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Tag: commitment 2024

  • Presidential candidates make final push before Election Day

    Presidential candidates make final push before Election Day

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    Presidential candidates make final push before Election Day

    Presidential candidates are trying to push their supporters to the polls and persuade remaining holdouts.

    Election Day is just two days away. Both presidential candidates are making their final push to rally voters and sway any remaining holdouts. On Saturday, the candidates stormed southern swing states that, polls suggest, are statistically tied. Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned in Georgia while both Harris and former President Donald Trump made stops in North Carolina. There are already some signs of voter enthusiasm. North Carolina’s State Board of Elections said in-person early voting this year broke the previous record set four years ago. Georgia officials previously reported record turnout on the first day of early voting. As of Sunday morning, more than 74 million people had cast their ballots either in person or by mail, according to The Associated Press. “This election is extremely important, not just for the next four years, but for the next several decades,” said Zack Miller, who voted in North Carolina on Saturday. Also on Saturday, Trump took a break from his battleground state tour for a stop in blue-leaning Virginia. He insisted the Commonwealth is in reach, even though Virginia voters backed President Joe Biden by 10 points last election cycle. In his closing message, Trump has continued to paint a dire picture of the economy and the southern border.“Are you better off than you were four years ago,” Trump asked the crowd at his rally in Salem, Virginia. “Kamala, a low IQ person, broke it and I will fix it, I promise.”Meanwhile, Harris made a surprise trip to New York City, where she played herself in a sketch for Saturday Night Live alongside actress Maya Rudolph, who depicts Harris for the show. In sync, the two said supporters need to “Keep Kamala and carry-on-ala.” Earlier Saturday, Harris made the case for a “new generation of leadership” and pledged to serve all Americans, even those who disagree with her. “We have an opportunity to turn the page on a decade of Donald Trump trying to keep us divided and afraid of each other. We’re done with that,” Harris said.On Sunday, Harris has multiple stops in Michigan while Trump is expected to visit three other swing states: North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania.

    Election Day is just two days away. Both presidential candidates are making their final push to rally voters and sway any remaining holdouts.

    On Saturday, the candidates stormed southern swing states that, polls suggest, are statistically tied. Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned in Georgia while both Harris and former President Donald Trump made stops in North Carolina.

    There are already some signs of voter enthusiasm. North Carolina’s State Board of Elections said in-person early voting this year broke the previous record set four years ago. Georgia officials previously reported record turnout on the first day of early voting.

    As of Sunday morning, more than 74 million people had cast their ballots either in person or by mail, according to The Associated Press.

    “This election is extremely important, not just for the next four years, but for the next several decades,” said Zack Miller, who voted in North Carolina on Saturday.

    Also on Saturday, Trump took a break from his battleground state tour for a stop in blue-leaning Virginia. He insisted the Commonwealth is in reach, even though Virginia voters backed President Joe Biden by 10 points last election cycle.

    In his closing message, Trump has continued to paint a dire picture of the economy and the southern border.

    “Are you better off than you were four years ago,” Trump asked the crowd at his rally in Salem, Virginia. “Kamala, a low IQ person, broke it and I will fix it, I promise.”

    Meanwhile, Harris made a surprise trip to New York City, where she played herself in a sketch for Saturday Night Live alongside actress Maya Rudolph, who depicts Harris for the show. In sync, the two said supporters need to “Keep Kamala and carry-on-ala.”

    Earlier Saturday, Harris made the case for a “new generation of leadership” and pledged to serve all Americans, even those who disagree with her.

    “We have an opportunity to turn the page on a decade of Donald Trump trying to keep us divided and afraid of each other. We’re done with that,” Harris said.

    On Sunday, Harris has multiple stops in Michigan while Trump is expected to visit three other swing states: North Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania.

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  • U.S. Postal Service urges voters to mail ballots early

    U.S. Postal Service urges voters to mail ballots early

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    The U.S. Postal Service says it has the capacity to handle an uptick in election mail, but officials are urging voters to send in their ballots early. Beginning this week, the Postal Service is taking several steps to speed up election mail, from extra deliveries to specialized sorting plans at processing facilities. The Postal Service says that in the first three weeks of October, 99.9% of the election mail was delivered within seven days.”The nation’s postal network is operating effectively without any major reported disruptions,” Steve Monteith, chief customer and marketing officer for the Postal Service, told reporters on Wednesday. Still, officials say voters should not wait to mail in their ballots. “We do recommend that they return their ballot at least seven days prior to the election, but voters also need to be very mindful of whatever their specific state rules and deadlines are,” said Adrienne Marshall, the election and government mail services director for the Postal Service. Sylvia Albert, policy counsel for the advocacy group Common Cause, said voters should check their state’s deadline for accepting ballots sent by mail. “The largest concern I would have is not around the Postal Service, but around the laws in states which vary greatly as to whether or not your ballot can be received after election day even if it is postmarked before,” Albert said. “If you are in a location that needs a ballot received by election day and we’re past November 1st, then consider taking it to a drop box or driving it to a county election office.”Last month, several groups representing state and local election officials raised concerns about the Postal Service’s ability to deliver election mail in a timely and accurate manner. In a follow-up letter earlier this month, the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) said their concerns were not fully addressed after a meeting with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. “A more open meeting with Postmaster DeJoy would have allowed us to further emphasize the concerns Chief Election Officials have. There are numerous unresolved issues, and we simply need more specifics on the solutions he has proposed,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, who also serves as president of the NASS. Asked about that criticism, Monteith said the Postal Service is continuing to collaborate with state and local officials, including through one-on-one conversations with Secretaries of State. “We remain dedicated to resolving any problems promptly and efficiently,” Monteith said. Meanwhile, Monteith said the Postal Service is making progress restoring mail service in areas impacted by recent hurricanes. As of Tuesday, he said all postal service processing facilities and most retail and delivery units have reopened in North Carolina and Florida. Monteith also stressed that full recovery would take time. He said about 4,600 addresses in North Carolina and about 600 in Florida are still without mail service. Monteith said customers impacted by Hurricane Helene can arrange to pick up mail at designated post offices. The Postal Service is also rolling out mobile retail units to serve affected communities as quickly as possible.

    The U.S. Postal Service says it has the capacity to handle an uptick in election mail, but officials are urging voters to send in their ballots early.

    Beginning this week, the Postal Service is taking several steps to speed up election mail, from extra deliveries to specialized sorting plans at processing facilities.

    The Postal Service says that in the first three weeks of October, 99.9% of the election mail was delivered within seven days.

    “The nation’s postal network is operating effectively without any major reported disruptions,” Steve Monteith, chief customer and marketing officer for the Postal Service, told reporters on Wednesday.

    Still, officials say voters should not wait to mail in their ballots.

    “We do recommend that they return their ballot at least seven days prior to the election, but voters also need to be very mindful of whatever their specific state rules and deadlines are,” said Adrienne Marshall, the election and government mail services director for the Postal Service.

    Sylvia Albert, policy counsel for the advocacy group Common Cause, said voters should check their state’s deadline for accepting ballots sent by mail.

    “The largest concern I would have is not around the Postal Service, but around the laws in states which vary greatly as to whether or not your ballot can be received after election day even if it is postmarked before,” Albert said. “If you are in a location that needs a ballot received by election day and we’re past November 1st, then consider taking it to a drop box or driving it to a county election office.”

    Last month, several groups representing state and local election officials raised concerns about the Postal Service’s ability to deliver election mail in a timely and accurate manner. In a follow-up letter earlier this month, the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) said their concerns were not fully addressed after a meeting with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.

    “A more open meeting with Postmaster DeJoy would have allowed us to further emphasize the concerns Chief Election Officials have. There are numerous unresolved issues, and we simply need more specifics on the solutions he has proposed,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, who also serves as president of the NASS.

    Asked about that criticism, Monteith said the Postal Service is continuing to collaborate with state and local officials, including through one-on-one conversations with Secretaries of State.

    “We remain dedicated to resolving any problems promptly and efficiently,” Monteith said.

    Meanwhile, Monteith said the Postal Service is making progress restoring mail service in areas impacted by recent hurricanes. As of Tuesday, he said all postal service processing facilities and most retail and delivery units have reopened in North Carolina and Florida.

    Monteith also stressed that full recovery would take time. He said about 4,600 addresses in North Carolina and about 600 in Florida are still without mail service.

    Monteith said customers impacted by Hurricane Helene can arrange to pick up mail at designated post offices. The Postal Service is also rolling out mobile retail units to serve affected communities as quickly as possible.

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