2020 Presidential Election

[OldPhiKap]

Are you thinking of some other group of Dem voters who are more likely to be disenfranchised by the "vote in person" restriction?

Yes.

Georgia says hello.

[Phredd3]

I have no plan to risk continuing this pandemic by standing in line and voting for any current politician.

I do not accept the implied equivalency between the two choices. Not only do I believe the choice matters; I believe that it matters enough to take certain risks to achieve the goal of making my preference known. Obviously, it is my full intent to minimize any such risks.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

It is upsetting that the arguments for and against voting by mail break down to partisan politics rather than "more people voting is good for democracy."

I recognize that it does benefit one party over another, but perhaps the underlying reasons ought to be addressed rather than stifling the vote.

[swood1000]

It is not just about them being insufficiently motivated. In a targeted way it has been made more difficult for traditional Democratic voters to vote through the strategic closure of polling locations in their areas. So they have to go longer distances and wait in longer lines. Some of this can be attributed to the consolidation of polling places for the sake of economic efficiencies, ADA access, etc. But not all of it. For example, this study from Texas:

The analysis finds that the 50 counties that gained the most Black and Latinx residents between 2012 and 2018 closed 542 polling sites, compared to just 34 closures in the 50 counties that have gained the fewest black and Latinx residents. This is despite the fact that the population in the former group of counties has risen by 2.5 million people, whereas in the latter category the total population has fallen by over 13,000.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...losures-voting

According to that same study, the three Texas counties with the biggest reductions in polling places since 2014 were Dallas County (74), Travis County (Austin – 67) and Harris County (Houston – 52), all of which have Democratic county executives, court clerks and tax assessors making the decisions.

Harris County Clerk and Chief Election Officer Diane Trautman, a Democrat, was in charge of Super Tuesday’s vote. She ran for office promising to consolidate voting locations so people could cast ballots at “countywide voting centers” rather than at their precincts.

[Devilwin]

One thing not considered here is the sheer volume of mail the USPS is delivering. Online shopping is even worse now than at Christmas because of the virus. Add all those ballots makes for the perfect storm..

[Skydog]

According to that same study, the three Texas counties with the biggest reductions in polling places since 2014 were Dallas County (74), Travis County (Austin – 67) and Harris County (Houston – 52), all of which have Democratic county executives, court clerks and tax assessors making the decisions.

Harris County Clerk and Chief Election Officer Diane Trautman, a Democrat, was in charge of Super Tuesday’s vote. She ran for office promising to consolidate voting locations so people could cast ballots at “countywide voting centers” rather than at their precincts.

She resigned last May, probably in part because 2019 voting in Harris Co. was such a disaster. Current Dems are naive to the tricks of the trade and are bringing shame to their proud and storied history of election chicanery (see Daly, Chicago or Tammany Hall). And since our Supreme Court gutted the Voter Rights Act in 2013 voter suppression in the South has been easier to pull off.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

One thing not considered here is the sheer volume of mail the USPS is delivering. Online shopping is even worse now than at Christmas because of the virus. Add all those ballots makes for the perfect storm..

They could increase funding, if they actually cared.

[jimsumner]

They could increase funding, if they actually cared.

Who is "they?"

[tbyers11]

According to that same study, the three Texas counties with the biggest reductions in polling places since 2014 were Dallas County (74), Travis County (Austin – 67) and Harris County (Houston – 52), all of which have Democratic county executives, court clerks and tax assessors making the decisions.

Harris County Clerk and Chief Election Officer Diane Trautman, a Democrat, was in charge of Super Tuesday’s vote. She ran for office promising to consolidate voting locations so people could cast ballots at “countywide voting centers” rather than at their precincts.

The study that you referenced from Democracy Diverted studied polling place closure from 2012-2018. In the example that you explicitly cited of Harris County, TX, the County Clerk from 2012-2018 was Republican Stan Stanart who was elected in 2010 and 2014. Diane Trautman defeated Stanart in 2018. I don't know how her county wide voting center strategy has affected the election process since 2018 (perhaps it was a mess in 2019 as Skydog stated) but she wasn't in charge of Harris County Elections in the years cited in the study.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Who is "they?"

The government? Could push more funding to the USPS since they are overstressed. Instead of using their overworked nature to not do mail voting.

[Devilwin]

Maybe hiring part timers to help. But freight gets prioritized. Maybe they figure paying customers are important than paper ballots. And I have seen it happen numerous times while at Fedex..

[OldPhiKap]

Trump is deliberately sabotaging the Post Office:

https://www.startribune.com/mail-del...ing/571981662/

Trump — who himself has repeatedly voted by mail in recent elections — has set in motion changes at the Postal Service that could make the problem worse.

A series of Postal Service documents titled “PMGs expectations,” a reference to the postmaster general, describe how Trump’s new leadership team is trying to cut costs.

“Overtime will be eliminated,” says the document, which was first reported by the Washington Post. “Again, we are paying too much overtime, and it is not cost effective and will soon be taken off the table. More to come on this.”

The document continues: “The USPS will no longer use excessive cost to get the basic job done. If the plants run late, they will keep the mail for the next day.”

Another document, dated July 10, says, “One aspect of these changes that may be difficult for employees is that — temporarily — we may see mail left behind or on the workroom floor or docks.”

With the agency under financial pressure, some offices have also begun to cut back on hours. The result, according to postal workers, members of Congress and major post office customers, is a noticeable slowdown in delivery.

“The policies that the new postmaster general is putting into place — they couldn’t lead to anything but degradation of service,” said Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union. “Anything that slows down the mail could have a negative impact on everything we do, including vote by mail.”

“Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor gloom of . . . Ah, screw it. I’m going home.”

Deplorable and despicable. It’s why the Dems are holding out for Post Office funding In the next financial package.

(I assume the desire for fair access to voting for all is not partisan, but if so I give up. And FTR — mail-in balloting historically benefited Reps, not Dems. Many in the GOP Thus are not happy with Trump’s attack: https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/16/polit...ing/index.html )

[Devilwin]

Exposing themselves day after day to the corona virus drains their enthusiasm I guess.

[OldPhiKap]

Exposing themselves day after day to the corona virus drains their enthusiasm I guess.

So does loss of overtime pay, and directions to just leave stuff at the office instead of completing the proud historic role of the post office.

But if Coronavirus is a concern, perhaps a plan by their boss to deal with it is in order. Just spitballing ideas here.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Trump is deliberately sabotaging the Post Office:

https://www.startribune.com/mail-del...ing/571981662/



“Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor gloom of . . . Ah, screw it. I’m going home.”

Deplorable and despicable. It’s why the Dems are holding out for Post Office funding In the next financial package.

(I assume the desire for fair access to voting for all is not partisan, but if so I give up. And FTR — mail-in balloting historically benefited Reps, not Dems. Many in the GOP Thus are not happy with Trump’s attack: https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/16/polit...ing/index.html )

Agreed. Also, there are a lot of unemployed people out there who I'm sure would be thrilled to go work for the postal service, even if only on a temporary basis at minimum wage. And for those who think this is really being done to cut costs and manage the budget... really?

Who would have thought that a major pandemic and the postal service could both be politicized in the same year.

[OldPhiKap]

The right to vote is the most fundamental right we have. People have died for it. Women conducted strikes for it. John Lewis had his head busted open for it. And again, many in the GOP are also asking Trump to stop this.

There is no horse race worth having or discussing if the race is fixed.

And to show this is not partisan — from the article I cited:

Republican officials throughout the country are reacting with growing alarm to President Donald Trump's attacks on mail-in ballots, saying his unsubstantiated claims of mass voting fraud are already corroding the views of GOP voters, who may ultimately choose not to vote at all if they can't make it to the polls come November.

Behind the scenes, top Republicans are urging senior Trump campaign officials to press the President to change his messaging and embrace mail-in voting, warning that the party could lose the battle for control of Congress and the White House if he doesn't change his tune, according to multiple GOP sources. Trump officials, sources said, are fully aware of the concerns.

The impact could be detrimental to the GOP up and down the ticket, according to a bevy of Republican election officials, field operatives, pollsters and lawmakers who are watching the matter closely. Every vote will count in critical battleground states, they argue, fearful that deterring GOP voters from choosing a convenient option to cast their ballots could ultimately sway the outcome of races that are decided by a couple of percentage points.

And with the coronavirus pandemic potentially bound to get worse in the fall, voting by mail is becoming an increasingly popular option since many voters may prefer not to wait in long lines at polling stations. That will leave Democrats with a major advantage if their voters send their ballots by mail while Republican voters forgo that option simply because they are listening to the concerns of the President.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

The right to vote is the most fundamental right we have. People have died for it. Women conducted strikes for it. John Lewis had his head busted open for it. And again, many in the GOP are also asking Trump to stop this.

There is no horse race worth having or discussing if the race is fixed.

And to show this is not partisan — from the article I cited:

Thanks. I sometimes feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

[Devilwin]

Is it true that 16 states will receive ballots before the first debate scheduled in September?

[OldPhiKap]

Is it true that 16 states will receive ballots before the first debate scheduled in September?

Do not know the numbers, but some will. The states set their dates before the debate committee set their debate dates in many if not all circumstances as I understand things. Any blame on the timing (if there is any to be had) rests with the bipartisan committee that sets debates as I understand it.

But let’s face it — I’m ready to vote before then. You likely are too. And I imagine most on this thread are. The debates are unlikely to change many votes; there are very few undecideds out there. But those who are unsure have every right to wait until the debates are over to vote. The problem is that Trump is trying to slow down the Post Office so those folks who wait risk having their votes going uncounted. Folks who think Trump will win the debates should certainly want the Post Office to process late ballots as quickly as possible, no?

I got some grief six months ago on this thread for wanting to call the question. Let’s get this crap over with as soon as possible. At minimum — COUNT EVERY VOTE AND LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY. That is the most fundamental Constitutional right of every legally enfranchised American.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Do not know the numbers, but some will. The states set their dates before the debate committee set their debate dates in many if not all circumstances as I understand things. Any blame on the timing (if there is any to be had) rests with the bipartisan committee that sets debates as I understand it.

But let’s face it — I’m ready to vote before then. You likely are too. And I imagine most on this thread are. The debates are unlikely to change many votes; there are very few undecideds out there.

I got some grief six months ago on this thread for wanting to call the question. Let’s get this crap over with as soon as possible.

Hate to sound like an OPK echo chamber (great minds think alike?) but I agree. Debates are unlikely to change many minds. And if you think it might change your mind, feel free to hold off voting. There is likely more uncertainty on some down ballot elections, both nationally and locally, so that might also lead people to hold onto their ballots.

Also, as we have discussed several times here, I'm not holding my breath on there actually being debates. The odds that both candidates will agree to a format, who the moderators are, etc. are pretty low.

Election day is three months from today - we're in the final trimester...