ReportWire

Tag: Voting

  • Harris makes campaign push with assists from singers Lizzo and Usher

    Harris makes campaign push with assists from singers Lizzo and Usher

    [ad_1]

    DETROIT — Vice President Kamala Harris appeared with Lizzo on Saturday in the singer’s hometown of Detroit, marking the beginning of in-person voting and lavishing the city with praise after Republican nominee Donald Trump recently disparaged it.

    “All the best things were made in Detroit. Coney Dogs, Faygo and Lizzo,” the singer joked to a rally crowd, pointing to herself after listing off the meat-on-a-stick and soda that the city is famous for.

    She said it was time to “put some respect on Detroit’s name” noting that the city had revolutionized the auto and music industries and adding that she’d already cast her ballot for Harris since voting early was “a power move.”

    Heaps of praise for the Motor City came after Trump, the former president, insulted it during a recent campaign stop. And Harris continued the theme, saying of her campaign, “Like the people of Detroit, we have grit, we have excellence, we have history.”

    Arms wide open as she took the stage, Harris let the crowd see she was wearing under her blazer a “Detroit vs. Everybody” T-shirt that the owner of the business that produces them gave her during a previous stop in the city earlier in the week. She also moved around the stage during her speech with a hand-held mic, not using a teleprompter.

    More than 1 million Michigan residents have already voted by mail in the Nov. 5 election, and Harris predicted that Detroit turnout for early voting would be strong.

    “Who is the capital of producing records?” Harris asked when imploring the crowd to set new highs for early voting tallies. “We are going to break some records here in Detroit today.”

    She slammed Trump as unstable: “Somebody just needs to watch his rallies, if you’re not really sure how to vote.”

    “We’re not going to get these 17 days back. On Election Day, we don’t want to have any regrets,” the vice president said.

    Lizzo also told the crowd, “Mrs. Commander-in-Chief has a nice ring to it.”

    “This is the swing state of all swing states, so every last vote here counts,” the singer said. Then, referencing her song of the same title, Lizzo added, “If you ask me if America is ready for its first woman president, I only have one thing to say: “It’s about damn time!”

    Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement that Harris needed Lizzo “to hide the fact that Michiganders were feeling good under President Trump – real wages were higher, prices were lower, and everyone was better off.”

    Talona Johnson, a product manager from Rochester, Michigan, attended Harris rally and said that Harris “and her team are doing the things that are required to make sure that people are informed.”

    “I believe she’s telling the truth. She’s trying to help the people,” said Johnson, who said she planned to vote for Harris and saw women’s rights as her top concern.

    “I don’t necessarily agree with everything that she’s put out, but she’s better than the alternative,”

    In comments to reporters prior to the rally, Harris said she was in Detroit “to thank all the folks for the work they are doing to help organize and register people to vote, and get them out to vote today. She also called Detroit “a great American city” with “a lot of hard-working folks that have grit and ambition and deserve to be respected.”

    The vice president was asked about whether the Biden administration’s full-throated support for Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza might hurt her support in Michigan. Dearborn, near Detroit, is the largest city with an Arab majority in the nation.

    “It has never been easy,” Harris said of Middle East policy. “But that doesn’t mean we give up.”

    She will get more star power later Saturday when she holds a rally in Atlanta featuring another wildly popular singer, Usher.

    Early voting is also underway in Georgia. More than 1.2 million ballots have been cast, either in person or by mail. Democrats hope an expansive organizing effort will boost Harris against Trump in the campaign’s final weeks.

    Roderick Williams, 56, brought his three daughters to Harris’ Atlanta rally. His youngest daughter was born around the time former president Barack Obama entered office, and he hopes they can witness history again by seeing Harris become the first Black woman to be president.

    “It’s important for them to see that anything’s possible,” Williams said.

    ___

    Associated Press writers Matt Brown in Detroit, Charlotte Kramon in Atlanta and Will Weissert and Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • 10/19: Saturday Morning

    10/19: Saturday Morning

    [ad_1]

    10/19: Saturday Morning – CBS News


    Watch CBS News



    As early voting opens in Detroit, Harris, Trump campaign in the battleground state of Michigan; How chef Andrew Black is building a food empire.

    Be the first to know

    Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.


    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Wisconsin to vote on constitutional amendment barring noncitizens from voting

    Wisconsin to vote on constitutional amendment barring noncitizens from voting

    [ad_1]

    Voters in swing state Wisconsin will have another choice to make after casting their ballots for president in November — whether to explicitly bar foreign nationals from voting.

    At the bottom of the ballot is a statewide referendum authored by Republican legislators asking for permission to amend the state constitution to clearly prohibit non-U.S. citizens from voting in any election held in the state.

    Part of a GOP push across the country, the move was spurred by municipalities in a handful of states letting noncitizens vote in local elections. North Dakota, Alabama, Florida, Colorado, Ohio and Louisiana have all adopted the measure in recent years and it’s on the ballot in eight others, including Wisconsin, Iowa, Kentucky and Missouri.

    Republicans argue they’re trying to protect election integrity as immigrants pour over the southern border. Democrats and other opponents say the amendment has no practical effect — no Wisconsin municipalities allow noncitizens to vote — and is instead designed to draw conservatives to the polls and stoke anger against foreigners in the United States.

    “There is no problem with noncitizens voting,” said Jeff Mandell, an attorney with Law Forward, a nonprofit organization that advocates for voter rights. “It is the very definition of a solution in search of a problem.”

    According to the Pew Research Center, over 25 million people living in the U.S. in 2020 were not U.S. citizens. This included approximately 12 million permanent residents, as well as 2 million temporary residents visiting the U.S. as students, tourists, foreign workers and foreign officials. Pew’s figure also included approximately 11 million migrants living in the U.S. illegally.

    A 1996 federal law already makes it illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections.

    No state constitutions explicitly allow noncitizens to vote and many states have laws prohibiting them from voting in statewide races. State data also indicates voting by noncitizens is rare, although Republicans have highlighted voter registration reviews that turned up potential noncitizens.

    Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in August that over 6,500 potential noncitizens had been removed from the state’s voter rolls since 2021. Ohio Secretary of State Frank La Rose also said in August that he referred 138 apparent noncitizens found to have voted in a recent election for prosecution. And Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen has said that 3,251 people previously identified as noncitizens by the federal government have been deactivated on the state’s voter registration rolls.

    Multiple municipalities in California, Maryland and Vermont as well as the District of Columbia allow noncitizens to vote in some local elections such as school board and city council races. Republicans fear more jurisdictions could follow.

    Wisconsin’s constitution currently states that every U.S. citizen is a valid elector. The amendment would revise that language to say that only U.S. citizens can vote.

    State Rep. Tyler August, the amendment’s chief Assembly sponsor, said Wisconsin Republicans want to make “crystal clear” that foreign nationals can’t vote in the state.

    “While (the state constitution) says every U.S. citizen can vote, we want to make sure that can’t be interpreted to mean every U.S. citizen plus all these other folks,” August said. He acknowledged that noncitizens voting in other states drove the amendment.

    But August rejected arguments that the amendment discriminates against foreign nationals and is designed to draw conservatives to the polls — predicting that Republicans will still turn out “in droves” for former President Donald Trump.

    “It’s very clear,” August said. “If someone comes here legally and goes through the process and they’re granted U.S. citizenship, they’ll be able to vote. It’s got nothing to do with race or immigration.”

    An aide for Republican state Sen. Julian Bradley of New Berlin, the amendment’s chief sponsor, referred questions about it to August.

    Wisconsin constitutional amendments must pass two consecutive legislative sessions and a statewide referendum before they can take effect. Republican lawmakers passed the measure in 2022 and again last year without a single Democratic vote either time. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has no role in approving constitutional amendments.

    Wisconsin Ethics Commission records show the only organization to register in favor of the amendment this session is Wisconsin Family Action, a conservative group that says it works to defend marriage, the family and religious liberty. Multiple organizations have registered in opposition, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the League of Women Voters.

    More than 30 organizations have also signaled opposition, including Law Forward, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities and immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera. The groups in a September news release called the amendment a power grab that fosters discrimination and could lead to more anti-immigrant measures.

    “Not only is this statewide ballot question intentionally confusing, but it will create real harm,” the coalition said. “The proposed change in voter eligibility from ‘every’ citizen to ‘only’ citizens diminishes all of our voting rights. We urge Wisconsinites to vote no to preserve the constitutional guarantee that protects our freedom to vote from further infringement.”

    [ad_2]

    CBS Minnesota

    Source link

  • Oregon Election Officials Screening Phone And Email Messages After System Overwhelmed – KXL

    Oregon Election Officials Screening Phone And Email Messages After System Overwhelmed – KXL

    [ad_1]

    A Voters’ Pamphlet for the Oregon General Election on November 5, 2024, is shown on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Oregon. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)

    PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon election officials were screening phone and email messages Friday after their system was overwhelmed and shut down because of a barrage of calls from people responding to a false claim that the state’s voter pamphlet doesn’t include Republican nominee Donald Trump.

    The pamphlet does list Trump as a candidate, and Trump will be on the ballot in Oregon. What the pamphlet doesn’t include is a statement about why people should vote for him. That’s because the president didn’t submit one, the Oregon GOP said in a statement.

    The false claim has continued to spread on social media, however, and on Thursday, the Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division said it shut down the phone lines after being overwhelmed by out-of-town callers. They made adjustments Friday to deal with the ongoing deluge.

    “Our phones are back up, but in this case, it would be more accurate to say that we will be screening voicemails,” spokesperson Laura Kerns told The Associated Press. “Oregonians who call with specific, answerable questions about the election will be prioritized for a return call.”

    The department’s email system was also overwhelmed by people commenting on the false claim, prompting officials to prioritize responses to Oregonians with “answerable questions,” Kerns said. She added that the office plans to fully reopen by Monday.

    People on social media continued to spread the false claim on Friday. One person on X asked Elon Musk to spread the word that the Oregon Secretary of State removed Trump from the pamphlet, while another posted the agency’s phone number alongside the message CALL NOW.

    “Oregonians who need assistance will now have to wait because some individuals operating in bad faith are misleading people online,” Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade said in a news release. “Spreading rumors and false claims of election interference does nothing to help Oregonians.”

    More about:

    [ad_2]

    Jordan Vawter

    Source link

  • Early voting gets underway ahead of Nov. election

    Early voting gets underway ahead of Nov. election

    [ad_1]

    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.

    [ad_2]

    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

    Source link

  • As women seek open congressional seats in Maryland, reproductive rights are front and center

    As women seek open congressional seats in Maryland, reproductive rights are front and center

    [ad_1]

    FREDERICK, Md. (AP) — In an election where the future of reproductive rights is on the ballot in Maryland and elsewhere across the country, the state’s all-male congressional delegation stands to gain an influx of women.

    It could happen in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, where Democrat April McClain Delaney is running against conservative Republican Neil Parrott, a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates. They’re competing to represent a wide swath of rural Maryland and more affluent liberal suburbs of Washington, D.C.

    In a year when voters also could elect the nation’s first female president, women are vying for two other open seats in Maryland’s 10-member congressional delegation. The delegation has been all-male since former Sen. Barbara Mikulski retired in 2016, but the state has a long history of female officeholders from both parties.

    McClain Delaney, a mother of four daughters whose husband previously represented the district, says she wants to protect the reproductive rights of her children and other young people in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to end the constitutional right to an abortion and leave those decisions to the states. She previously worked in the Biden administration’s Department of Commerce and has focused much of her career on protecting children’s online safety.

    “I can’t believe that my mother, my daughters’ grandmother, had more reproductive freedoms than they currently do,” she said in a recent interview. She said she once experienced an ectopic pregnancy that could have been fatal if restrictive abortion laws had limited her access to life-saving medical care.

    Parrott, meanwhile, has deflected questions about reproductive rights on the campaign trail. He made his anti-abortion stance clear during 12 years in the Maryland State House. But now, he says, it’s “really a non-issue” because he doesn’t believe either political party can get enough congressional votes to regulate abortion nationally — a position similar to that of former President Donald Trump, the GOP presidential nominee.

    That approach also echoes recent efforts by other conservatives and leaders of the anti-abortion movement now struggling to appeal to voters in blue-leaning Maryland. The state’s voters will also consider a constitutional amendment to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.

    Parrott, 54, has worked to move the conversation to friendlier terrain, emphasizing his commitment to lowering inflation, creating a stronger economy for middle-class families and stopping illegal immigration. He says his opponent — who lives several miles outside the district in an affluent suburb of Washington — is out of touch with the struggles of everyday Americans, including people in the 6th Congressional District.

    U.S. House members are only required to live in the state they represent.

    McClain Delaney has used personal funds to bolster her campaign and received endorsements from big-name Democrats, including former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin.

    She’s also outspent Parrott by a wide margin, according to AdImpact, which tracks campaign spending. Just since the May 14 primaries, Democrats have spent more than $600,000 on advertising in the 6th District race, compared to slightly more than $30,000 spent by Republicans.

    What to know about the 2024 Election

    Those figures are not expected to change much between now and Nov. 5, with McClain-Delaney having a nearly 20-1 advantage in ad spending reserved the rest of the way. Neither candidate has received much support from the national parties or outside groups, a possible indicator that both sides view the seat as safely Democratic.

    Parrot is a longtime resident of Hagerstown, a small city in western Maryland surrounded by farmland. A traffic engineer by trade, he said he can relate to people dealing with high grocery bills and unaffordable housing.

    “I have a history here,” he said. “I’ve served in the community here.”

    But McClain Delaney, 60, argues she’s more ideologically in line with most 6th District voters. She calls herself a “common sense, common ground” candidate. The daughter of an Idaho potato farmer, she says she can get Washington politicians to address the needs of working families.

    McClain Delaney has attacked Parrott’s record in the Maryland House of Delegates, particularly on issues impacting women.

    Parrott, in turn, has accused McClain Delaney of lying and taking things out of context. In an interview last week, Parrott said he supports the right to abortion in cases of rape, incest and when the mother’s life is at risk.

    Tensions between the candidates erupted into a heated exchange during the last few minutes of a recent public forum.

    “Shame on her,” Parrott said, pointing a finger at McClain Delaney, who denied putting out false information as members of the audience chanted and jeered.

    The House seat was vacated by David Trone, who ran for Senate and lost to Angela Alsobrooks in the Democratic primary earlier this year.

    The 6th District hasn’t always favored Democrats. It was represented by Republican Roscoe Bartlett for 20 years before McClain Delaney’s husband, John Delaney, won the seat in 2012 following a redistricting that helped Democrats.

    Seven of Maryland’s eight House members are Democrats, as are the state’s two senators. Three women are vying for open seats this election cycle.

    In Maryland’s deep blue 3rd Congressional District, state Sen. Sarah Elfreth won a crowded Democratic primary. Her main rival was former U.S. Capitol police officer Harry Dunn, who defended the U.S. Capitol against Jan. 6 rioters. In 2018, Elfreth became the youngest woman elected to the state Senate. She’s pledged to prioritize reproductive health and affordable child care.

    Reproductive freedom is also at the forefront of the U.S. Senate race between former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and Alsobrooks, a Democrat who argues women have too much at stake to risk losing Democrats’ thin Senate majority. She said having more women at the table is a big deal.

    “I believe it makes our policies more complete,” she said in a recent interview. “And so this is a moment that gives us the opportunity to make sure that we are adding women — mothers and daughters and sisters — to the Senate to ensure that the variety of lived experiences are represented in that body.”

    ___

    This story has been corrected to reflect that Maryland’s delegation has 10 members, not nine, and that there are nine Democrats, not eight, in the delegation

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • FACT FOCUS: A look at false claims made by Trump in California

    FACT FOCUS: A look at false claims made by Trump in California

    [ad_1]

    In a press conference from his Los Angeles-area golf club, former President Donald Trump revisited several topics from Tuesday night’s debate, repeating several false and misleading claims on issues including crime, the economy and immigration.

    Here’s are the facts:

    Trump again falsely claims crime skyrocketed under the Biden administration

    CLAIM: New numbers show that crime has skyrocketed under the Biden administration.

    THE FACTS: Violent crime surged during the pandemic, with homicides increasing nearly 30% in 2020 over the previous year — the largest one-year jump since the FBI began keeping records.

    But FBI data released in June shows that the overall violent crime rate declined 15% in the first three months of 2024 compared to the same period last year. One expert has cautioned, however, that those figures are preliminary and may overstate the actual reduction in crime.

    On Friday, Trump cited numbers he said were from the “bureau of justice statistics” to claim crime was up. This appears to be a reference to the National Crime Victimization Survey recently released by the Justice Department, which shows that the number of times people were victims of violent crime increased by about 40% from 2020 to 2023. The report notes, however, that while the rate of violent victimizations in 2023 was higher than it was in 2020 and 2021, it was not statistically different from the rate in 2019, when Trump was president.

    That survey aims to capture both crimes reported to police and crimes that are not reported to police and is conducted annually through interviews with about 150,000 households. It doesn’t include murders or crimes against people under the age of 12.

    No basis for claims that violent crime has spiked as a result of the influx of migrants

    CLAIM: Thousands of people are being killed by “illegal migrants” in the U.S.

    THE FACTS: This is not supported by evidence. FBI statistics do not separate crimes by the immigration status of the assailant, nor is there any evidence of a spike in crime perpetrated by migrants, either along the U.S.-Mexico border or in cities seeing the greatest influx of migrants, like New York. In fact, national statistics show violent crime is on the way down.

    Inflation has not reached record levels

    CLAIM: Prices have gone up “like no one’s ever seen before.”

    THE FACTS: That’s not accurate. Inflation did soar in 2021-22, though it rose by much more in 1980 when inflation topped 14%. It peaked at 9.1% in June 2022.

    Economists largely blame the inflation spike on the pandemic’s disruptions to global supply chains, which reduced the supply of semiconductors, cars and other goods. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also pushed up gas and food prices. And Biden’s stimulus checks and other spending contributed by turbocharging spending coming out of the pandemic.

    Inflation has now fallen to 2.5%, not far from the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Prices are still about 19% higher than they were before the pandemic, but the Census Bureau reported Tuesday that household incomes have risen by a similar amount, leaving inflation-adjusted incomes at roughly the same level as they were in 2019.

    Trump raises false claims to suggest voting systems are fraudulent

    CLAIM: The voting system isn’t honest. Millions and millions of ballots are sent out “all over the place. Some people get two, three, four or five.”

    THE FACTS: Election officials have procedures in place to ensure that only one mail ballot is issued to each eligible voter. When a voter requests a mail ballot, election officials will verify that person’s eligibility by checking voter registration records — looking to match the voter’s information to what’s on file and, in some cases, checking that the voter’s signature matches as well.

    What to know about the 2024 Election

    When a ballot is sent out by an election office, that ballot is assigned to that specific voter. If someone else tries to use that ballot, the voter’s information will not match the office’s records for that ballot and it will be rejected. Election officials constantly update their voter lists to ensure they are accurate, removing dead people, those who have moved out of state or are not eligible.

    In some cases, ballots are canceled — if a voter makes a mistake and requests a new ballot or decides to vote in person instead of using a mail ballot. In those cases, the original ballot is marked in such a way that if that original ballot were to show up at the election office it would be flagged and rejected.

    At one point in his remarks, Trump singled out California, where all voters receive a ballot in the mail. He suggested he would win if votes were counted honestly. He has made this claim before and it is a reach. Just 23% of California voters are registered as Republican while 46% are registered as Democrats. He lost to Hillary Clinton in 2016 in California by 4.2 million votes, and he lost the state to Biden in 2020 by 5.1 million votes.

    Trump misrepresents a revision of U.S. job numbers

    CLAIM: A whistleblower forced the government’s recent downward revision of job gains by 818,000.

    THE FACTS: That’s false. The preliminary revision occurred as part of a normal annual process and was released on a previously disclosed date. Every year the Labor Department issues a revision of the number of jobs added during a 12-month period from April through March in the previous year.

    The adjustment is made because the government’s initial job counts are based on surveys of businesses. The revision is then based on actual job counts from unemployment insurance files that are compiled later. The revision is compiled by career government employees with little involvement by politically appointed officials.

    The Biden administration is not secretly flying hundreds of thousands of migrants into the country

    CLAIM: Harris and the Biden administration are secretly flying in hundreds of thousands of “illegal immigrants.”

    THE FACTS: Migrants are not secretly being flown into the U.S. by the government. Under a Biden policy in effect since January 2023, up to 30,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela can enter the country monthly if they apply online with a financial sponsor and arrive at a specified airport, paying their own way. Biden exercised his “parole” authority, which, under a 1952 law, allows him to admit people “only on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.”

    ___ Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer, Chris Rugaber, Christina Almeida Cassidy and Elliot Spagat contributed to this story.

    ___

    AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

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

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

    [ad_1]

    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.

    Read the rest of this story on TheKnow.DenverPost.com.

    [ad_2]

    The Cannabist Network

    Source link

  • Letters: The Senate fillibuster is a moderating force for better and/or worse – The Cannabist

    Letters: The Senate fillibuster is a moderating force for better and/or worse – The Cannabist

    [ad_1]

    The fillibuster moderates the Senate but is that good or bad?

    Re: “Is it time for America to eliminate the filibuster? Not so fast,” Oct. 5 commentary

    L. Roger Hutson suggests that the filibuster is a tool to “force” bipartisan governance. It does no such thing. What bipartisan governance?

    Read the rest of this story on TheKnow.DenverPost.com.

    [ad_2]

    The Cannabist Network

    Source link

  • 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

    [ad_1]

    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.

    [ad_2]

    Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton

    Source link

  • Georgia judge blocks ballot counting rule and says county officials must certify election results

    Georgia judge blocks ballot counting rule and says county officials must certify election results

    [ad_1]

    ATLANTA (AP) — A judge has blocked a new rule that requires Georgia Election Day ballots to be counted by hand after the close of voting. The ruling came a day after the same judge ruled that county election officials must certify election results by the deadline set in law.

    The rulings are victories for Democrats, liberal voting rights groups and some legal experts who have raised concerns that Donald Trump’s allies could refuse to certify the results if the former president loses to Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in next month’s presidential election. They have also argued that new rules enacted by the Trump-endorsed majority on the State Election Board could be used to stop or delay certification and to undermine public confidence in the results.

    The State Election Board last month passed the rule requiring that three poll workers each count the paper ballots — not votes — by hand after the polls close. The county election board in Cobb County, in Atlanta’s suburbs, had filed a lawsuit seeking to have a judge declare that rule and five others recently passed by the state board invalid, saying they exceed the state board’s authority, weren’t adopted in compliance with the law and are unreasonable.

    In a ruling late Tuesday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney wrote, that the hand count rule “is too much, too late” and blocked its enforcement while he considers the merits of the case.

    McBurney on Monday had ruled in a separate case that “no election superintendent (or member of a board of elections and registration) may refuse to certify or abstain from certifying election results under any circumstance.” While they are entitled to inspect the conduct of an election and to review related documents, he wrote, “any delay in receiving such information is not a basis for refusing to certify the election results or abstaining from doing so.”

    Georgia law says county election superintendents — generally multimember boards — “shall” certify election results by 5 p.m. on the Monday after an election, or the Tuesday if Monday is a holiday as it is this year.

    The two rulings came as early in-person voting began Tuesday in Georgia.

    In blocking the hand count rule, McBurney noted that there are no guidelines or training tools for its implementation and that the secretary of state had said the rule was passed too late for his office to provide meaningful training or support. The judge also wrote that no allowances have been made in county election budgets to provide for additional personnel or expenses associated with the rule.

    “The administrative chaos that will — not may — ensue is entirely inconsistent with the obligations of our boards of elections (and the SEB) to ensure that our elections are fair legal, and orderly,” he wrote.

    The state board may be right that the rule is smart policy, McBurney wrote, but the timing of its passage makes implementing it now “quite wrong.” He invoked the memory of the riot at the U.S. Capitol by people seeking to stop the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential victory on Jan. 6, 2021, writing, “Anything that adds uncertainty and disorder to the electoral process disserves the public.”

    During a hearing earlier Tuesday, Robert Thomas, a lawyer for the State Election Board, argued that the process isn’t complicated and that estimates show that it would take extra minutes, not hours, to complete. He also said memory cards from the scanners, which are used to tally the votes, could be sent to the tabulation center while the hand count is happening so reporting of results wouldn’t be delayed.

    What to know about the 2024 Election

    State and national Democratic groups that had joined the suit on the side of the Cobb election board, along with the Harris campaign, celebrated McBurney’s ruling in a joint statement: “From the beginning, this rule was an effort to delay election results to sow doubt in the outcome, and our democracy is stronger thanks to this decision to block it.”

    The certification ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Julie Adams, a Republican member of the election board in Fulton County, which includes most of the city of Atlanta and is a Democratic stronghold. Adams sought a declaration that her duties as an election board member were discretionary and that she is entitled to “full access” to “election materials.”

    Long an administrative task that attracted little attention, certification of election results has become politicized since Trump tried to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 general election. Republicans in several swing states, including Adams, refused to certify results earlier this year and some have sued to keep from being forced to sign off on election results.

    Adams’ suit, backed by the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute, argued county election board members have the discretion to reject certification. In court earlier this month, her lawyers also argued county election officials could certify results without including certain ballots if they suspect problems.

    Judge McBurney wrote that nothing in Georgia law gives county election officials the authority to determine that fraud has occurred or what should be done about it. Instead, he wrote, state law says a county election official’s “concerns about fraud or systemic error are to be noted and shared with the appropriate authorities but they are not a basis for a superintendent to decline to certify.”

    The Democratic National Committee and Democratic Party of Georgia had joined the lawsuit as defendants with the support of Harris’ campaign. The campaign called the ruling a “major legal win.”

    Adams said in a statement that McBurney’s ruling has made it clear that she and other county election officials “cannot be barred from access to elections in their counties.”

    A flurry of election rules passed by the State Election Board since August has generated a crush of lawsuits. McBurney earlier this month heard a challenge to two rules having to do with certification brought by the state and national Democratic parties. Another Fulton County judge is set to hear arguments in two challenges to rules tomorrow — one brought by the Democratic groups and another filed by a group headed by a former Republican lawmaker. And separate challenges are also pending in at least two other counties.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • 1-seat Democratic margin has Pennsylvania House control up for grabs in fall voting

    1-seat Democratic margin has Pennsylvania House control up for grabs in fall voting

    [ad_1]

    HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s legislative Republicans would like to pass additional voter ID requirements, restrict abortion and make election changes to improve their odds of winning judicial races. Democrats want to bump up the state’s minimum wage and widen civil rights for LGBTQ people.

    In the closely divided General Assembly, those proposals have gone nowhere.

    Next month the state’s voters will determine whether to change that dynamic, filling all 203 House seats and half the 50-member Senate. Democrats go into the election with a one-seat House majority, while in the Senate, Republicans have 28 seats and therefore majority control.

    Democrats would need to flip three Senate seats to get the chamber to a 25-25 deadlock, leaving Democratic Lt. Gov. Austin Davis to break ties on procedural votes but not final passage of legislation. They hope to thread the needle by taking GOP seats in Harrisburg, Erie and the Pittsburgh area while returning all of their own incumbents.

    This year, a few dozen legislative races across the country could determine party control in state capitols, affecting state laws on abortion, guns and transgender rights. Statehouse control is more politically important in the wake of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions weakening federal regulatory oversight, giving more power to states.

    In state House elections, it’s typical that only a couple dozen races are close enough to be competitive — a handful in the Philadelphia suburbs along with others scattered around the state.

    Democrats were aided by redrawn district lines when they flipped a net of 12 seats two years ago, retaking majority control after more than a decade in the legislative wilderness. A state House rule linking majority status to the results of elections rather than new vacancies has meant Democrats have maintained control of the chamber floor even as two members resigned this summer and gave Republicans a bare 101-100 margin. Those seats were filled Sept. 17 by Democrats who ran unopposed, and both are also unopposed in the General Election.

    This fall, more than half of the House districts have only one candidate on the ballot.

    Among the Republican targets in the House is Rep. Frank Burns, a Cambria County Democrat who has somehow stayed in office despite facing biennial GOP challenges in the very Republican Johnstown area. Another is Rep. Jim Haddock, a freshman Democrat who won a Lackawanna and Luzerne district by about 4 percentage points two years ago.

    Democrats have hopes of unseating Rep. Craig Williams, R-Delaware, who made an unsuccessful bid for the GOP’s attorney general nomination this spring. Outside Pittsburgh, Rep. Valerie Gaydos is also seen as relatively vulnerable.

    Rep. Nick Pisciottano, a Democrat, is giving up his Allegheny County district to run for state Senate. Rep. Jim Gregory lost the Republican primary to Scott Barger, who is unopposed in a Blair County district. Brian Rasel, a Republican, faces no other candidate to succeed Rep. George Dunbar, R-Westmoreland.

    Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, is unopposed for reelection but he’s also running for auditor general, raising the possibility the two parties could be tied after the votes are counted.

    What to know about the 2024 Election

    The state Senate races widely seen as the most competitive are the reelection efforts of Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, and Sen. Devlin Robinson, R-Allegheny. Dauphin County Sen. John DiSanto, a Republican, is not seeking another term after his district saw significant changes through redistricting. State Rep. Patty Kim, D-Dauphin, and Nick DiFrancesco, a Republican and the Dauphin County treasurer, are facing off to succeed DiSanto.

    Democrats have to defend a Pittsburgh state Senate opening because of the retirement of Sen. Jim Brewster, a Democrat. Pisciottano is going up against Republican security company owner Jen Dintini for Brewster’s seat.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Harris, Trump try to shore up support with key voting blocs

    Harris, Trump try to shore up support with key voting blocs

    [ad_1]

    Harris, Trump try to shore up support with key voting blocs – CBS News


    Watch CBS News



    Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday was on the campaign trail in North Carolina, which is still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Former President Trump meanwhile was in Arizona to announce a new proposal to expand the Border Patrol. Nikole Killion has more.

    Be the first to know

    Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.


    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • 3 things we saw as Denver Elections gets in gear

    3 things we saw as Denver Elections gets in gear

    [ad_1]

    Denver Elections spokesperson Mikayla Ortega holds up a nonpartisan “VOTA” sign in the division’s Bannock Street headquarters. Oct. 8, 2024.

    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    With less than a month to go until Election Day, the Denver Elections Division conducted its regular Logic and Accuracy Test — to ensure voting equipment is performing accurately — on Wednesday. 

    This is the second of three tests that the division is required by state law to conduct before each election. Not only is the test an insurance policy to make sure the equipment is working, but it’s also an opportunity for the election division to show the public how ballots are counted. 

    “It’s part of our Colorado model,” Paul López, the Clerk and Recorder for the City and County of Denver, said of the test.

    Denver Clerk and Recorder Paul López speaks to press during a test of ballot machines, ahead of the November presidential election, at Denver Elections’ Bannock Street headquarters. Oct. 8, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    Denver Elections Office has ramped up security this election

    The threat of election misinformation and increased intimidation of election officials and poll workers has forced the Denver Elections Office to rethink their approach to security. 

    Unlike in many other counties and states around the country, Colorado election workers are paid employees — not volunteers. 

    “The amazing thing about our election workers is they come from both parties,” Lopez said. “And that spirit of country before party is best represented here.”

    In addition to posting security guards and police at voting service and polling centers “due to the rhetoric about the integrity of elections,” Denver will no longer livestream video of its ballot processing online. In an interview with CPR in 2023, López said that they decided to stop live streaming because election workers were receiving threats. 

    “If you look at the livestream, you actually see faces,” the clerks told CPR last year. “And there have been efforts to discourage — particularly Republicans — from being election judges.”

    More recently, the elections office also told CPR News that it has “strengthened” its relationship with federal, state, and local law enforcement and emergency management to respond to threats.”

    The added security comes after Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and López went head to head last year over funding for the upcoming election. The two were initially at odds when Johnston’s proposed budget last year did not include the City Clerk and Recorder’s request to increase security for voting offices and polling centers.

    So far this year, the Denver Elections Division has spent more than $200,000 on security — a significant increase from the 2022 election. 

    An interactive ballot for people with visual impairments at Denver Elections’ Bannock Street headquarters. Oct. 8, 2024.
    Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

    A new strategy for reaching millennials — with tattoos and beer

    The elections office has shifted its marketing strategy this year. Instead of printing the usual colorful “Vote!” yard signs, this year the Denver Elections Office has simplified the color palette. The new signs — available free at Denver libraries, upcoming city town halls, or the Denver Elections Office — are simply black and white.

    “Voting is a matter of black and white,” said Mikayla Ortega, a spokesperson for the office. “It’s not about how your political affiliation leans.”

    The old signs were primarily in blue — which was not because of any political affiliation for the office, but could have been associated by some voters with the Democratic Party.

    The office also has a new demographic of voters they’re targeting: millennials. 

    “They’re voting much less than the generations before them, and so we really are trying to get them engaged or reach them more,” Ortega said.

    So, the elections office team has posted up at bars and local breweries, with staff handing out temporary tattoos and coasters with “let’s vote!” slogans on them.

    You don’t have to wait in line

    Denver is urging voters to take advantage of early voting. 

    “Folks should not have any qualms about voting, it is easy,” said López. “We have 45 drop boxes — secure, monitored 24-7, emptied out once to twice a day, depending on the dropbox.”

    Unlike many other states, Colorado offers early voting starting this Friday, Oct. 11.

    “Please don’t wait all the way up until the last minute to be able to vote in Colorado,” he said. “You have 22 days. Take advantage of it.”

    According to the election office, not only does early voting make their job easier, as they will be “tabulating over a million sheets of paper,” but the earlier the ballots are in, the more ballots they will be able to count by 7 p.m. on election night.  

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Question 2: Should state scrap MCAS graduation requirement?

    Question 2: Should state scrap MCAS graduation requirement?

    [ad_1]

    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.

    [ad_2]

    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

    Source link

  • 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

    [ad_1]

    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.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Pennsylvania high court declines to decide mail-in ballot issues before election

    Pennsylvania high court declines to decide mail-in ballot issues before election

    [ad_1]

    HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has declined to step in and immediately decide issues related to mail-in ballots in the commonwealth with early voting already under way in the few weeks before the Nov. 5 election.

    The commonwealth’s highest court on Saturday night rejected a request by voting rights and left-leaning groups to stop counties from throwing out mail-in ballots that lack a handwritten date or have an incorrect date on the return envelope, citing earlier rulings pointing to the risk of confusing voters so close to the election.

    “This Court will neither impose nor countenance substantial alterations to existing laws and procedures during the pendency of an ongoing election,” the unsigned order said.

    Chief Justice Debra Todd dissented, saying voters, election officials and courts needed clarity on the issue before Election Day.

    “We ought to resolve this important constitutional question now, before ballots may be improperly rejected and voters disenfranchised,” Todd wrote.

    Justice P. Kevin Brobson, however, said in a concurring opinion that the groups waited more than a year after an earlier high court ruling to bring their challenge, and it was “an all-too-common practice of litigants who postpone seeking judicial relief on election-related matters until the election is underway that creates uncertainty.”

    Many voters have not understood the legal requirement to sign and date their mail-in ballots, leaving tens of thousands of ballots without accurate dates since Pennsylvania dramatically expanded mail-in voting in a 2019 law.

    The lawsuit’s plaintiffs contend that multiple courts have found that a voter-written date is meaningless in determining whether the ballot arrived on time or whether the voter is eligible, so rejecting a ballot on that basis should be considered a violation of the state constitution. The parties won their case on the same claim in a statewide court earlier this year but it was thrown out by the state Supreme Court on a technicality before justices considered the merits.

    Democrats, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, have sided with the plaintiffs, who include the Black Political Empowerment Project, POWER Interfaith, Make the Road Pennsylvania, OnePA Activists United, New PA Project Education Fund Pittsburgh United, League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania and Common Cause Pennsylvania.

    Republicans say requiring the date is an election safeguard and accuse Democrats of trying to change election rules at the 11th hour.

    The high court also rejected a challenge by Republican political organizations to county election officials letting voters remedy disqualifying mail-in ballot mistakes, which the GOP says state law doesn’t allow. The ruling noted that the petitioners came to the high court without first litigating the matter in the lower courts.

    The court did agree on Saturday, however, to hear another GOP challenge to a lower court ruling requiring officials in one county to notify voters when their mail-in ballots are rejected, and allow them to vote provisionally on Election Day.

    The Pennsylvania court, with five justices elected as Democrats and two as Republicans, is playing an increasingly important role in settling disputes in this election, much as it did in 2020’s presidential election.

    Issues involving mail-in voting are hyper-partisan: Roughly three-fourths of mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania tend to be cast by Democrats. Republicans and Democrats alike attribute the partisan gap to former President Donald Trump, who has baselessly claimed mail-in voting is rife with fraud.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Rio de Janeiro mayor re-elected to a fourth term in Brazil’s local elections

    Rio de Janeiro mayor re-elected to a fourth term in Brazil’s local elections

    [ad_1]

    RIO DE JANEIRO — Incumbent Eduardo Paes was re-elected for a fourth, non-consecutive term as the mayor of Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, after winning an absolute majority of votes in the first round of Brazil’s local elections.

    Paes easily fought off his principal challenger, Alexandre Ramagem, the former chief of Brazil’s intelligence agency under former President Jair Bolsonaro. Ramagem is being investigated as part of a wider probe into alleged spying on political opponents. He has denied the accusations.

    Bolsonaro backed Ramagem, and his slight ascent in the polls in recent weeks was widely attributed to the former president’s campaigning on his behalf. But in the end it proved insufficient.

    Paes received the support of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

    In Sao Paulo, where the results are yet to be called, three mayoral candidates are running neck-and-neck, including incumbent Ricardo Nunes, left-wing lawmaker Guilherme Boulos and self-help guru turned far-right politician Pablo Marçal.

    Much of the attention leading up to Sunday’s vote had been on Brazil ’s biggest city, where the race has been marred by episodes of violence involving Marçal.

    Last month, José Luiz Datena, a former TV anchor turned candidate, slammed Marçal with a metal chair during a televised debate following references to allegations of sexual misconduct. In a later debate, an aide to Marçal punched an adversary’s counterpart, resulting in a bloody face.

    Marçal sparked more controversy on Friday, when he published on social media a falsified medical report indicating cocaine use by Boulos. The document was widely debunked by local media that pointed to inconsistencies including the fact that it was signed by a doctor who had passed away.

    Boulos, a longtime campaigner for housing rights who is backed by Lula, vehemently denied the veracity of the document. On Saturday, a judge sitting on Sao Paulo’s electoral court ordered the suspension of Marçal’s Instagram account for 48 hours and deemed that there are “indications of various offenses under the Electoral Code.”

    Some of former President Jair Bolsonaro ’s political base has been drawn to Marçal, enthralled by his fiery rhetoric, although the far-right leader is supporting Nunes.

    Polls opened at 8 a.m. Brasilia time and closed at 5 p.m. (2000 GMT). Brazilians were casting their vote to decide the next mayors, deputy mayors and councilors in the country’s 5,569 municipalities.

    More than 155 million Brazilians are eligible to vote. Forty-three percent of the electorate is in the southeastern region, where Rio and Sao Paulo are located. Women make up around 52% of voters.

    Nearly 1,000 transgender politicians ran Sunday in every one of Brazil’s 26 states, according to the nation’s electoral court, which tracked them for the first time. The number of candidacies tripled since the last local elections four years ago, when trans rights group Antra mapped them.

    A second round will be held in municipalities with more than 200,000 registered voters where none of the candidates for mayor obtained an absolute majority.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • LGBTQ+ voter education town hall held tonight in Los Angeles

    LGBTQ+ voter education town hall held tonight in Los Angeles

    [ad_1]

    LOS ANGELES – As the world gets a little warmer and we settle into the Spring season, the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is proud to announce the return of our Youth Baseball and Softball Leagues for the Spring 2023 season.

    BASEBALL & SOFTBALL ARE BACK!

    Sign up for our Spring Sports Leagues, Coming to an LA County Parks Near You!

    REGISTER FOR YOUTH SPORTS LEAGUES TODAY!

    YOUTH BASEBALL 

    Photo Credit: County of Los Angeles

    Baseball season is right around the corner, now’s the perfect time to sign up your young athletes for our Youth Baseball Leagues! Our Baseball Leagues will provide an emphasis on learning fundamentals of Baseball, skill development, sportsmanship, teamwork, and fun. League will run for 10 weeks and consist of one weekday practice and one game every Saturday. Game score and league standing will be kept. Rules will be enforced. Registration fee will include uniform, award, and umpire. Qualifying teams will advance and participate in the playoffs.  

    Divisions & Dates:
    D3-D6: April 15 – June 12

    AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING PARKS
    Divisions 3 – 6

    NORTH AGENCY

    Castaic Sports Complex: 31230 N. Castaic Rd., Castaic 91384  | (661) 775 8865

    George Lane Park: 5520 W. Avenue, L-8, Quartz Hill, 93534 | (661) 722 7780

    Jackie Robinson Park: 8773 E. Avenue R, Littlerock, 93543 | (661) 944 2880

    Stephen Sorensen Park: 16801 E. Avenue P, Lake Los Angeles, 93591 | (661) 264 1249

    El Cariso: 13100 Hubbard Street, Sylmar, 91342 | (818) 367 5043

    Loma Alta: 3330 North Lincoln Avenue, Altadena, 91001 | (626) 398 5451

    Pearblossom Park: 33922 North 121st St East, Pearblossom, 93553 | (661) 944 2988

    Val Verde Park: 30300 Arlington St Castaic,  91384 | (661) 257 4014

    EAST AGENCY

    Arcadia Park: 405 S. Santa Anita Ave. Arcadia 91006 | (626) 821 4619

    Allen Martin Park: 14830 E. Giordano St. La Puente 91744 | (626) 918 5263

    Bassett Park: 510 Vineland Ave. Bassett | (626) 333 0959

    Charter Oak Park: 20261 E. Covina Blvd. Covina, 91723 | (626) 339 0411

    Dalton Park: 18867 E. Armstead St., Azusa, 91702 | (626) 852 1491

    Manzanita Park: 1747 S. Kwis Ave., Hacienda Heights, 91745 | (626) 336 6246

    Pathfinder Park: 18150 Pathfinder Rd., Rowland Heights, 91748  (562) 690 0933

    Pamela Park: 2236 Goodall Ave. Duarte, 91010 | (626) 357 1619

    Rimgrove Park: 747 North Rimgrove Dr. La Puente 91744 | (626) 330 8798

    Rowland Heights Park: 1500 Banida Ave. Rowland Heights, 91748 | (626) 912 6774

    San Angelo Park: 245 S. San Angelo Ave. La Puente 91746 | (626) 333 6162

    Sunshine Park: 515 S. Deepmead Ave. La Puente, 91744  | (626) 854 5559

    Steinmetz Park: 1545 S. Stimson Ave. Hacienda Heights, 91748 | (626) 855 5383

    Valleydale Park: 5225 N. Lark Ellen Ave., Azusa, CA 91702 – (626) 334-8020

    SOUTH AGENCY

    Amigo Park: 5700 Juarez Ave. Whittier, 90606 | (562) 908-4702

    La Mirada Park: 13701 South Adelfa Ave. La Mirada, 90638 | (562) 902-5645

    Mayberry Park: 13201 East Meyer Rd, Whittier, 90605 | (562) 944-9727

    Sorenson Park: 11419 Rosehedge Dr. Whittier, 90606 | (562) 908-7763

    GIRLS SOFTBALL 

    Girl’s Softball League will provide an emphasis on learning fundamentals of Softball, skill development, sportsmanship, teamwork, and fun. League will run for 10 weeks and consist of one weekday practice and one game every Saturday. Game score and league standing will be kept. Softball rules will be enforced. Registration fee will include uniform, award, and umpire. Qualifying teams will be advance and participate in the playoffs.

    Divisions & Dates

    D3 – D6: April 15 – June 12

    AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING PARKS
    DIVISIONS 3 – 6

    NORTH AGENCY

    George Lane Park: 5520 W. Avenue, L-8, Quartz Hill, 93534 | (661) 722 7780

    Jackie Robinson Park: 8773 E. Avenue R, Littlerock, 93543 | (661) 944 2880

    Stephen Sorensen Park: 16801 E. Avenue P, Lake Los Angeles, 93591 | (661) 264 1249

    El Cariso: 13100 Hubbard Street, Sylmar, 91342 | (818) 367 5043

    Loma Alta: 3330 North Lincoln Avenue, Altadena, 91001 | (626) 398 5451

    Pearblossom Park: 33922 North 121st St East, Pearblossom, 93553 | (661) 944 2988

    Val Verde Park: 30300 Arlington St Castaic,  91384 | (661) 257 4014

    EAST AGENCY

    Arcadia Park: 405 S. Santa Anita Ave. Arcadia 91006 | (626) 821 4619

    Allen Martin Park: 14830 E. Giordano St. La Puente 91744 | (626) 918 5263

    Bassett Park: 510 Vineland Ave. Bassett | (626) 333 0959

    Charter Oak Park: 20261 E. Covina Blvd. Covina, 91723 | (626) 339 0411

    Dalton Park: 18867 E. Armstead St., Azusa, 91702 | (626) 852 1491

    Manzanita Park: 1747 S. Kwis Ave., Hacienda Heights, 91745 | (626) 336 6246

    Pathfinder Park: 18150 Pathfinder Rd., Rowland Heights, 91748  (562) 690 0933

    Pamela Park: 2236 Goodall Ave. Duarte, 91010 | (626) 357 1619

    Rimgrove Park: 747 North Rimgrove Dr. La Puente 91744 | (626) 330 8798

    Rowland Heights Park: 1500 Banida Ave. Rowland Heights, 91748 | (626) 912 6774

    San Angelo Park: 245 S. San Angelo Ave. La Puente 91746 | (626) 333 6162

    Sunshine Park: 515 S. Deepmead Ave. La Puente, 91744  | (626) 854 5559

    Steinmetz Park: 1545 S. Stimson Ave. Hacienda Heights, 91748 | (626) 855 5383

    Valleydale Park: 5225 N. Lark Ellen Ave., Azusa, CA 91702 | (626) 334 8020

    SOUTH AGENCY

    Adventure Park: 10130 Gunn Ave. Whittier, CA – (562) 698 7645

    Amigo Park: 5700 Juarez Ave. Whittier, 90606 | (562) 908 4702

    Mayberry Park: 13201 East Meyer Rd, Whittier, 90605 | (562) 944 9727

    Sorenson Park: 11419 Rosehedge Dr. Whittier, 90606 | (562) 908 7763

    Photo Credit: County of Los Angeles

    Through an exciting partnership with the Dodgers Foundation, Dodgers Dreamteam (formerly Dodgers RBI) brings the sport of Baseball and Softball at a lower price! The goal of DDT is to provide an inclusive, barrier-free sports-based youth development program for communities that have historically been left out of consideration. 

    Divisions & Dates:

    April 15 – June 12

    Divisions 3 – 6

    AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING PARKS

    EAST AGENCY

    Belvedere Park: 4914 E. Cesar Chavez Ave. Los Angeles, 90022 |  (323) 260 2342

    Obregon Park: 4021 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90063 | (323) 260 2344

    Salazar Park: 3864 Whittier Blvd. Los Angeles, 90023 | (323) 260 2330

    Saybrook Park: 6250 E. Northside Dr. Los Angeles, 90022 | (323) 724 8546

    SOUTH AGENCY

    Alondra Park: 3850 W. Manhattan Beach Blvd. Lawndale, 90260 | (310) 217-8366

    Athens Park: 12603 S. Broadway Los Angeles, 90061 | (323) 241 6700 

    Bethune Park: 1244 E. 61st St. Los Angeles, 90001 | (323) 846 1895

    Bodger Park: 14900 S. Yukon Ave. Hawthorne, 90250 | (310) 676 2085

    Campanella Park: 14812 S Stanford Ave, Compton, 90220 | (310) 603 3720

    Carver Park: 1400 E 118th St, Los Angeles, 90059 | (323) 357 3030

    Del Aire Park: 12601 Isis Ave, Hawthorne, 90251 | (310) 643 4976

    Helen Keller Park: 12521 Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, 90044 |  (323) 241-6702

    Lennox Park: 10828 Condon Ave, Lennox, 90304 | (310) 419 6712

    Mona Park: 2291 E 121st St, Compton, 90222 | (310) 603 3729

    Franklin D. Roosevelt Park 7600 Graham Ave. Los Angeles, 90001 | (323) 586 5888

    Ted Watkins Park: 1335 E 103rd St Los Angeles, 90002 | (323) 357 3032

    Victoria Park: 419 M.L.K. Jr. St, Carson, 90746 | (310) 217 8370

    REGISTER NOW!

    For questions, contact LA County Parks at [email protected] or (626) 588-5364.

    [ad_2]

    Gisselle Palomera

    Source link

  • Trump Supporters Are Boosting a Clip of a Voting Machine Being Hacked. It’s Not What It Seems

    Trump Supporters Are Boosting a Clip of a Voting Machine Being Hacked. It’s Not What It Seems

    [ad_1]

    Behizy’s post caught the attention of some big names in the world of voting machine conspiracies. Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne, who was named in a defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting on account of lies he spread about their machines following the 2020 election, amplified Behizy’s post. Trump’s former national security adviser and election conspiracist Michael Flynn reposted Behizy’s post about the hack: “Our election system is vulnerable to nefarious actors,” Flynn wrote. “We MUST get rid of the machines! Total BS that we continue using them.” Right-wing influencer Phillip Buchanan, known online as Catturd, also reposted Behizy’s post along with a pithy statement to his millions of followers: “Imagine that!”

    The clip of the successful hacking—minus key context—also spread across fringe news sites and platforms. Right-wing commentator Vigilant Fox, who runs Vigilant News, flagged the podcast clip to their 1.3 million followers on X as an “important story” that the media “hid from you today.” On Truth Social, the news was distributed via links across fringe sites such as Slay News, and shared by Freedom Force Battalion, a QAnon account.

    “I haven’t listened to the whole interview yet, to be fair,” one poster on Truth Social wrote, while sharing the short clip and claiming that all voting machines are compromised.

    Voting machines have long been a target of election conspiracies. But in 2020, with the help of GOP members of Congress, right-wing sheriffs, conservative pundits, and Trump, those narratives exploded into the mainstream.

    At the same time, officials in the US government and agencies charged with running and defending elections in the US called the 2020 election “the most secure in American history.”

    Well-intentioned cybersecurity experts and hackers, like Hursti, are often tapped by state and federal agencies to probe election infrastructure for security vulnerability to make elections even safer. This August, like every year, hackers at Defcon’s “Voting Village”—led by Hursti—identified some minor weaknesses in the machines. Politico reported that while it was unlikely any of those weaknesses could disrupt the election, some experts were concerned about election conspiracy theorists weaponizing the results to advance their own narratives about the system.

    For the past four years, a massive network of national and state-level election denial groups have built up, formed on the belief that the 2020 election was stolen. In recent months, these groups have kicked into gear ahead of November’s vote, pushing conspiracies about immigrants voting, trying to remove thousands of names from voter rolls, and even spying on drop boxes in swing states.

    Throughout his podcast episode, Bet-David repeatedly tries to push conspiratorial claims about why voting machines are so insecure, suggesting that an unnamed “they” are purposely trying to keep the system insecure.

    Hursti continuously pushes back, pointing out that computers by their very nature are vulnerable and that instead of trying to create a perfect system, officials are working to mitigate risks where possible.

    “Every computer in the world can be hacked if you have access and no mitigation,” Hursti said. “When we’ve hacked machines, it is for the purpose that we can improve, and if you cannot improve the system, then you have to improve everything around the system, have a mitigation strategy, how you defend the system.”

    Citing the vulnerabilities that Hursti has revealed in dozens of voting machines in recent years, Bet-David pushed the well-known conspiracy that in 2020 “the winners were flipped because somebody got into” the machines.

    But the Finnish hacker pushed back, dismissing the suggestion and pointing out that without proper regulations in place to ensure voting machines meet basic security standards, the idea that elections were vulnerable to cyberattacks was enough to damage democracy.

    “The [worry] here is to deny the result or make a false allegation,” Hursti said. “This is very dangerous because it is feeding the distrust of the public and, in democracy, any distrust is damaging the participation, and democracy is all about participation. Distrust is causing apathy. Apathy is something which is detrimental for functioning democracies.”

    [ad_2]

    Tess Owen, David Gilbert

    Source link