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Tag: Democracy

  • Democrats see crime as a major problem. Their party is struggling to address it

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    WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) —

    Democrat Eric McWilliams doesn’t approve of Donald Trump sending National Guard troops to cities like Washington, D.C. And he’s certainly not supportive of most of the president’s policies.

    But the 63-year old retired handyman and U.S. Navy veteran does praise Trump for one thing. “When it comes to crime,” he said, “He’s alright. He’s doing pretty good. How he’s doing it is another matter.”

    “Crime is a big problem,” he went on. “At least he is doing something.”

    McWilliams’ views reflect the thinking of a lot of Democrats, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. It finds that while most disapprove of how Trump is handling the issue, a large majority, 68%, see crime as a “major problem” in large cities. That’s despite the fact that statistics show crime, overall, is down across the nation, with some cities reporting 30-year lows.

    The findings underscore the challenge facing Democratic leaders. They must thread the needle between criticizing Trump’s policies, which are deeply unpopular among their base, while at the same time not dismissing widespread concerns about safety, which are amplified in many news sources and in online forums like Facebook and the popular Nextdoor app.

    That could create a vulnerability for the party heading into next year’s midterm elections.

    While Trump remains unpopular overall, the new poll finds his approach to crime has earned him high marks compared to other issues like the economy and immigration. About half of U.S. adults, 53%, say they approve of his handling of crime.

    The vast majority of Americans, 81%, also see crime as a “major problem” in large cities. That includes nearly all Republicans, roughly three-quarters of independents and nearly 7 in 10 Democrats.

    The issue is complex, though, even for those who are concerned. In interviews, participants who oppose Trump’s unprecedented takeover of Washington, D.C.’s police department and threats to expand his efforts to other cities expressed alarm, calling his actions anti-American and part of what they see as an effort to distract the public from issues the White House would prefer they ignore.

    They believe resources would be better spent investing in community policing, mental health services and passing meaningful laws to get guns off city streets.

    But many also bemoaned the state of public safety in the country, even if they said they felt safe in their own neighborhoods and acknowledged that violent crime is down after a pandemic-era spike. Several noted that they or their neighbors had been the victims of serious crimes and complained about what they felt was a lackluster police response.

    Brian Cornelia, 62, a retired foreman and lifelong Democrat who lives in Michigan, near Marquette, is displeased with the performance of both parties.

    “Defund the police was nuts,” he said. “Now with Trump what he’s doing, that’s nuts too.”

    He said that crime is “not at all” an issue where he lives and “down all over,” but nonetheless appreciates that Trump is doing something.

    “Something is happening. We’ll see if it helps or not, but it’s better than not doing anything,” he said. Either way, he said Trump had backed Democrats into a corner.

    “It’s bad. How are you going to say you don’t want crime to be dealt with?” he said. “If you argue with him, what, you’re soft on crime? It’s a Catch-22.”

    Even those who give Trump credit question his tactics.

    About 8 in 10 Democrats say it’s “completely” or “somewhat” unacceptable for the president to seize control of local police departments, as he’s done in Washington. And about 6 in 10 say it’s unacceptable for the federal government to use the U.S. military and National Guard to assist local police.

    “I don’t approve of national troops having authority over fellow Americans,” said McWilliams, the Navy veteran. “You shouldn’t use our armed forces to patrol our own people. That turns it into an authoritarian state.”

    McWilliams, who lives in White Hall, Pennsylvania, said crime “is practically non-existent” in his neighborhood, where he doesn’t even lock his door. But he worries about the situation in nearby Allentown and across the nation, noting the deadly mass shooting this week at a Minneapolis church.

    “I’m glad he does want to fight crime because – well, nobody else is doing it, certainly not our mayors and governors and police department,” he said, accusing them of being “too politically correct” to pursue controversial tactics like “stop and frisk,” which he believes works.

    Others are far more skeptical.

    “I think he’s just terrible,” said Carolyn Perry, 79, a lifelong Democrat and retired nurse who lives in Philadelphia and sees Trump’s actions as an excuse to target Democratic cities that voted against him.

    “I think this National Guard thing he’s doing is ridiculous,” she said. “It’s almost like martial law. And now they’re walking around with guns.”

    Democrat Star Kaye, 59, who lives in Downey, California, near Los Angeles, agreed, slamming Trump for using the military against residents — something she said the Revolutionary War was fought, in part, against.

    “Of course living in a big city, I understand concerns about crime,” she said. “But I don’t think an authoritarian playbook is the right way to fix them.”′

    If the president really wanted to tackle the issue, she argued, he would be investing in local police departments instead of diverting resources to immigration enforcement. She sees the crackdown as part of a broader effort to bolster Republicans’ chances in next year’s midterm elections.

    “I think he’s going to want to have troops in the street to intimidate people not to vote,” she said.

    Part of the challenge for Democrats is that, historically, crime has not been a top issue for their base.

    Gallup polling from April found that only about one-third of Democrats said they worried “a great deal” about crime and violence and were more likely to be concerned about the economy, Social Security, the environment, hunger and homelessness.

    Crime has also traditionally been a stronger issue for Republicans, including in the 2024 election.

    Democrats acknowledged the gap last week at a national party gathering in Minneapolis. In a presentation to Democratic National Committee members, party strategists noted Republicans spent about three times as much on crime-related ads as Democrats in recent presidential election years.

    They urged Democrats not to mimic the “tough-on-crime” rhetoric Republicans have embraced for decades, but instead position themselves as being “serious about safety, not empty scare tactics.”

    “DON’T TAKE TRUMP’S CRIME BAIT—INSTEAD, LEAN INTO SOLUTIONS TO PREVENT CRIME, RESPOND TO CRISIS, AND STOP VIOLENCE,” they urged in a slide presentation.

    Some Democratic politicians have been trying to do just that.

    They include Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who has been pushing back against Trump’s threats to expand his efforts to Chicago. He defended Democrats’ approach and said local efforts to tackle crime have been working.

    “We also are tough on crime,” Pritzker told The Associated Press in an interview on Wednesday. Trump, he said, “talks a good game.”

    “What the President has done, however, is to make it harder to crack down on crime,” he said.

    ___ Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writers Sophia Tareen in Chicago and Steve Peoples in Minneapolis contributed reporting.

    ___

    The AP-NORC poll of 1,182 adults was conducted Aug. 21-25, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

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  • A walk through a Smithsonian museum reveals American genius and cruelty as Trump presses for change

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    WASHINGTON — In an afternoon’s walk through ground zero of Americana — the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History — objects around every corner invite one question: What could possibly be more American than this?

    What could be more American than that enormous Star-Spangled Banner in all its timeworn glory? Or more American than Dorothy’s ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz”?

    And what could be more American than a reckoning with the nation’s sins, as illustrated by shackles representing slavery and photos of Japanese Americans confined to detention camps in World War II? It’s in authoritarian countries, like Russia, where history is scrubbed.

    In myriad ways, the museum explores “the complexity of our past,” in accord with its mission statement. President Donald Trump wants a simpler tale told. He wants this and the other Smithsonian museums to mirror American pride, power and achievement without all the darkness, and he threatens to hold back money if they don’t get with that program.

    On social media, Trump complained that at the Smithsonian museums, which are free to visit and get most of their money from the government, “everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.”

    In fact, the history museum reflects bountiful successes, whether on the battlefield, from the kitchens and factories of food pioneers, on the musical stage, in the movies or on other fronts of creativity and industriousness. The American Enterprise exhibit, for one, has a wall filled with the stories of successful Americans.

    On this wandering tour you can see navigational implements used by Blackbeard, the terrifying pirate, from his early 1700s raids on the Atlantic coast. You see the hat Abraham Lincoln wore to Ford’s Theatre the night of his assassination, George Washington’s ceremonial uniform, Warren Harding’s fine red silk pajamas from the early 1900s, the first car to travel across the country, and a $100,000 bill.

    You can see the original light bulbs of the American genius, Thomas Edison. A much earlier genius, the founding father Benjamin Franklin, is presented both as a gifted inventor and a slave owner who publicly came to denounce slavery yet never freed his own.

    Those nuances and ambiguities may not be long for this world. Still on display at the history museum are artifacts and documents of American ingenuity, subjugation, generosity, racism, grit, cruelty, verve, playfulness, corruption, heroism, and cultural appropriation.

    Like most museums, the focus is not on the future.

    Even so, there is plenty to provoke the Republican president.

    In the “Great Debate” of an American democracy exhibition, a wall is emblazoned with large words such as “Privilege” and “Slavery.” The museum presents fulsome tributes to the contributions of immigrants and narratives about the racist landscape that many encountered.

    Exhibits address “food justice,” the exploitation of Filipinos after the United States annexed their land and the network of oppressive Native American boarding schools from which Jim Thorpe emerged and became one of the greatest athletes of all time.

    Hawaii’s last sovereign before its annexation by the U..S. in the 1890s, Queen Lili‘uokalani, is quoted on a banner as asking: “Is the AMERICAN REPUBLIC of STATES to DEGENERATE and become a COLONIZER?”

    A ukulele on display was made around 1890 by a sugar laborer who worked on the kingdom’s American plantations before a U.S.-backed coup overthrew the monarchy. Museum visitors are told the new instrument was held up by the monarchs as a symbol of anti-colonial independence.

    “Ukuleles are both a product of U.S. imperialism and a potent symbol of Native Hawaiian resistance,” says the accompanying text.

    At the Greek-godlike statue of George Washington, the text hints at his complexities and stops short of the total reverence that totalitarian leaders get.

    Noting that “modern scholarship focuses on the fallible man rather than the marble hero,” the text says Washington’s image “is still used for inspiration, patriotism and commercial gain” and that “he continues to hold a place for many as a symbolic ‘father’ of the country.”

    On this visit, conservators behind a big window are seen sweeping tiny brushes on ancient wooden pieces. Their patriotic work proceeds at a snail’s pace.

    The team is restoring the gunboat Philadelphia, part of a small fleet that engaged the British navy at the Battle of Valcour Island in Lake Champlain in 1776, delaying Britain’s effort to cut off the New England colonies and buying time for the Continental Army to prepare for its decisive victory at Saratoga.

    The commander of the gunboats in the Valcour battle later became America’s greatest traitor, Benedict Arnold. The British damaged the Philadelphia so badly it sank an hour after the battle, then lay underwater for 160 years. It’s being restored for next year’s celebrations of America’s 250th year.

    “The Philadelphia is a symbol of how citizens of a newly formed nation came together, despite overwhelming odds against their success,” said Jennifer Jones, the project’s director. “This boat’s fragile condition is symbolic of our democracy; it requires the nation’s attention and vigilance to preserve it for future generations.”

    Democracy’s fragility is considered in a section of the museum about the limits of presidential power. That’s where references to Trump’s two impeachments were removed in July for updating, and were restored this month.

    “On December 18, 2019, the House impeached Donald Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress,” one label now states. “On January 13, 2021, Donald Trump became the first president to be impeached twice,” says another. “The charge was incitement of insurrection based on his challenge of the 2020 election results and on his speech on January 6.” His Senate acquittals are duly noted.

    It’s a just-the-facts take on a matter that has driven the country so deeply apart. The history museum doesn’t offer answers for that predicament. Instead, it asks questions throughout its halls on the fundamentals of Americanism.

    “How should Americans remember their Revolution and the founding of the nation?”

    “What does patriotism look like?”

    “How diverse should the citizenry be?”

    “Do we need to share a common national story?”

    ___

    Associated Press writer Lynn Berry contributed to this report.

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  • Trump says he’ll sign executive order aimed at eliminating mail-in ballots

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    President Trump says he will sign an executive order aimed at eliminating voting through mail-in ballots ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, joins “The Takeout” to discuss.

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  • Trump’s Medicaid Tax Cuts: Here’s What to Know

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    By . Wednesday, July 16 2025

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    Senate Republicans passed the largest cuts to Medicaid since the program began in the 1960s, a reckless move that would strip health insurance from nearly 17 million Americans over the next decade.

    To pay for Trump’s tax cuts to billionaires and big corporations, Republicans deliberately chose to cut Medicaid funding by $1 trillion and to drastically cut other vital programs like SNAP and housing assistance.

    Health care workers and experts say these extreme Medicaid cuts could result in vulnerable Americans no longer being able to receive care—either because they lose coverage or health care centers in their communities close down. Already, a rural hospital in Nebraska announced it was shutting down as a result, and more than 300 are at risk of closing nationwide.

    The Medicaid restrictions alone would cause 11.8 million Americans to lose health care coverage over the next 10 years.

    Researchers estimate the bill will cost 22.3 million families to lose all or some of their SNAP benefits. 

     

    What will these cuts look like for Americans?

    The bill is expected to increase the national deficit by $3 trillion over the next 10 years, according to experts. Republicans will have to make up that money from somewhere to fund their energy, military, and border spending, as well as giving their billionaire friends tax breaks. 

    So where will Republicans get the money so the rich don’t have to pay taxes? Well, gutting programs like Medicaid would also create major gaps in state funding and devastate state budgets. This would force states to raise taxes or cut other critical parts of their budget in order to fill the gap.

    That’s you. Everyday Americans will be fronting the bill for the wealthy’s tax cuts. 

     

    What MoveOn is doing to fight for our families: 

    On Saturday, July 26, American families in every corner of the country will come together in peaceful marches, rallies, and events to say: Our families come first, and we will protect each other.

    In all 50 states and Washington, D.C., we will protest against the cruel cuts and attacks on families from Congress and the White House after they ripped away health care, Medicaid, and food assistance from millions to pay for tax cuts for billionaires.

     

    Join us to fight for our families!

    If you’re interested in showing support for American families, there are a number of ways you can join us. 

    Host an event: Sign up now to host an event on Saturday, July 26 to show that your friends and neighbors are not alone. 

    Find an event: There are peaceful events being held all around the country. Find one near you!

    Attend the D.C. vigil: There will be a 60-hour vigil on the National Mall to honor the 60th anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare. 

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    MoveOn

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  • Marblehead voters reject plan for MBTA Communities Act compliance

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    MARBLEHEAD — Voters overturned a plan to put the town in compliance with the state’s controversial MBTA Communities Act this week.

    During a special election Tuesday, 3,542 Marbleheaders voted not to adopt an overlay zoning district that would allow multifamily housing by right as required by the law, also known as 3A, for all communities receiving MBTA service or abutting those that do.


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    By Caroline Enos | Staff Writer

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  • Eleven Million People

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    By . Monday, June 9 2025

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    That’s how many people the Congressional Budget Office projects will lose their health insurance if Republicans in the Senate allow Trump to enact his callous budget bill to give billionaires a hefty tax cut.

    With changes to the Affordable Care Act, that number could rise to 16 million over the next decade.

    It’s not just cruel, it’s an act of deliberate legislative malice, with dire consequences.

    New analysis conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University found that, sadly, if enacted, Trump’s bill to cut health care would lead to over 51,000 deaths every single year.

    They write that this includes:

    1) 11,300 deaths from the loss of Medicaid or Affordable Care Act Marketplace coverage due to 7.7 million people losing coverage

    2) 18,200 deaths due to the loss of Medicaid coverage among 1.38 million low-income Medicare beneficiaries, causing loss of access to low-income prescription drug subsidies

    3) 13,000 deaths among Medicaid enrollees in nursing homes due to the rollback of CMS’ 2024 nursing home minimum staffing rule.

    “In the wealthiest country in the world, we should be guaranteeing health care to all as a human right, not taking health care away from millions of seniors and working families to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. As the Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, I will be doing everything that I can to see that this disastrous bill is defeated,” Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said in a statement highlighting those findings. 

    Republicans are doing this at the behest of their ultra-wealthy friends.

    “The top 1 percent of earners — making more than $920,000 — would receive an average tax cut of close to $70,000 in the first year after enactment,” The Washington Post reported last week. So, the rich get richer, and the poor and working class are left with crumbs.

    Or, as Senator Joni Ersnt (D-IA) so eloquently put it, “We are all going to die.”

    While her apparent gaffe drew well-deserved mockery, it was a glimpse into the collective psyche of the GOP: They are simultaneously aware of the bill’s ramifications and do not care. Ernst even doubled-down on her unflinching heartlessness with a video the following day, mocking people who were understandably bothered by her comments with a glib selfie video taken in a graveyard.

    Now, as more and more Americans are waking up to the bill’s dangers, Trump’s White House is in damage control, issuing desperate but not-very-reassuring press releases like this one:

    Except, we know people will suffer as a result.

    Now, having been confronted with the grim reality of their party’s own legislation, some Republicans are getting cold feet. But Trump can’t afford to lose more than three senators, if all Senate Democrats vote against it.

    Right now, 10 Republicans in the Senate have publicly expressed concerns over the bill, ranging from its massive costs—the CBO projects a $2.4 trillion increase to the deficit—to, in a handful of cases, cuts to Medicaid and rural hospital services.

    But what can you do? How can you stop Trump? Taking action is easy!

    Join the over 3,000 volunteers who have made more than 330,000 calls to fellow MoveOn members, connecting them to their representatives’ office to demand they vote against slashing our health care.

    Together, we can defend our friends, relatives, and neighbors and block this bill!

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  • ‘Do not despair,’ Harris tells supporters as she concedes the election

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    WASHINGTON —  Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday acknowledged her defeat to President-elect Donald Trump in a speech marked by emotion as well as a resolve to never give up the fight for a more just union.

    “My heart is full today, full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country, and full of resolve,” Harris told supporters at Howard University, her alma mater.

    Harris’ 12-minute speech, behind bulletproof glass in front of the brick, flag-lined Frederick Douglas Memorial Hall, took place less than 24 hours on the site where her supporters had gathered to celebrate what they had hoped would be the election of the first female president.

    On Tuesday night, revelers were dancing to 1990s hip-hop but grew somber as states began falling for Trump. On Wednesday, supporters and staffers embraced, wiped away tears and questioned whether this nation would ever elect a woman, notably a Black woman, president.

    “The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for,” Harris told the crowd. “But … hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright, as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”

    Harris, typically stoic from her days as a prosecutor, displayed flashes of disappointment and sadness after telling the crowd that she was proud of the whirlwind campaign they ran over 107 days after President Biden announced he would not seek reelection.

    “Now, I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now. I get it,” she said, with a wry chuckle. “But we must accept the results of this election.”

    The crowd booed when she said that she had spoken with Trump earlier in the day to congratulate him. But as she continued speaking, they soon returned to cheering as she described the peaceful transition of power, which she pledged to assist him with, as a bedrock of democracy.

    “A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results,” Harris said, her voice quivering. “That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny, and anyone who seeks the public trust must honor it. At the same time, in our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States.”

    She did not mention that, before the election, Trump and other leading Republicans had hedged on whether they would accept the results, saying they would have to see if the balloting was conducted fairly and properly.

    However, these statements were clearly an allusion to the former president’s refusal to accept the 2020 election outcome and the ensuing insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress worked to certify the electoral college vote.

    Harris said that while she accepted the election results, she refused to concede the fight for freedom, opportunity and fairness that girded her campaign.

    “That is a fight I will never give up,” she said.

    She implored young people not to give up on fighting for their ideals because of her loss.

    “Do not despair. This is not a time to throw up our hands,” Harris said. “This is a time to roll up our sleeves. This is a time to organize, to mobilize and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice and the future that we all know we can build together.”

    She concluded with one of her favorite adages — that the stars can only be seen when the night sky is dark. “I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time,” she said. “For the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case. But here’s the thing, America. If it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion … stars, the light, the light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service.”

    After Harris concluded speaking and walked back into Memorial Hall, the music stopped playing as crews began dismantling the stage.

    Several current members of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the historically Black sorority Harris joined at Howard, gathered in a circle. The young women, wearing dresses in various shades of pink, one of the sorority’s colors, softly sang their national hymn.

    “Through the years as we struggle // With main and with might // To capture a vision fair // There is one thing that spurs us // To victory’s height // With a fellowship sincere and rare // O, Alpha Kappa Alpha // Dear Alpha Kappa Alpha”

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    Seema Mehta

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  • Watch MoveOn’s Livestream with Shonda Rhimes

    Watch MoveOn’s Livestream with Shonda Rhimes

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    By MoveOn. Tuesday, October 29 2024

    Democracy | Elections | Organizing

    Grab a pint—and watch last Sunday night’s “I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Harris-Walz” livestream! Eat ice cream with Tom Colicchio, Shonda Rhimes, Ben and Jerry, and fellow MoveOn members!

    Here are a few highlights from the call: 

    • “Scandal” and “Bridgerton” creator Shonda Rhimes shared that this country is supposed to be about joy, so she found her joy by eating Ben and Jerry’s special Kamala Harris Coconut Jubilee ice cream pint as soon as it arrived!
    • Jeni Britton of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams told a story of starting her small business, and how it wouldn’t have gotten off the ground if not for the affordable health care provided by Planned Parenthood. 
    • “Top Chef” head judge Tom Colicchio showed why our work matters by retelling a story from his wife, who talked with a voter recently and got them from refusing to talk to supporting Harris by the end of the conversation. 
    • MoveOn members got to spend an hour with some of our nation’s greatest ice cream makers as they shared their love of ice cream, their dedication to our shared progressive values, and some insider knowledge about their favorite flavors and worst ice cream experiments.

     

    If you missed last night’s ice cream expert livestream, don’t worry—watch the full recording this week on MoveOn’s YouTube channel.

    Ready to take action? The time is NOW, so sign up today to make an impact, because with the polls so close in battleground states, every conversation with a voter counts! MoveOn’s incredible analytics team has found the exact voters we need to talk to, who support Harris-Walz but may not vote this year without a nudge from us. Together, we can protect our future and block Project 2025.

     

    In 2022, we used this tactic to turn out more than 50,000 voters. This November, we aim to double that, and we need your help.

     

    Your efforts will directly impact the outcome of this very close election. Stay tuned for next Sunday (11/3) at 8 p.m. ET/5 PT for our final GOTV livestream with our special guest, Congressman Maxwell Frost. Also, Shonda Rhimes will return, along with members of the casts of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice”! We’ll send you a reminder just before the start, because you won’t want to miss it!

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  • Voters concerned about post-election violence, efforts to overturn the results: Poll

    Voters concerned about post-election violence, efforts to overturn the results: Poll

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    WASHINGTON — American voters are approaching the presidential election with deep unease about what could follow, including the potential for political violence, attempts to overturn the election results and its broader implications for democracy, according to a new poll.

    The findings of the survey, conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, speak to persistent concerns about the fragility of the world’s oldest democracy, nearly four years after former President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept the 2020 election results inspired a mob of his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol in a violent attempt to stop the peaceful transfer of power.

    About 4 in 10 registered voters say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about violent attempts to overturn the results after the November election. A similar share is worried about legal efforts to do so. And about 1 in 3 voters say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about attempts by local or state election officials to stop the results from being finalized.

    Relatively few voters — about one-third or less — are “not very” or “not at all” concerned about any of that happening.

    Trump has continued to lie about fraud costing him reelection four years ago and is again forecasting that he can lose this time only if the election is rigged against him, a strategy he has deployed since his first run for office. His allies and the Republican National Committee, which he reshaped, have filed lawsuits around the country that are a potential prelude to post-election legal challenges should he lose.

    “I thought after Jan. 6 of 2021, the GOP would have the sense to reject him as a candidate,” Aostara Kaye, of Downey, California, said of Trump. “And since they didn’t, I think it just emboldened him to think he can do anything, and they will still stick with him.”

    Trump’s wide-ranging attempts to reject the will of the voters and remain in power after his 2020 loss have led to concerns that he will again fail to concede should he lose to Vice President Kamala Harris.

    Nearly 9 in 10 voters said the loser of the presidential election is obligated to concede once every state has finished counting its votes and legal challenges are resolved, including about 8 in 10 Republicans. But only about one-third of voters expect Trump to accept the results and concede if he loses.

    Democrats and Republicans have widely divergent views on the matter: About two-thirds of Republican voters think Trump would concede, compared to only about 1 in 10 Democrats.

    The same concern does not apply to Harris. Nearly 8 in 10 voters said Harris will accept the results and concede if she loses the election, including a solid majority of Republican voters.

    Members of both parties have broad concerns about how American democracy might fare depending on the outcome of the November election.

    Overall, about half of voters believe Trump would weaken democracy in the U.S. “a lot” or “somewhat” if he wins, while about 4 in 10 said the same of Harris.

    Not surprisingly, Americans were deeply divided along ideological lines. About 8 in 10 Republicans said another term for Trump would strengthen democracy “a lot” or “somewhat,” while a similar share of Democrats said the same of a Harris presidency.

    About 9 in 10 voters in each party said the opposing party’s candidate would be likely to weaken democracy at least “somewhat” if elected.

    Kaye, a retired health care system worker, called Trump an “existential threat to the Constitution.” One prospect she said frightens her is that if Trump wins, he likely will not have the guardrails in his new administration that were in place in the last one.

    Republican voter Debra Apodaca, 60, from Tucson, Arizona, said it’s Harris who is a greater threat to democracy. She said President Joe Biden’s administration has placed too great a priority on foreign aid and shown a lack of concern for its own people.

    “Our tax dollars, we’re just sending it everywhere. It’s not staying here. Why aren’t we taking care of America?” she said. “Why should we pay taxes if we’re just sending it away?”

    That lack of concern also includes the border, she said, adding that a Harris win would be “the end to the Border Patrol.”

    Part of what divides voters on their views of American democracy is the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and who is to blame. Democrats and independents are much more likely than Republican voters to place “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility on Trump.

    Susan Ohde, an independent voter from Chicago and a retiree from the financial sector, said she’s concerned that “crazy people will buy the misinformation that they’re given,” leading to another such attack.

    Giovanna Elizabeth Minardi of Yucaipa, California, said other issues are more important in this year’s election. She said her chief concern is the economy and feels that high prices, especially in her home state, are chasing off businesses and creating a dependency on government. It’s a dependency Harris wants to continue, said Minardi, a children and family services advocate.

    Views about the Jan. 6 attack are not the only ones where voters split along ideological lines. Following Trump’s lead, a majority of Republicans maintain that Biden was not legitimately elected. Nearly all Democrats and about 7 in 10 independents believe Biden was legitimately elected.

    This year’s presidential campaign has highlighted one aspect of the American political system that some believe is undemocratic — the use of the Electoral College to elect the president rather than the popular vote. Trump and Harris have concentrated their campaign events and advertising in seven battleground states that represent just 18% of the country’s population.

    About half of voters think the possibility that a candidate could become president by winning the Electoral College but losing the popular vote is a “major problem” in U.S. elections. As with many other issues, the question also reveals a partisan divide: About two-thirds of Democrats say the potential for an Electoral College-popular vote split is a major problem, compared to about one-third of Republicans.

    Debra Christensen, 54, a home health nurse and Democrat from Watertown, Wisconsin, is opposed to the Electoral College that could give Trump the White House even if he loses the popular vote for the third time.

    “In this day and age with technology what it is, why can’t we have one person one vote?” she said.

    ___

    The poll of 1,072 adults was conducted Oct. 11-14, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for registered voters is plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.

    ___

    The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • Elon Musk says people accusing Trump of endangering democracy are the real danger

    Elon Musk says people accusing Trump of endangering democracy are the real danger

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    The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, addressed a crowded town hall Saturday in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he downplayed the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot and suggested mail ballots were a “recipe for fraud.”

    In response to a man who asked Musk what his message was to young voters who worry “that voting for a second Trump presidency will lead to democratic backsliding,” Musk replied, “The media tries to characterize Jan. 6 as some sort of violent insurrection, which is simply not the case,” he said, prompting applause from the crowd. More than 100 law enforcement personnel were injured in the attack, some beaten with their own weapons, when a mob of Trump supporters who believed his lies that the 2020 election was stolen from him stormed the Capitol to stop the certification of votes.

    “It’s not as though the Jan. 6 protests had no merit, they had some merit,” Musk continued. “I disagree with the magnitude of what they did, but it’s not as though there were no issues,” said Musk. 

    Musk claimed that people “who say Trump is a threat to democracy are themselves a threat to democracy,” a comment that was also received with applause by the crowd of several hundred people packed into the ballroom. Many more watched the event on X, the social media platform Musk purchased two years ago.

    Trump, he said, “did actually tell people to not be violent.” While Trump did tell the crowd on Jan. 6 to protest “peacefully and patriotically,” he also encouraged them to “fight like hell” to stop Democrat Joe Biden from becoming the president. 

    Musk spent nearly two hours taking questions from town hall participants. The freewheeling session inside a ballroom at a hotel in downtown Lancaster touched on a dizzying range of topics, from space exploration and the Tesla cybertruck to immigration and the efficacy of psychiatric drugs. The town hall was part of Musk’s efforts through his super PAC to help boost Trump in swing states ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election against Democrat Kamala Harris. Trump has said he’d give Musk a role in his administration if he wins the presidency.

    Musk was largely praised by the town hall crowd as a visionary and solicited for advice and thoughts about education, arm wrestling, tax loopholes and whether he’d buy the Chicago White Sox. (He said he was a tech guy and had to pick his battles.) Trump won Lancaster County in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, and he won Pennsylvania in 2016 against Hillary Clinton but lost it in 2020 to Joe Biden.

    Musk said he was in favor of “not heavy handed” regulation of artificial intelligence and railed against “woke religion” as “fundamentally an extinctionist religion.” He said the U.S. birth rate is a significant concern.

    He said he believes Jesus was a real person who lived about 2,000 years ago and, when asked for the best advice he’s ever received, replied: “I recommend studying physics.”

    Musk, the world’s richest man, has committed more than $70 million to boost Trump in the election and, at events on behalf of his super PAC, has encouraged supporters to embrace voting early. Still, echoing some of Trump’s misgivings about the method, Musk raised his own doubts about the process. He called mail ballots “a strange anomaly that got popularized during COVID,” and he went on to say of mail voting that “really, you have an obvious recipe for fraud and inability to prove fraud.”

    Elon Musk Holds Town Hall With Pennsylvania Voters in Lancaster
    LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 26: SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk speaks during an America PAC town hall on October 26, 2024 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. 

    Samuel Corum / Getty Images


    There are a number of safeguards to protect mail-in ballots, with various ballot verification protocols, including every state requiring a voter’s signature. 

    He also called town hall participant Judey Kamora to the stage to give her a large $1 million check, part of his promotion to give away $1 million a day to a voter in a swing state who has signed his super PAC’s petition backing the U.S. Constitution.

    Musk made no mention of the Justice Department’s recent warning that his $1 million sweepstakes could violate federal election law. Nor did he comment on a Wall Street Journal report that the tech billionaire has maintained regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

    The giveaways are just fine with Josh Fox, 32, a UPS driver from Dillsburg, Pennsylvania.

    “That’s cool,” Fox said, waiting to get into the rally earlier Saturday. “It would be nice to have it.”

    Fox, who plans to vote for Trump, dismissed any suggestion the money may violate federal election rules.

    “It’s about driving in support and driving in people who are in support of the Constitution,” Fox said.

    Anne Bryson

    contributed to this report.

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  • Elon Musk says the real threat to democracy is the people who accuse Trump of endangering it

    Elon Musk says the real threat to democracy is the people who accuse Trump of endangering it

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    LANCASTER, Pa. — Tech mogul Elon Musk, speaking at a town hall Saturday night in Pennsylvania to support Republican Donald Trump, played down the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and exhorted supporters to cast votes early in the presidential swing state while describing mail ballots as a “recipe for fraud.”

    The freewheeling session inside a ballroom at a hotel in downtown Lancaster touched on a dizzying range of topics, from space exploration and the Tesla cybertruck to immigration and the efficacy of psychiatric drugs. The town hall was part of Musk’s efforts through his super PAC to help boost Trump in swing states ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election against Democrat Kamala Harris.

    Musk, whom Trump has vowed to give a role in his administration if he wins next month, spent nearly two hours taking questions from town hall participants. While most were laudatory and covered a variety of topics, one was particularly pointed: A man wanted to know what Musk would say to concerns from voters that Trump’s election could lead to democracy backsliding in the U.S. considering his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

    While calling it a fair question, Musk also said that the Jan. 6 attack by Trump’s supporters has been called “some sort of violent insurrection, which is simply not the case” — a response that drew applause from the crowd. More than 100 law enforcement personnel were injured in the attack, some beaten with their own weapons, when a mob of Trump supporters who believed his lies that the 2020 election was stolen from him stormed the Capitol to stop the certification of votes.

    Musk also claimed that people “who say Trump is a threat to democracy are themselves a threat to democracy,” a comment that was also cheered by the crowd of several hundred people packed tightly into the ballroom. Many more watched the event on X, the social media platform Musk purchased two years ago.

    Trump, he said, “did actually tell people to not be violent.” While Trump did tell the crowd on Jan. 6 to protest “peacefully and patriotically,” he also encouraged them to “fight like hell” to stop Democrat Joe Biden from becoming the president.

    Musk, the world’s richest man, has committed more than $70 million to boost Trump in the election and, at events on behalf of his super PAC, has encouraged supporters to embrace voting early. Still, echoing some of Trump’s misgivings about the method, Musk raised his own doubts about the process. He said that, in the future, mail ballots should not be accepted, calling them a strange anomaly that got popularized during the COVID-19 pandemic and raising the prospect of fraud.

    There are a number of safeguards to protect mail-in ballots, with various ballot verification protocols, including every state requiring a voter’s signature.

    The question about Jan. 6 was an outlier during the back-and-forth with the crowd in which Musk was repeatedly praised as a visionary and solicited for advice and thoughts about education, arm wrestling, tax loopholes and whether he’d buy the Chicago White Sox. (He said he was a tech guy and had to pick his battles.)

    Musk said he was in favor of “not heavy handed” regulation of artificial intelligence and railed against “woke religion” as “fundamentally an extinctionist religion.” He said the U.S. birth rate is a significant concern.

    He said he believes Jesus was a real person who lived about 2,000 years ago and, when asked for the best advice he’s ever received, replied: “I recommend studying physics.”

    He also called a woman to the stage to give her a large $1 million check, part of his promotion to give away $1 million a day to a voter in a swing state who has signed his super PAC’s petition backing the U.S. Constitution.

    The giveaways are fine with Josh Fox, 32, a UPS driver from Dillsburg, Pennsylvania.

    “That’s cool,” Fox said, waiting to get into the rally earlier Saturday. “It would be nice to have it.”

    Fox, who plans to vote for Trump, dismissed any suggestion the money may violate federal election rules.

    “It’s about driving in support and driving in people who are in support of the Constitution,” Fox said.

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  • Money flowing to ballot questions ahead of election

    Money flowing to ballot questions ahead of election

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    BOSTON — Millions of dollars in contributions are continuing to flow to ballot committees behind five statewide referendums ahead of the election Nov. 5.

    Sunday was the deadline for groups raising money for and against the ballot questions to report their hauls from the latest reporting period.

    Fundraising on Question 2 saw the most activity in the most recent period, with groups backing the proposal to scrap the decades-old mandate requiring high school students to pass the MCAS exams to graduate spending more than $9.6 million to date, according to filings with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

    A sizable chunk of funding reported by the Committee for High Standards Not High Stakes has been provided by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the main proponent of the referendum.

    Much of the funding has come from in-kind contributions for signature gathering, research and other campaign related activities.

    Opponents of Question 2, organized under the Committee to Protect Our Kids’ Future, reported raising more than $2.1 million in the most recent fundraising period.

    Backers of Question 3, which would authorize Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing drivers to unionize and bargain collectively for better wages and benefits, had raised more than $5.7 million for the campaign as of Sunday, according to the OCPF filings.

    Supporters of Question 1, which asks voters to approve a performance and financial audit of the state Legislature, reported collecting nearly $500,000 as of Sunday, according to the filings.

    The referendum was proposed by Auditor Diana DiZoglio, a Methuen Democrat and former state lawmaker whose efforts to audit the House and Senate have been blocked by legislative leaders who argue the move is unconstitutional. DiZoglio has chipped in more than $100,000 of her own money for the campaign, filings show.

    Meanwhile, backers of Question 5, which calls for paying tipped workers the state’s minimum wage of $15 per hour, raised more than $200,000, not including in-kind contributions from labor unions and others backing the effort, the filings show.

    Unlike contributions to individual candidates, donations to referendum campaigns are unrestricted and corporations often get involved, as do special interests, labor unions and others.

    The money is being mostly spent on campaign advertising, mailers and outreach in an attempt to sway voters ahead of the election.

    Overall figures for this election cycle are expected to rise with committees submitting other rounds of fundraising totals in coming months, and their final, year-end reports after the election.

    Ahead of the 2022 elections, committees behind ballot questions to set the “millionaires tax”, dental benefits, expand retail beer and wine sales, and repeal a state law authorizing state driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants raked in more than $67 million – the most expensive election cycles in recent years.

    In 2020, ballot questions to update the state’s “right to repair” law and authorize ranked-choice voting poured more than $60.7 million into their campaigns.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Show Your Support for Harris-Walz With FREE Digital Downloads

    Show Your Support for Harris-Walz With FREE Digital Downloads

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    By MoveOn. Friday, October 25 2024

    Candidates | Climate | Democracy | Economic Justice

    This election will determine the future of our country and our communities, and early voting is a powerful way to ensure that our voices are heard. When President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race, we were proud to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the ticket, and especially excited with her incredible vice-presidential pick: Governor Tim Walz.

    We need your help breaking through the misinformation and disinformation from the Trump campaign to get this done. Share this page with digital downloads and printouts with at least three friends to triple your impact for this critical election and celebrate Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz!

    If you’re looking to jump into action, fill out this quick form and we’ll reach out and plug you in.

    Get election ready with this helpful tool. You can explore your ballot ahead of time, find your polling place, and learn more about early voting and absentee voting in your state—all in one place!

    Explore the FREE downloadable options below. Download as many as you want and share them with friends.

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  • Mass. voters flock to polls ahead of election

    Mass. voters flock to polls ahead of election

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    BOSTON — Massachusetts voters are flocking to the early polls, and sending and dropping off mail ballots at local election offices ahead of the presidential election Nov. 5.

    Hundreds of thousands have already voted through the mail and during the two-week early voting period that got underway Saturday, according to Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s office, which said it sent more than 1.3 million ballots to registered voters who requested them.

    As of Wednesday, at least 818,904 ballots had been cast, or roughly 16.2% of the state’s 4.9 million registered voters, Galvin’s office said. That included 154,684 in-person early voting ballots.

    Locally, many communities have already seen thousands of votes cast with 13 days until the election. As of Wednesday, voters in Beverly cast nearly 1,100 ballots while North Andover voters had cast 770 ballots, according to a tally provided by Galvin’s office.

    Salem voters had cast 756 mail ballots by Friday while Gloucester voters had turned in 428 ballots, according to the data. Newburyport voters had cast 716 votes as of Wednesday, Galvin’s office said.

    Topping the statewide ballot is the historic race for the White House between former Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who will be on the ballot with their running mates, Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

    Recent polls show Harris with a wide lead over Trump in deep-blue Massachusetts, but the race is tight nationally – especially in battleground states such as Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona, where the candidates and their running mates have been campaigning to rally their supporters and win over undecided voters.

    Besides picking a new president and deciding a handful of contested legislative and local races, voters will consider ballot questions to audit the Legislature, scrap the MCAS graduation mandate, allow ride-hailing drivers to form unions, legalize psychedelic mushrooms, and boost the wages of tipped workers.

    More than half of the state’s voters are registered as independent – not affiliated with a major party – with their ranks swelling in the months leading up to the election. Those who aren’t registered can do so until Oct. 26, Galvin’s office said.

    Galvin is urging voters to check that they are still registered and if not, make sure that they do so before the deadline Saturday to register ahead of the election. Under Massachusetts law, there is a 10-day cutoff to register before a statewide election.

    “If you want to vote for president, any other office on the ballot, or these ballot questions, you need to be registered to vote,” Galvin said in a statement. “Even if you are already a voter, if you’ve moved since the last time you voted, I urge you to check that your address is up to date before it’s too late.”

    Voters can see a full list of candidates, register to vote, and look up early voting locations and times on the secretary of state’s website: www.VoteInMA.com.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • “Come out & Vote Early”: Martin Luther King III, Harris-Walz campaign hosts early voting event

    “Come out & Vote Early”: Martin Luther King III, Harris-Walz campaign hosts early voting event

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    “Today was an incredibly special and powerful day because as a mother of a 16-year-old who has progressively lost rights the day she was born, she and her peers have fewer rights than the day they were born,” Andrea Waters King said. Photo by Isaiah Singleton/The Atlanta Voice

    Martin Luther King III and his wife, Andrea Waters King partnered with the Harris-Walz campaign to host an in-person early voting event.

    Waves of voters were in and out of the Buckhead public library branch on Monday afternoon, eager to cast their ballots and contribute to the upcoming election. King said their message to all voters is to “come out and vote early.”

    “Come and vote early because it’s the best way to make sure your vote is counted and it’s the best way to make sure you do your civic duty,” he said. “My father once said, ‘A voteless people, are a cowardice people,’ we must ensure everyone in Georgia gets to the ballot box, the earlier the better.”

    Waters King said they want to ensure everyone knows and sees how easy it is to vote early and talked about her daughter, Yolanda Renee King, and others losing their rights.

    “Today was an incredibly special and powerful day because as a mother of a 16-year-old who has progressively lost rights the day she was born, she and her peers have fewer rights than the day they were born,” she said. “This day, certainly for us, is crucial but most importantly for all the roles and people coming behind us.”

    King also said this year is one of the most consequential elections and one of those issues, he said, on the ballot is “Is Democracy Sustainable” and he believes more young people need to go out and vote.

    “It’s very dangerous to hear a candidate talk about being a dictator and we should all be beyond concerned. When someone tells you who they are, believe them the first time,” he said. “When we talk about democracy, it’s about everyone, but we want everyone in this state registered.”

    Additionally, he says there’s a significant role to play every election cycle, but this one is “as critically important” as those in the past. “There’s a lot of momentum all around the country and especially in the light of the fact some are trying to change voting provisions and getting restrictions in place to make it harder for voters.”

    Furthermore, 1.4 million ballots have been cast in Georgia since early voting began last Tuesday. Waters said it’s important to see such a record turnout.

    “We know and understand that we can do this in spite of laws that’s been passed to make it harder to vote,” she said. “It’s showing people have a hunger to make their voices heard and no matter the hindrances, more than ever, people are wanting to make sure they are heard, felt, and standing for democracy.”

    Early voting began Oct. 15 and will end Nov. 1, Election Day is Nov. 5. For more information about early voting, visit https://georgia.gov/vote-early-person.

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  • DiZoglio blasts legislative leaders in audit

    DiZoglio blasts legislative leaders in audit

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    BOSTON — The state Legislature lacks transparency and accountability in its dealings, according to a new state audit, which blasts legislative leaders for refusing to open up their books for the performance review.

    The audit, released Monday by Auditor Diana DiZoglio, faults the state House of Representatives and Senate for failing to conduct timely financial reviews of its spending, a lack of transparency in its procurement policies and a website that makes it difficult for the public to navigate, among other criticisms.

    But DiZoglio also leaned into House and Senate leaders for refusing to provide information her office requested for the audit, including tracking year-end budget spending, how they decide which major bills are brought up for a vote and whether the two chambers are following their own rules regarding non-disclosure agreements.

    “It is deeply concerning that legislative leaders have refused to cooperate with our office to help promote transparency and identify ways to improve service to the people of Massachusetts,” the Democrat said in a statement. “Transparency and accountability are cornerstones of our democracy and enable the people to participate in government as intended in our Constitution, in a system of checks and balances.”

    The audit comes as DiZoglio urges voters to approve Question 1, which if approved would force legislative leaders to open up their books for an independent review.

    Under current laws, the auditor has the power to examine “all departments, offices, commissions, institutions and activities of the commonwealth” but the ballot question would expand those powers to specifically include the Legislature.

    The referendum was proposed by DiZoglio, a Methuen Democrat and former state lawmaker, whose high-profile efforts to audit the House and Senate have been blocked by legislative leaders who argue the move is unconstitutional.

    The partial audit released on Monday found that the Senate and House didn’t ensure annual financial audits were completed, filed with required recipients, or made available to the public in a timely way, in an apparent violation of their own rules.

    The review also found that the Legislature’s procurement policies lack transparency, which auditors said limit the public’s ability to hold the Legislature accountable.

    The Massachusetts Legislature’s website also lacks content and is hard to navigate, compared to other state’s legislative bodies, which auditors said “hinders the public’s ability to understand and engage in the legislative process and hold the Legislature accountable for ensuring an equitable mode of making laws.”

    Other concerns flagged by auditors included a lack of details about how legislative leaders appoint committee chairpersons and other posts that bump up lawmaker’s prestige and compensation.

    Legislative leaders were asked to respond to the findings of the audit, but DiZoglio’s office said they declined.

    “The purported audit of the Legislature released by the Auditor today confirms only one thing: the Auditor has abandoned all pretext of faithfully performing her statutory responsibilities in favor of using her office for pure political self-promotion and electioneering,” House Speaker Ron Mariano said in a statement on Monday in response to the report.

    “The Auditor should instead be focusing on her statutorily mandated reviews, as she continues to underperform her predecessors in the completion of that important work,” he added.

    DiZoglio launched her review of the Legislature more than a year ago but said she hasn’t been able to get access to individuals and records her office needs for a forensic investigation.

    Mariano, a Quincy Democrat, and Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, have so far blocked her efforts to conduct the investigation into the House and Senate’s inner workings, calling the proposed audit “unconstitutional” and claiming it would violate the separation of powers.

    DiZoglio has framed the plan as part of a broader effort to improve transparency and accountability in Legislature, which is continuously ranked as one of the least effective and least transparent legislative bodies in the country. It is also one of only four state Legislatures that exempts itself from public records laws, DiZoglio points out.

    The effort was dealt a blow last year when Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office rejected DiZoglio’s request to file a lawsuit to force the audit, saying a review of state laws, judicial rulings and the historical record, suggests she doesn’t have standing to file the legal challenge.

    A panel of six lawmakers who reviewed the proposal issued a report concluding that passage of Question 1 would “undermine the separation of powers between the branches of government.” The report included testimony from constitutional scholars and civics educators who oppose the move.

    Despite that, recent polls have shown voters strongly support Question 1 — one of five referendums on the Nov. 5 ballot — which hasn’t drawn any organized opposition.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Early voting gets underway ahead of Nov. election

    Early voting gets underway ahead of Nov. election

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    BOSTON — Hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts voters have already cast ballots for next month’s crucial presidential election with a two-week early voting period getting underway this weekend, according to state election officials.

    Each community will have at least one early voting station available during regular business hours, as well as Saturdays and Sundays, through Nov. 1, according to Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s office.

    Voters can also cast their ballots through mail, which can be received by Nov. 8 if postmarked by Election Day, Galvin’s office said.

    “Early voting offers each voter the convenience of casting their ballot at a time that works for them,” Galvin said in a statement. “If you prefer to vote in person, this gives you that opportunity, even if Election Day is a busy day for you.”

    More than 360,000 voters have already cast their ballots by mail as of Thursday, according to Galvin’s office, which says it has sent more than 1.3 million ballots to registered voters who requested them.

    Massachusetts has more than 4.9 million voters, over half of whom are registered as independent – not affiliated with a major party – and whose ranks have swelled in the months leading up to the election. Those who aren’t registered can do so until Oct. 26 and can register online or at early voting locations, Galvin’s office said.

    Topping the Nov. 5 ballot is the contentious, neck-and-neck race for the White House between former Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who will be on the ballot with their running mates, Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

    Recent polls show Harris with a wide lead over Trump in deep-blue Massachusetts, but the race couldn’t be closer nationally and in battleground states such as Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona, where the candidates and their running mates have been campaigning to rally their supporters and win over undecided voters.

    Trump and Harris will share the Massachusetts ballot with several third-party and fringe candidates, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s candidates, Claudia De La Cruz and her vice presidential running mate, Karina Garcia.

    Green Party candidate Jill Stein and her vice presidential candidate Gloria Caballero Roca, Libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver and his running mate Mike ter Maat, and independent presidential candidate Shiva Ayyadurai and his running mate, Crystal Ellis, will also be on the ballot.

    Besides picking a new president and deciding a handful of contested legislative and local races, voters will consider ballot questions to audit the Legislature, scrap the MCAS graduation mandate, allow ride-hailing drivers to form unions, legalize psychedelic mushrooms and boost the wages of tipped workers.

    The state’s strong consumer protection laws often make it a testing ground for controversial changes in law and policy through the ballot box, and the outcomes of several of the questions are being closely watched nationally.

    Neither of the North of Boston area’s two Democratic congressional members, Reps. Lori Trahan of Westford and Seth Moulton of Salem, are facing challengers. Republicans didn’t field any candidates in 3rd or 6th Congressional District races, ensuring that Trahan and Moulton will win another two years in Congress.

    Despite the lack of contested races in this year’s election cycle, good government groups are still urging Massachusetts voters to cast ballots by mail, during the early voting period or on Election Day.

    “There’s a lot at stake and it’s a huge, consequential election,” Geoff Foster, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts, said Tuesday during a livestreamed briefing on voting options.

    “The election isn’t three weeks away. It’s now,” he said. “You can vote by mail. You can vote in person during early voting. Or, if you want to keep it old school, you can wait until Tuesday, Nov. 5, and cast a ballot at your local polling station.”

    Voters can see a full list of the candidates, register to vote and look up early voting locations and times on the secretary of state’s website: www.VoteInMA.com.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Former ICE field director seizes on immigration in race against Rep. Jason Crow to represent Aurora

    Former ICE field director seizes on immigration in race against Rep. Jason Crow to represent Aurora

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    John Fabbricatore enforced federal immigration laws in his position as an ICE field office director until two years ago, and now he hopes to help secure America’s borders as a congressman.

    The Republican candidate in Colorado’s 6th Congressional District is drawing on his career with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as he runs against U.S. Rep. Jason Crow in the Nov. 5 election. Crow, a Democrat, just finished his third term in Congress as the representative of the district, which includes Aurora, Littleton, Englewood, Greenwood Village and Centennial.

    The odds weigh heavily in Crow’s favor. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report doesn’t consider the fight for the 6th District to be competitive. It’s ranked as solidly Democratic, in part because Crow, 45, won all three of his elections by double-digit percentages and redistricting in 2020 resulted in boundaries more favorable to Democrats.

    That’s a change from 2018 when the district was seen as a battleground and Crow won his first race by unseating then-U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, now Aurora’s mayor.

    But this time, Fabbricatore, 52, says voters are looking for a candidate who will prioritize the economy and lower taxes — and he contends that he’s the person for the job.

    “They want someone that wants to fight,” Fabbricatore said.

    He and Crow share certain traits. They’re both veterans: Fabbricatore served in the U.S. Air Force, and Crow was an Army Ranger. They’re hunters, each having longstanding experience with firearms. Neither hails from Colorado originally, with Fabbricatore raised in New York City and Crow in Madison, Wisconsin.

    And the candidates, both fathers of two children, reside in Aurora.

    Beyond that, their stances on major issues diverge — including on immigration, which Fabbricatore refers to as his “subject matter expertise.”

    He argues jobs are going to immigrants compensated with lower wages, taking positions that could be filled by Americans for higher pay. Fabbricatore says he supports “legal, vetted” immigration and more stringent enforcement of existing laws.

    “If we actually just enforce those laws, we will be doing much better than we are doing today with immigration,” he said.

    In recent weeks, Fabbricatore has raised the alarm alongside former President Donald Trump and other conservatives about the presence of Venezuelan gangs in Aurora — while Crow has called out exaggerations and criticized Trump for distorting the problems in certain apartment complexes.

    Crow notes that he represents “one of the most diverse districts in the nation,” with nearly 20% of his constituents born outside of the U.S. He wants to use federal grants and other programs to help immigrants and defend them against racist rhetoric.

    He said he backed a bipartisan immigration deal that ran aground earlier this year after failing to earn enough Republican support. It would have boosted the number of border patrol agents, immigration judges and officers that oversee asylum cases, as well as established more legal pathways for migrants and others without documentation.

    Fabbricatore said in a Denver Post candidate questionnaire that he would not have supported the bipartisan bill, instead preferring another bill with a greater focus on border security.

    Gun violence is what motivated Crow to run for office. He backs a ban on assault weapons and supports universal background checks. He’s also working to pass a bill that would apply the same restrictions to out-of-state residents when they purchase long guns and shotguns as they face when buying handguns — requiring that the gun be shipped to a federally licensed seller in their home state, with a background check performed there.

    Gun violence is “just an unacceptable, avoidable, ongoing national tragedy,” Crow said. “We don’t have to live with mass shootings.”

    Fabbricatore says he believes in gun rights and is instead pushing for investments in mental health.

    The candidates differ on abortion. Crow favors abortion rights, saying he aligns with the majority of Coloradans who back legal access to abortion — and he would support a federal law establishing that as a right. Fabbricatore says Congress should leave abortion’s legal status to the states. He opposes abortion, but he says he recognizes a need for exceptions, including in cases of rape.

    “Having been someone who worked in sex trafficking and saw what many women went through, I could never tell a woman that she couldn’t have a medical procedure to end what happened to her,” he said.

    Fabbricatore points to the economy as his No. 1 issue, saying it’s impacted by energy policy and immigration. He sees Colorado’s potential to participate in the energy sector through solar, wind, fracking and coal.

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    Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton

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  • Question 2: Should state scrap MCAS graduation requirement?

    Question 2: Should state scrap MCAS graduation requirement?

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    BOSTON — Critics of high-stakes testing are urging voters to approve a proposal to remove the MCAS exam requirement to graduate from high school, but critics say the move would eliminate a crucial tool for measuring students’ progress through public school.

    Question 2, one of five referendums on the Nov. 5 ballot, asks voters if they want to scrap the decades-old mandate requiring 10th-grade students to demonstrate proficiency in math, English and science through a series of standardized tests known as the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System.

    A “yes” vote would still require students to take the 10th-grade MCAS exams, but they would no longer need to earn a passing score or other state approval. School districts would need to set their own criteria for graduation based on statewide educational standards.

    A “no” vote would keep the status quo, requiring students to pass the 10th-grade MCAS exams to graduate.

    Each year, about 500,000 students take the MCAS — the benchmark “gold standard” standardized test in the state for nearly 30 years.

    The testing begins in the third grade, but students in the 10th grade are required to pass the math, English and science exams to graduate from high school. The tests are also designed to identify under-performing schools and districts as candidates for state intervention.

    Backers of Question 2, which include the Massachusetts Teachers Association, argue that Massachusetts has become an outlier as one of a handful of states that requires students to pass a test to graduate from high school. They say the testing isn’t a complete picture of a student’s abilities, and often leaves those who don’t pass the test behind.

    “Massachusetts residents are ready to join the vast majority of states that have scrapped the use of standardized tests as a graduation requirement and instead use authentic, educator-designed assessments of student skills,” MTA President Max Page said.

    “The MCAS will still be taken, as is required by federal law, but it will be used for diagnostic purposes, and not as a high-stakes test required for earning a diploma.”

    Supporters of the graduation requirement, including the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, argue that the exams are necessary to expose inequities among students and school districts, measure trends in student outcomes, and gauge readiness for college and the workplace.

    John Schneider, chair of the Protect Our Kids Future: NO on Question 2 campaign, said eliminating the MCAS graduation standard “will effectively weaken the proficiency we expect students to meet, and that is disastrous for both employers and students.”

    “Employers in Massachusetts understand the importance of maintaining high standards in education — not only to provide an educated workforce for our growing industries, but also to provide equal opportunities for students from every community across Massachusetts to fill the jobs our companies are creating,” he said.

    “Without a statewide standard for graduation, our public education system could easily fall back into mediocrity.”

    The Massachusetts Superintendents Association, which represents school administrators, also opposes Question 2, citing a key concern that the proposal “fails to stipulate a replacement for MCAS as a statewide standard for earning a high school diploma.”

    Both sides have raised and spent millions of dollars for TV and digital ads to convince voters to keep or do away with the MCAS requirement. They’ve also traded barbs about claims of misleading advertising.

    Recent polls have shown a slight majority of the state’s voters support Question 2, but pollsters say opposition to the referendum could tighten as the election draws closer.

    A recent report by Tufts University’s Center for State Policy Analysis suggested that allowing school districts to set graduation requirements could start a “a race to the bottom” because districts with poor or falling graduation rates “would be tempted to compensate by lowering expectations.”

    But the report’s authors, who didn’t take a position on Question 2, also said that scrapping the MCAS graduation requirement could free up teachers to focus less on test preparation and more on knowledge and skills that aren’t covered by a standardized exam.

    The Tuft’s report also points out that despite claims by Question 2 supporters, state educational data shows the MCAS requirement “rarely” prevents students from getting a high school diploma. Most students eventually meet the requirements to graduate, the report notes.

    The debate over the graduation mandate comes as the latest MCAS results show students’ test scores are still lagging behind pre-pandemic years.

    Among 10th-graders, science scores increased but math and English Language Arts scores dropped slightly, according to the results of the spring exams released last month by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

    Not surprisingly, supporters and opponents of Question 2 seized on the data to back their claims that the high school graduation requirement should be scrapped or maintained.

    State education officials blamed chronic absenteeism for the across-the-board drop in MCAS scores, with a high percentage of students missing more than 10% of the school year, or 18 days in the previous school year. Those numbers have dropped below 20% since the pandemic, but remain high, state officials said.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Voters in the US don’t directly elect the president. Sometimes that can undermine the popular will

    Voters in the US don’t directly elect the president. Sometimes that can undermine the popular will

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    The U.S. has a unique system for electing a president, the Electoral College. In modern times, it has put disproportionate voting power in the hands of a few states that are fairly evenly divided politically.

    That forces campaigns to dedicate most of their money to the so-called battleground states. There are seven of them this year — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

    The lack of attention to other states leaves voters in much of the country feeling as if they and the issues they care about are being overlooked during the presidential contest.

    American voters don’t choose their president directly through the popular vote. When they cast their ballot, they are technically voting for a slate of electors who will then vote for president and vice president on a specific day in December.

    Nearly all states have laws binding electors to vote for the winner of their state’s popular vote, but that doesn’t mean the presidential candidate who gets the most Electoral College votes is the one favored by the majority of voters.

    In two of the last six U.S. presidential elections, candidates have lost the nationwide popular vote but won the presidency. This includes former President Donald Trump, who lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 by nearly 2.9 million but still won enough votes in the Electoral College to become president.

    This often sounds crazy to people who live in democracies in the rest of the world. The U.S. is the only country to have a system where voters select a body of electors with the sole function of choosing the president. In most other democracies, the president is directly elected through the popular will of the voters.

    Each state’s presidential electors are equal to the number of its representatives in the U.S. House and Senate. This benefits smaller states and sets the stage for presidential elections to largely hinge on just a handful of swing states.

    A presidential candidate must win a majority of the 538 total electoral votes to win (the District of Columbia gets three). Most states use a winner-take-all system in which all electors award their votes to the popular winner in the state. Maine and Nebraska are the exceptions, awarding theirs on a proportional basis.

    The Electoral College incentivizes presidential campaigns to focus visits and spending on a small number of swing states.

    This year’s presidential battleground states represent 18% of the country’s population but have dominated the attention of the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates and their running mates.

    Through Tuesday, the Democratic and Republican tickets have had just over 200 total campaign stops — three-quarters of which have been to the seven battleground states, according to a database of campaign events that is based on Associated Press reporting. Pennsylvania alone has been visited 41 times, the most of any state. The AP data shows Michigan is second, with 31 visits through Tuesday, followed closely by Wisconsin, with 27. The rest: North Carolina, 18; Nevada, 13; and Arizona and Georgia with 12 visits each.

    But it’s not just the state visits: The presidential campaigns are tailoring their appearances to specific counties they believe are crucial to their success. The AP’s database shows their campaign events in those seven states have been concentrated in counties with 22.7 million registered voters — just 10% of all voters registered nationally for this year’s presidential election.

    The lack of attention from presidential candidates is felt acutely in places like Waukegan, Illinois, a majority Latino working-class city that has struggled as its factories closed and waterfront deteriorated. Except for the occasional fundraiser in Chicago, Illinois is mostly bypassed by presidential candidates because it votes reliably Democratic.

    Its neighbor to the north, Wisconsin, is a common stomping ground for presidential hopefuls.

    The last time a presidential candidate set foot in Waukegan was when former President Donald Trump landed at its airport in 2020. He walked off Air Force One, gave a single wave, and immediately climbed into an SUV headed across the border to Kenosha, Wisconsin.

    But in Racine, a Wisconsin city of a similar size just 50 miles north of Waukegan, Trump hosted a rally in June near a harbor overlooking Lake Michigan, where he gushed about the development along the lakeshore, spoke about revitalization efforts in Racine and the Milwaukee metropolitan area, and emphasized their voters’ importance in his attempt to return to the White House. Just a month earlier, before he dropped out of the race, President Joe Biden lauded a new Microsoft center in Racine County during a campaign stop in the city.

    Waukegan residents say they feel lost in the national conversation during presidential elections and wish they could also be on the candidates’ radar.

    “It’s not so much the candidates as it is the anti-democratic Electoral College,” said Matt Muchowkshi, chair of the Waukegan Township Democrats. “It’s frustrating that certain voters’ votes count for more, and they discount and discredit the votes of more urban, more people of color voters.”

    ___

    Associated Press multimedia journalist Kevin S. Vineys in Washington contributed to this report.

    ___

    The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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