t have anything better to do. I enlisted to avoid the very real and likely possibility of being drafted into the Marines and be sent after boot camp and advanced infantry training to Vietnam as a fresh bullet depository. One third to one half of draftees were being drafted into the Marines when I took my totally fake draft physical. They needed bodies and if you could stand up…. Then 2 days after I enlisted the announced the draft lottery. I thought, sure I’ll be number 304 and wouldn’t have had to go. Nope, my drawing number was 15. I’ve never been so glad to have enlisted as I was that day. Vietnam was a fucking disaster, for a lot of reasons. We (and Russia) killed a lot of Vietnamese people because of the proxy war we fought. We also killed a lot of Americans – 58,220-dead, and Russians. The total will never be known but is estimated around 1.3 million, with a lot of major injuries among military and civilian. I’ve seen a lot because I use the VA for my medical care. I was also hospitalized for 2 months while serving and saw a lot of after effects of war. It’s far, far more than just wounds that bleed. https://stopsoldiersuicide.org/vet-stats
I served, never got close to combat, other than seeing the after effects, both during and after. I can not imagine what it’s like and I’ve sat in rooms and listened with those that can’t forget. There has to be a goddamned better fucking way of being living beings than warfare. If there isn’t we need to find one. Think Ukraine. One twisted, demented old fuck with some asinine idea that he’s the leader of, what, the world, or at least as much as he can steal, with dead bodies of people that don’t want to be there? Humanity has to figure out a way to be better. We at least have to start here with the people who want to steal so much from this country, and be protected while doing it.
geg6
@Suzanne:
That would be me. Thanksgiving week can’t possibly be here soon enough. I’m off all week and Thanksgiving is my birthday, so I am not expected to do anything at all that day. Except eat and drink wine.
Matt McIrvin
@Martin: Right, and what’s happening in Florida is that the people approved a reform by referendum that these politicians didn’t like, so they’ve sabotaged it to set up traps–some of which are so terrifying that they might scare away a large fraction of the population from voting at all.
Brachiator
@Another Scott:
And apparently it must be a paper ballot.
They want election day to be a single, sacred event, but strangely oppose making election day a national holiday, which would make some of their requirements more tolerable.
Mai Naem mobile
I voted today. Blue area near college so take this anecdata for what its worth. Polling place was busy. Good sized room. I had to look for a spot to fill out my ballot. Usually there are a bunch of empty spots. I also usually vote much later or much earlier so I don’t know if these were people coming in during their lunch hour. A lot of younger people and people of color(pretty sure a majority were non white) There was a Dem volunteer outside handing out blue cheat sheets for the long ballot. Good idea! Anyhow, bad news i went on the Twitter machine and the local elections expert(not a RWNJ) said the Dems as of noon were quite a ways behind their 2020 numbers at the same time. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.
WaterGirl
@Jackie: I wonder if that was intentional… if there is a run off, that gives less time to ramp up, raise money, and get out the vote.
I wonder if Cobb Country tends to run DEM or R
edit:
What is the racial makeup of Cobb County GA?
White alone, percent 61.7%
Black or African American alone, percent(a) 29.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent(a) 0.5%
Asian alone, percent(a) 5.7%
Chris
@Ruckus:
Yep. As I understand it, some version of this is exactly what Gramps said when he was pushed on what exactly he meant by “dumb war.” Possibly with a Christian spin on it.
Suzanne
@geg6: I have already been trying to convince my fam that we could just roast a chicken and I’ll make stuffing in the crockpot and NOT MAKE A MESS OF THE KITCHEN and NOT HAVE TO GET UP EARLY and NOT MAKE 60,000 CALORIES.
They remain unconvinced so far.
Matt McIrvin
@Mai Naem mobile: Absolute numbers are going to be way behind 2020 just because it’s a midterm. Honestly I’d expect the percentages to be behind too, given the fundamentals. The most interesting comparisons would be to 2010 and 2014: is this going to be a 2010-level disaster or are we going to outperform that?
WaterGirl
@Betty Cracker: They gave you the phone for FREE? Who is your carrier?
Gravenstone
@Suzanne: Make the chicken and just claim it was a really small turkey?
Suzanne
@Gravenstone: In the spirit of stating hot takes IN ALL CAPITALS, I proffer thus:
TURKEY SUCKS. EVEN YOUR SO-CALLED AMAZING TURKEY.
Even the best turkey I have ever had is, like, not as good as the most mediocre lasagna I have ever had.
gvg
I hope everyone is prepared for the delay till some of the races are called. I don’t know which ones, but there are always a few that take….a long time. It’s not going to actually be over tonight or even tomorrow and some of the most annoying pundits will still be blathering and bothering us for awhile. If I am lucky Florida’s governor’s race will be one of them. There was a nice line Sunday for early voting. My vote shows as already counted. I know I will get some bad news so I am planning to avoid as much as possible. I need to nail baseboards into my closet and caulk….clean the garage…
RaflW
@Kay: And exactly as the sane people predicted, the withdrawal from Afghanistan has been like 237th on the list of issues voters care about. If that.
(I’m still pissed that Pompeo didn’t pay enough of a reputational price for his greasy, corrupt-incompetent hand in the agreement + timeline.)
geg6
@Suzanne:
Get either a turkey breast or thigh/drumstick and do that instead. I do like a turkey sammich with a little dressing and cranberry sauce the next day.
Ruckus
@trollhattan:
“It’s just sooo hurrrd.”
I’ve been saying for a very long time that it must be difficult to see the light with ones head shoved completely up ones ass.
NutmegAgain
I voted just now in Nowhere, CT, 1/2 between Hartford and New Haven. Lots of votes! My town has about 12,000 people altogether, and there were 3800+ votes tallied by the machine when I put my ballot in. When I walked past the Repuke boosters with their little tent outside on my way in, I did the “Shame! Shame!” thing… I think they should be, ashamed. So I voted the straight Blue ticket. Fingers crossed. Best I can say now is that a heckin’ lot of people are out there voting!
Suzanne
@geg6: Meh. I just find all of that food highly blaaaaaah. I would be far more thankful for tacos. If I’m going to eat 10,000 calories, I want it to be worth it, you know? Something I really enjoy.
Origuy
@Suzanne: Lasagna for Thanksgiving is an Italian-American tradition. My officemate and his wife had me over one year and she made lasagna. I’m also not a fan of turkey.
NutmegAgain
@Suzanne: What geg6 said, or I’ve been known to just bake a turkey breast. They’re not huge. Trader Joes has great frozen sweet potatoes–no gunk, just the potato, but you can toss them in a bowl and microwave. They used to always have frozen mashed spuds as well, but I forgot to check today. At least that’s all painless preparation– good luck!
Suzanne
@Origuy: Yes agreed. Mr. Suzanne and I are both from Italian-American families on our fathers’ sides, and we both have many years of memories of filled pastas on holidays. Mr. Suzanne is weird and doesn’t love it, but I am all about the lasagna / shells / manicotti.
Geminid
@gvg: It took 3 days for Aigail Spanberger’s race to be called in 2020, and four days for Lauren Underwood’s
Because of an extended and meticulous recount, New York’s 22nd CD race was not decided until the new Congress was well underway.
Ruckus
@zhena gogolia:
Yes it is. I’ve had relatives living there in the way back, but they were previous generation and have been gone for some time.
Brachiator
@Suzanne:
How about turkey lasagna?
The best recent family Thanksgiving I went to offered a range of meats. Turkey, chicken and barbecue ribs. The turkey was good, but the ribs were spectacular.
RaflW
@Origuy: When I partnered into a WI Italian-American family, I had to get used to pasta, spiedini, meatballs, sausages and sauce for Christmas dinner.
Now I love spiedini so much I can hardly imagine a Christmas without it. BF’s aunt is the wizard. She also makes sauce starting from a pork neck and simmered for a whole dang day, then simmered again on Xmas eve. Ohhhhh.
Suzanne
@Brachiator: I sometimes do ground turkey in lasagna, yes.
NOM NOM NOM.
Ruckus
@Brachiator:
They want paper for a couple of reasons, and none of the reasons I can think of are good. First, they want all in person, which means if you can’t get off work for whatever reason, that’s one less vote. Second, if it’s on paper they can easily destroy votes they don’t want to count, lose it, burn it, shred it, doesn’t matter it doesn’t count, can’t be traced. Third, they can take their time and count several times and if they get different numbers they can just say it was a corrupt vote and declare a winner. Etc, etc. They do not want to play fair, to use computers or machines, not because they are machines but because it’s harder to cheat. And they know that their shitty concepts of “governing” are shitty and they don’t care. They would rather win by cheating than lose and could care less about how. Conservatives do not want change because every single time we change they lose more, because they are living in a modern world with the concepts of life from a couple centuries ago, while liberals want today. Look at their entire lives, sure they like cars and such but they want the world the way they think it was, way before I was born, and I’m old.
Eyeroller
@Mai Naem mobile: The more appropriate comparison is 2018. Midterm turnout is pretty much always considerably below Presidential elections, which is one of the many problems with our system of government.
J R in WV
@Ruckus:
My enlistment was exactly like yours — avoiding getting drafted into the Marines.
A dear friend’s father was a Col in the Air Force, He flew the giant cargo aircraft during the Vietnam war, and after pissing some general off, wound up flying dead boys back to the states in their mil spec coffins for years.
It turned him into a pacifist, wouldn’t even hunt birds in the low country after he retired. Buzz was a fascinating guy, I was glad he lived long enough for me to meet him.
I don’t recall my birthday lottery number any more, but they drafted everyone in my small coal town anyways.
Mai Naem mobile
@Eyeroller: i understand that but the Dems barely won here in 2020 and if they’re behind more than 2020 then things don’t look good.
Mike in Pasadena
James Fallows tweet focused on the NYT predicting doom for Dems. The Wash Post has had a front page headline every day for at least a week predicting the same. I do not know what they were doing in 2020.
Doubtless someone else on the thread has long ago said the same thing.
Mike in Pasadena
@Martin: when you vote in person in CA, the person who checks you in at the polling place invalidates the mail/absentee ballot electronically.
EarthWindFire
@Betty Cracker: Remember when Republicans told us that if you weren’t doing anything wrong you had nothing to hide?