thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-30--More People Have Now Voted Early In Texas Than In All Of 2016

AUSTIN , Texas ( AP ) — Texans have already cast more ballots in the presidential election than they did during all of 2016 , an unprecedented surge of early voting in a state that was once the country ’ s most reliably Republican , but may now be drifting toward battleground status .
More than 9 million ballots have been cast as of Friday morning in the nation ’ s second most-populous state , exceeding the 8,969,226 cast in 2016 , according to an Associated Press tally of early votes from data provided by Texas officials .
Texas also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the rest of the country , meaning casting in-person , early ballots is the primary way to vote for people who don ’ t want to line up and do so on Election Day .
Voters in Texas do not register by party affiliation , so no one can be sure until the ballots are counted whether one party or the other will benefit from the surge in turnout .
Still , the fact that the state exceeded its entire vote total for the past presidential cycle with hours still to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , and before millions more people are likely to vote on Election Day , hints at a potential electoral sea change .
For Democrats , anything different is likely positive .
The party hasn ’ t won a state office in Texas since 1994 — the nation ’ s longest political losing streak — nor seen one of its presidential nominees carry the state since Jimmy Carter in 1976 .
The party now believes it has a chance to seize control of the state House , flip as many as six congressional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , TX - OCTOBER 13 : Voters wait in line at a polling location on October 13 , 2020 in Austin , Texas .
The first day of voting saw voters waiting hours in line to cast their votes .
Gov .
Greg Abbott announced earlier this year that he would expand early voting for the election beginning on Oct. 13 .
Mail in voting began on Oct. 8 and has been part of a legal battle after Gov .
Abbott declared each county may only have 1 mail in ballot drop off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down in federal court but then the decision was upheld when a stay was ruled in the overturning .
( Photo by Sergio Flores/Getty Images ) Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s campaign has for months insisted that Texas , with its 38 electoral votes , is among the traditionally conservative states it is looking to flip — though it has long been more bullish on Arizona and North Carolina .
Biden ’ s running mate , California Sen. Kamala Harris , is visiting Fort Worth , Houston and the U.S.-Mexico border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four days before Election Day , using precious campaign time on the state far later than any major national Democrat in decades .
The spike in early voting is most apparent in suburban counties around Dallas and in areas outside Austin , especially those south toward San Antonio .
One area that has not seen voting rise dramatically , however , is the Rio Grande Valley , where Harris will be .
Its population is about 90 % Mexican-American and it is among the state ’ s youngest and fastest-growing areas .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early voting has only increased by about 1 % compared to 2016 , despite the extra week to do so — far below the at least 15 % increase in nearly every other large Texas county .
Not turning out voters there — especially when the rest of the state is shattering records — could spell trouble for Biden as well as Democratic challenger MJ Hegar , who is trying to topple long-serving Republican Sen. John Cornyn .
The area is solidly Democratic , even if many of its Latino voters tend to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their counterparts in other parts of Texas or the country .
Its also been among the hardest hit areas in the nation by the coronavirus and has seen new cases soar in recent weeks as they have in many parts of the country .
“ They were forced to place bodies in refrigerated FEMA trailers because they ran out of room in the morgues and the funeral homes , ” said Beto O ’ Rourke , a former congressman and Democratic presidential candidate who came within 3 percentage points of upsetting Republican Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have closed that gap had he turned out more Hispanic people in the Rio Grande Valley .
Recent polls have shown Biden topping Trump among Latinos in places like Florida , but trailing the level of support Clinton received from the community in 2016 .
The former vice president was in Florida on Thursday and noted that 20 % of the nation ’ s population is now Hispanic .

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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texans have already cast more ballots in the presidential election than they did during all of 2016, an unprecedented surge of early voting in a state that was once the country’s most reliably Republican, but may now be drifting toward battleground status.
More than 9 million ballots have been cast as of Friday morning in the nation’s second most-populous state, exceeding the 8,969,226 cast in 2016, according to an Associated Press tally of early votes from data provided by Texas officials.
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Texas is the first state to hit the milestone. This year’s numbers were aided by Democratic activists challenging in court for, and winning, the right to extend early voting by one week amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Texas also offers only limited vote-by-mail options when compared to the rest of the country, meaning casting in-person, early ballots is the primary way to vote for people who don’t want to line up and do so on Election Day.
Voters in Texas do not register by party affiliation, so no one can be sure until the ballots are counted whether one party or the other will benefit from the surge in turnout.
Still, the fact that the state exceeded its entire vote total for the past presidential cycle with hours still to go in its early voting period which ends Friday, and before millions more people are likely to vote on Election Day, hints at a potential electoral sea change.
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For Democrats, anything different is likely positive. The party hasn’t won a state office in Texas since 1994 — the nation’s longest political losing streak — nor seen one of its presidential nominees carry the state since Jimmy Carter in 1976. The party now believes it has a chance to seize control of the state House, flip as many as six congressional seats and a Senate seat.
AUSTIN, TX - OCTOBER 13: Voters wait in line at a polling location on October 13, 2020 in Austin, Texas. The first day of voting saw voters waiting hours in line to cast their votes. Gov. Greg Abbott announced earlier this year that he would expand early voting for the election beginning on Oct. 13. Mail in voting began on Oct. 8 and has been part of a legal battle after Gov. Abbott declared each county may only have 1 mail in ballot drop off center, the ruling was later struck down in federal court but then the decision was upheld when a stay was ruled in the overturning. (Photo by Sergio Flores/Getty Images) Sergio Flores via Getty Images
President Donald Trump carried Texas against Hillary Clinton in 2016 by a comfortable 9 points, even though that was the smallest margin since Republican Bob Dole beat Democratic President Bill Clinton by 5 points in 1996.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign has for months insisted that Texas, with its 38 electoral votes, is among the traditionally conservative states it is looking to flip — though it has long been more bullish on Arizona and North Carolina. Biden’s running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris, is visiting Fort Worth, Houston and the U.S.-Mexico border town of McAllen on Friday, just four days before Election Day, using precious campaign time on the state far later than any major national Democrat in decades.
The news may not be all positive for Democrats, however.
The spike in early voting is most apparent in suburban counties around Dallas and in areas outside Austin, especially those south toward San Antonio. One area that has not seen voting rise dramatically, however, is the Rio Grande Valley, where Harris will be. Its population is about 90% Mexican-American and it is among the state’s youngest and fastest-growing areas.
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In Hidalgo County, which includes McAllen, early voting has only increased by about 1% compared to 2016, despite the extra week to do so — far below the at least 15% increase in nearly every other large Texas county.
Not turning out voters there — especially when the rest of the state is shattering records — could spell trouble for Biden as well as Democratic challenger MJ Hegar, who is trying to topple long-serving Republican Sen. John Cornyn. The area is solidly Democratic, even if many of its Latino voters tend to be slightly more conservative than many of their counterparts in other parts of Texas or the country.
Its also been among the hardest hit areas in the nation by the coronavirus and has seen new cases soar in recent weeks as they have in many parts of the country.
“They were forced to place bodies in refrigerated FEMA trailers because they ran out of room in the morgues and the funeral homes,” said Beto O’Rourke, a former congressman and Democratic presidential candidate who came within 3 percentage points of upsetting Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018 — and might have closed that gap had he turned out more Hispanic people in the Rio Grande Valley.
“This part of Texas has borne witness to the cruelty of the Trump administration and the incompetence of his leadership,” O’Rourke added.
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Recent polls have shown Biden topping Trump among Latinos in places like Florida, but trailing the level of support Clinton received from the community in 2016. The former vice president was in Florida on Thursday and noted that 20% of the nation’s population is now Hispanic.
“It’s our future and we should invest in the future,” Biden told reporters while campaigning in Fort Lauderdale. “The better the community does, the better the country does.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-30--Lil Jon Responds With Just 4 Words When Asked To Endorse Donald Trump

Lil Jon didn ’ t hold back when he was asked on Twitter to pledge his support for President Donald Trump this week .
A handful of Black and Latinx entertainers , including rappers Lil Wayne and Lil Pump , have recently endorsed the president .
Earlier this month , rapper 50 Cent also appeared to back Trump in an Instagram post criticizing Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s tax plan ( he has since backpedaled on his remarks ) .
Lil Jon , however , won ’ t be joining their ranks anytime soon .
When a suspicious-looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he would join Lil Pump and Lil Wayne “ in supporting our great President , ” the rapper needed just four words to emphatically express his disapproval .
Unlike many of his peers in the music industry , Lil Jon has had firsthand experience with Trump .
The rapper appeared on Season 11 of “ The Celebrity Apprentice ” in 2011 and on “ All-Star Celebrity Apprentice ” two years later .
In 2016 , Lil Jon claimed that Trump had once called him “ Uncle Tom ” on the “ Celebrity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t sure if the future president knew the term was a racist epithet .
“ I can ’ t say if he knew what he was actually saying or not , but he did stop using that term once we explained its offensiveness , ” he tweeted .
“ I also want to be clear that I don ’ t agree with many of the statements Mr. Trump has said during his current run for President.
” At a 2018 press conference , Trump was asked about the alleged “ Uncle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who Lil Jon was , he denied that the exchange had taken place .
“ I would never do that , and I don ’ t use racist remarks , ” Trump said , according to The Washington Post .
“ I have never used racist remarks .
”

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Lil Jon didn’t hold back when he was asked on Twitter to pledge his support for President Donald Trump this week.
A handful of Black and Latinx entertainers, including rappers Lil Wayne and Lil Pump, have recently endorsed the president. Earlier this month, rapper 50 Cent also appeared to back Trump in an Instagram post criticizing Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s tax plan (he has since backpedaled on his remarks).
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Lil Jon, however, won’t be joining their ranks anytime soon. When a suspicious-looking account on Twitter asked the Georgia-born rapper if he would join Lil Pump and Lil Wayne “in supporting our great President,” the rapper needed just four words to emphatically express his disapproval.
HOW ABOUT FUCKKKK NOOOOOO https://t.co/Yo9KRvt93j — LILJON (@LilJon) October 30, 2020
Unlike many of his peers in the music industry, Lil Jon has had firsthand experience with Trump. The rapper appeared on Season 11 of “The Celebrity Apprentice” in 2011 and on “All-Star Celebrity Apprentice” two years later.
Trump hosted both shows.
Donald Trump and Lil Jon attend the "All Star Celebrity Apprentice" red carpet event in 2013. D Dipasupil via Getty Images
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In 2016, Lil Jon claimed that Trump had once called him “Uncle Tom” on the “Celebrity Apprentice” set, but said he wasn’t sure if the future president knew the term was a racist epithet.
“I can’t say if he knew what he was actually saying or not, but he did stop using that term once we explained its offensiveness,” he tweeted. “I also want to be clear that I don’t agree with many of the statements Mr. Trump has said during his current run for President.”
At a 2018 press conference, Trump was asked about the alleged “Uncle Tom” incident. After being reminded who Lil Jon was, he denied that the exchange had taken place.
“I would never do that, and I don’t use racist remarks,” Trump said, according to The Washington Post. “I have never used racist remarks.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-30--Mitch McConnell Takes A Cheap Swipe At Hillary Clinton

Sen. Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) is campaigning for reelection against Democrat Amy McGrath , but he took a cheap shot Wednesday at a more longstanding political foe .
At a stop in Lawrenceburg , Kentucky , the Senate majority leader cracked that former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton received a “ wonderful birthday present ” in the form of Amy Coney Barrett ’ s confirmation to the Supreme Court .
“ It was a wonderful birthday present for Hillary Clinton to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court Monday night on her birthday , ” McConnell snidely told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m sure she was so grateful , so grateful.
” Sen. Mitch McConnell says he ’ s certain Hillary Clinton was “ so grateful ” the Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett on her birthday .
pic.twitter.com/o9ffKigQk1 — Shannon Watts ( @ shannonrwatts ) October 30 , 2020 Clinton , a former U.S. secretary of state , New York senator , and first lady , turned 73 on Monday , the day that the conservative Barrett was confirmed to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton that day along with news of the confirmation .
The gloating did not go over well in many circles .
Clinton issued a pointed tweet .
“ Senate Republicans just pushed through a Supreme Court justice who will help them take away American ’ s health care in the middle of a pandemic .
For them , this is victory .
Vote them out.
” Senate Republicans just pushed through a Supreme Court justice who will help them take away Americans ' health care in the middle of a pandemic .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them out .
— Hillary Clinton ( @ HillaryClinton ) October 27 , 2020

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Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is campaigning for reelection against Democrat Amy McGrath, but he took a cheap shot Wednesday at a more longstanding political foe.
At a stop in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, the Senate majority leader cracked that former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton received a “wonderful birthday present” in the form of Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.
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“It was a wonderful birthday present for Hillary Clinton to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court Monday night on her birthday,” McConnell snidely told supporters. “Oh, I’m sure she was so grateful, so grateful.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell says he’s certain Hillary Clinton was “so grateful” the Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett on her birthday.
pic.twitter.com/o9ffKigQk1 — Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) October 30, 2020
Clinton, a former U.S. secretary of state, New York senator, and first lady, turned 73 on Monday, the day that the conservative Barrett was confirmed to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee tweeted a facetious “happy birthday” to Clinton that day along with news of the confirmation. The gloating did not go over well in many circles.
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Clinton issued a pointed tweet. “Senate Republicans just pushed through a Supreme Court justice who will help them take away American’s health care in the middle of a pandemic. For them, this is victory. Vote them out.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-30--The GOP Is Doing Whatever It Can To Stop The Vote In Pennsylvania

As of Friday , Democratic challenger Joe Biden leads Trump by five to six points in Pennsylvania , depending on the poll aggregator .
Biden has maintained a comfortable lead over Trump throughout the weeks leading up to the election , and it is widely thought he will win the popular vote .
Of course , Americans do not directly choose their next president ― the Electoral College does , and Pennsylvania ’ s 20 presidential electors represent a top prize for both parties because it can be hard to predict which way voters may send them .
By law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counting votes until Election Day .
This makes Democrats nervous .
That could pose a problem for Democrats .
One fear , which was amplified by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh earlier this week , is that Trump and his supporters are going to cast heavy doubt on the election results the longer they take to arrive .
Trump has already been doing his best to spread the idea that voting by mail invites rampant fraud , which has no basis in the reality of American elections , and is pushing to declare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next president , however , will almost certainly not be known for at least a day or two afterward because each state has its own way of processing results .
Some states allow votes to be counted if they are received days or weeks after Nov. 3 ― so long as they were postmarked by a certain time .
Nationwide , voters could appear to favor Republicans earlier on , only to shift toward Democrats as more mail-in ballots are counted across the states .
Pennsylvania ballots need to be returned in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
Mail-in ballots across the state are sent in two envelopes : one outer one with the voter ’ s name and address , and one inner “ security ” envelope .
In theory , the inner envelope allows election officials to check to see whether a person has already voted without seeing who they voted for .
A ballot is therefore considered “ naked ” without the inner envelope and can be tossed out , according to a late September ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court .
Republicans are using cameras @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claiming people are dropping off multiple ballots inappropriately .
After unsuccessfully suing to ban drop boxes , the Trump campaign drew criticism for videotaping voters at ballot drop-off locations in order to try to catch people submitting more than one ballot , alleging it represents widespread fraud .
The campaign has gone so far as to submit photographic evidence of a few voters in a lawsuit aiming to crack down on people dropping off ballots for friends or family unless specifically authorized to do so .
( People with disabilities , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for them . )
Trump is encouraging his supporters to watch the polls — which could constitute voter intimidation .
Pennsylvania ’ s Republican legislature may only have to stall a few weeks to sway the results .
Dec. 8 is considered the “ safe harbor ” deadline for appointing the people who will make up the Electoral College , which meets six days later .
In ordinary circumstances , the governor of each state sends the national archives a Certificate of Ascertainment naming the electors “ as soon as practicable ” after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , though , the results may be picked apart and fought over right up until that deadline ― potentially allowing state legislatures to invoke Article II of the Constitution , which allows them to ultimately decide how electors are selected if the popular vote is undecided .
“ The state legislatures will say , ‘ All right , we ’ ve been given this constitutional power .
We don ’ t think the results of our own state are accurate , so here ’ s our slate of electors that we think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ’ ” a legal adviser to the Trump campaign told The Atlantic .
The unnamed adviser spoke as if the states only had two choices during an election in an unprecedented public health crisis : “ So pick your poison .
Is it worse to have electors named by legislators or to have votes received by Election Day ?
”

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Pennsylvania helped Donald Trump win his election four years after it helped Barack Obama to a second term. Now that the swing state is leaning back toward the Democrats, the Republican party is doing everything in its power to thwart voters, in an effort to eke out another victory for Trump.
As of Friday, Democratic challenger Joe Biden leads Trump by five to six points in Pennsylvania, depending on the poll aggregator. Biden has maintained a comfortable lead over Trump throughout the weeks leading up to the election, and it is widely thought he will win the popular vote. Of course, Americans do not directly choose their next president ― the Electoral College does, and Pennsylvania’s 20 presidential electors represent a top prize for both parties because it can be hard to predict which way voters may send them.
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With a series of lawsuits, Republicans are attempting to tip the scales in Trump’s favor by targeting the unprecedented number of Americans choosing to vote by mail — a pool of voters that will likely skew Democratic.
It’s a battle that has turned particularly heated in Pennsylvania. The state presently has a Democratic governor, Tom Wolf, but a Republican-controlled legislature that could exert outsized influence on the results if they are not certified by early December.
Here’s what’s going on.
By law, Pennsylvania officials can’t start counting votes until Election Day. This makes Democrats nervous.
Pennsylvania is not the only state with hands tied from counting ballots until Nov. 3, but election leaders in many other areas of the country are trying to do as much advance prep as they can ― even if it’s just opening the envelopes and flattening the ballots for easier scanning. Pennsylvania Democrats tried to take that simple step but were blocked by Republican legislators.
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Statewide, 3 million Pennsylvanians requested a mail-in ballot this year, roughly double the number cast by mail in 2016. It is simply going to take more time to tally the votes this year because processing mail-in ballots takes longer.
Bob Harvie, a Democratic county commissioner in Bucks County, told The New Yorker how frustrating it was to count primary ballots earlier this year.
“What took us the longest was to open the envelope, then open the secrecy envelope, then flatten the ballot as much as we could before it was counted. It was an endless process,” Harvie said.
That could pose a problem for Democrats. One fear, which was amplified by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh earlier this week, is that Trump and his supporters are going to cast heavy doubt on the election results the longer they take to arrive. Trump has already been doing his best to spread the idea that voting by mail invites rampant fraud, which has no basis in the reality of American elections, and is pushing to declare a winner on election night.
The next president, however, will almost certainly not be known for at least a day or two afterward because each state has its own way of processing results. Some states allow votes to be counted if they are received days or weeks after Nov. 3 ― so long as they were postmarked by a certain time. Nationwide, voters could appear to favor Republicans earlier on, only to shift toward Democrats as more mail-in ballots are counted across the states.
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Pennsylvania Democrats have secured a three-day leeway period for counting votes, and they were handed a slight win this week when the Supreme Court told Republicans they could not speed up their case against that expanded tallying period. Secretary of the Commonwealth Kathy Boockvar has said she expects “the overwhelming majority” of Pennsylvania votes to be counted by Nov. 6.
Pennsylvania ballots need to be returned in a very specific way or risk being tossed out.
Mail-in ballots across the state are sent in two envelopes: one outer one with the voter’s name and address, and one inner “security” envelope. In theory, the inner envelope allows election officials to check to see whether a person has already voted without seeing who they voted for. A ballot is therefore considered “naked” without the inner envelope and can be tossed out, according to a late September ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Democrats scored a win last week, however, on the issue of ballot signatures. The state supreme court ruled unanimously that ballots may not be disqualified if a voter’s signature looks different than the one on their registration form.
Republicans are using cameras to watch ballot drop boxes, and claiming people are dropping off multiple ballots inappropriately.
After unsuccessfully suing to ban drop boxes, the Trump campaign drew criticism for videotaping voters at ballot drop-off locations in order to try to catch people submitting more than one ballot, alleging it represents widespread fraud. The campaign has gone so far as to submit photographic evidence of a few voters in a lawsuit aiming to crack down on people dropping off ballots for friends or family unless specifically authorized to do so. (People with disabilities, for example, may have others submit their ballot for them.)
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Reporting from The New York Times, however, found that at least one of the images included in one of the GOP suits ― a social media post of a man holding two ballots ― was misrepresented. The man told the Times that his husband was standing just outside of the frame, not wanting to be in the photo, and the second ballot belonged to him.
State Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, has been encouraging Pennsylvanians to use the drop boxes in order to lessen the strain on the postal system and has been speaking out against the Trump campaign’s cameras.
“Our entire system of voting is built on your ballot being private and your choice to vote being a personal one,” he said in a previous email to HuffPost. “Depending on the circumstance, the act of photographing or recording a voter casting a ballot could be voter intimidation — which is illegal.”
Trump is encouraging his supporters to watch the polls — which could constitute voter intimidation.
Trump has been urging his supporters to “go into the polls” and “watch very carefully” for any “shenanigans.” During his recent Pennsylvania barnstorming, Trump has focused his ominous threats on the state’s leadership.
“We’re watching you, Governor Wolf, very closely,” he said at one stop. At another point, Trump warned, “We’re watching you, Pennsylvania. We’re watching you at the highest level.”
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State law prohibits electioneering within 10 feet of any active polling place, and federal law also offers voters protection from intimidation. While each party is allowed to nominate a handful of poll watchers to each district, there are limitations on how they can interact with voters.
Showing up to polls to make a noisy display of support for a candidate ― as Trump supporters have been doing around the state ― “most certainly may constitute voter intimidation” if “these individuals are targeting Black and brown voters in Philadelphia, and seeking to discourage them from freely casting their ballots,” Kristen Clarke, president of Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, told HuffPost in an email.
Pennsylvania’s Republican legislature may only have to stall a few weeks to sway the results.
Republicans will likely attempt to drag out the results by contesting various aspects of the process as illegitimate, likely giving the Supreme Court ― with its newly minted 6-3 conservative majority ― the chance to weigh in on different elements.
If the results are not certified by Dec. 8, however, Pennsylvania’s state legislature could step in directly using powers appointed to them by the U.S. Constitution.
Dec. 8 is considered the “safe harbor” deadline for appointing the people who will make up the Electoral College, which meets six days later. In ordinary circumstances, the governor of each state sends the national archives a Certificate of Ascertainment naming the electors “as soon as practicable” after the results are settled. In this election, though, the results may be picked apart and fought over right up until that deadline ― potentially allowing state legislatures to invoke Article II of the Constitution, which allows them to ultimately decide how electors are selected if the popular vote is undecided.
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Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled legislature could claim there had been widespread fraud and choose electors loyal to Trump. This scenario is already being discussed, according to a lengthy feature in The Atlantic citing several Trump campaign officials and Republican leaders. A reporter for The New Yorker also explored the possibility.
“The state legislatures will say, ‘All right, we’ve been given this constitutional power. We don’t think the results of our own state are accurate, so here’s our slate of electors that we think properly reflect the results of our state,’ ” a legal adviser to the Trump campaign told The Atlantic. The unnamed adviser spoke as if the states only had two choices during an election in an unprecedented public health crisis: “So pick your poison. Is it worse to have electors named by legislators or to have votes received by Election Day?”
(At least one of those quoted by The Atlantic, Pennsylvania state senate majority leader Jake Corman, has distanced himself from the article, later telling the York Daily Record that the process of choosing electors “DOES NOT INVOLVE THE LEGISLATURE.”)
And Pennsylvania isn’t alone.
The swing states of Michigan, North Carolina and Wisconsin also have Democratic governors and Republican-controlled legislatures ― potentially setting up scenarios where those lawmakers step in to sort out the issue of electors if the popular vote is undecided by Dec. 8.
Republicans are also pursuing lawsuits to crack down on whose votes may count in other states, such as Wisconsin, where ballots received after Nov. 3 are to be thrown out in accordance with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision benefiting the GOP.
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Kavanaugh’s dissent in the Wisconsin case hinted that the court may favor Trump’s arguments against counting any votes that come in after Election Day. The justice said it could cause “chaos and suspicions of impropriety” if “thousands of absentee ballots flow in after election day and potentially flip the results of an election.”
Reid Hoffman, the billionaire LinkedIn founder and big Democratic donor, has poured $1 million into a musical ad campaign simply encouraging battleground state voters to be patient with the election results. The Facebook spots will target voters in Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, according to Axios.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-30--Mail-In Ballots May Not Be Moving Fast Enough In Key Swing States

At least one day this week , fewer than 85 % of ballots arrived on time by USPS standards in postal districts in Atlanta , Detroit , greater Michigan , parts of Pennsylvania and North Carolina , and Lakeland , the district covering most of Wisconsin .
For first-class mail , which is how ballots are categorized , “ on time ” means the mail has arrived within a delivery window of 1 to 3 days .
Given that it ’ s the Friday before Election Day , we ’ re advising voters not to place their ballots [ in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But ... voters still have a lot of options.
” Marian Schneider , a consultant on elections and voting rights for the ACLU of Pennsylvania Delays in Pennsylvania could also affect a huge share of people of color .
Philadelphia and its three surrounding counties are expected to deliver Biden his largest share of absentee votes in Pennsylvania .
In Philadelphia , as well as in Bucks , Delaware and Montgomery Counties , anywhere from 42 % to 47 % of people of color report plans to vote by mail .
If all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s margins in the Philadelphia suburbs could be as much as 20 % larger , according to a recent analysis by the American Civil Liberties Union .
Overall , mail delays are likely to be more damaging to Democrats than Republicans .
Millions more voters are planning to cast ballots by mail than ever before due to the COVID-19 pandemic , with Biden supporters being far more likely than Trump supporters to say they plan to vote by mail .
In the largest counties in Michigan , Pennsylvania , Georgia and Wisconsin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ margins by more than 20 points .
Republicans , knowing this , are fighting furiously for the federal courts to invalidate as many absentee ballots as possible , including by cutting off ballot deadlines at the last minute .
For states that accept ballots that were postmarked by Election Day but arrive later , the Supreme Court ’ s conservatives have signaled they may force states to throw those ballots out .
There are , however , limits to what all these numbers can tell .
The data USPS released does not cover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office is delivering directly to elections officials .
A ballot being late by postal standards does not mean it is too late by election standards .
On Thursday , 95.2 % of ballots that the USPS was tracking arrived on time ; a day earlier , the total on-time score was over 97 % .
And places like Atlanta , Lakeland and the Carolinas , which had on-time rates as low as 41 % , 56 % , and 76 % at points this week , all saw on-time delivery rates improve to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day data was submitted .
Again , there are significant limits to what this new USPS data can show .
The numbers are based on ballots that have a special USPS tracking code , which are more likely to be used by well-funded election divisions or those with a lengthy history of running large vote-by-mail campaigns .
In many districts , according to the USPS , the amount of data is too small to be statistically valid .
The data only captures processing times , meaning it doesn ’ t capture any delays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ballot ’ s journey when it ’ s on a truck or in a mail carrier ’ s bag .
And many districts are not processing ballots alongside the general mail at all , but rather delivering them directly from local facilities to elections officials — which is faster but not reflected in these numbers .
One thing the data is not is an indicator of where it is still “ safe ” to vote by mail .
Even in places with reliable delivery service , it is now too late to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrive by Election Day , the due date in a majority of states .

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The states that could play the biggest role in tipping the presidential election to Donald Trump or Joe Biden have also experienced some of the starkest delays in delivering ballots by mail, according to newly released data from the U.S. Postal Service.
The numbers show alarming slowdowns in several major cities and swing states, even if they paint a reassuring picture for the majority of the country.
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At least one day this week, fewer than 85% of ballots arrived on time by USPS standards in postal districts in Atlanta, Detroit, greater Michigan, parts of Pennsylvania and North Carolina, and Lakeland, the district covering most of Wisconsin. For first-class mail, which is how ballots are categorized, “on time” means the mail has arrived within a delivery window of 1 to 3 days.
Coupled with efforts to invalidate ballots that arrive after Election Day, mail delays could disenfranchise an untold number of voters who received their ballots late, mailed their ballots too close to Election Day, or even followed the advice of voting advocates and mailed their ballots with a week to spare.
(Note: If you have not voted by this point, you should drop off your absentee ballot at an authorized location instead of relying on the mail, or you should plan to vote in person.)
Detroit, a crucial stronghold for Democrats that has suffered slow delivery times for years — made worse by outbreaks of COVID-19 among its postal workforce — posted some of the worst on-time scores for ballots in the country.
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On Tuesday, only 51.65% of inbound ballots — that is, ballots being mailed back to election officials — arrived on time. By Thursday, that number had improved to 80.2% of ballots delivered on time, but that still made Detroit one of the worst-performing postal districts in the country.
By sheer numbers, Wayne County, which covers Detroit, is projected to provide Biden with a larger net share of absentee ballots than any other county in Michigan. Absentee ballots could increase his margins there by 15.4%, according to a recent analysis by the American Civil Liberties Union.
Delays around Detroit would also disenfranchise huge numbers of people of color. Nearly 56% of voters of color in Wayne County — who are overwhelmingly Black — say they plan to vote by mail.
“These are counties where if absentee ballots are mistreated, if, say, there are excessive rejections, the risk of suppression of voters of color is high,” said Lucia Tian, the ACLU’s chief analytics officer.
“Given that it’s the Friday before Election Day, we’re advising voters not to place their ballots [in] the mail at this point. But ... voters still have a lot of options.”” - Marian Schneider, a consultant on elections and voting rights for the ACLU of Pennsylvania
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Delays in Pennsylvania could also affect a huge share of people of color. Philadelphia and its three surrounding counties are expected to deliver Biden his largest share of absentee votes in Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia, as well as in Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery Counties, anywhere from 42% to 47% of people of color report plans to vote by mail. If all absentee ballots are counted, Biden’s margins in the Philadelphia suburbs could be as much as 20% larger, according to a recent analysis by the American Civil Liberties Union.
Overall, mail delays are likely to be more damaging to Democrats than Republicans. Millions more voters are planning to cast ballots by mail than ever before due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Biden supporters being far more likely than Trump supporters to say they plan to vote by mail. In the largest counties in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Wisconsin, absentee ballots may swing Biden’s margins by more than 20 points.
Republicans, knowing this, are fighting furiously for the federal courts to invalidate as many absentee ballots as possible, including by cutting off ballot deadlines at the last minute. For states that accept ballots that were postmarked by Election Day but arrive later, the Supreme Court’s conservatives have signaled they may force states to throw those ballots out.
As of Friday afternoon, there were still at least 35 million absentee ballots that have yet to be returned to election offices, although some may belong to voters who are voting in person instead.
There are, however, limits to what all these numbers can tell. The data USPS released does not cover all ballots, including ballots the post office is delivering directly to elections officials. A ballot being late by postal standards does not mean it is too late by election standards.
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And nationwide, the numbers support postal officials’ claims that they are taking extra steps to deliver ballots faster than the rest of the mail.
In addition to special measures like multiple daily sweeps at processing plants, the USPS Office of Inspector General is monitoring ballot processing in real time, according to Tammy Patrick, a senior adviser on elections to the nonprofit Democracy Fund who is in regular contact with the agency.
On Thursday, 95.2% of ballots that the USPS was tracking arrived on time; a day earlier, the total on-time score was over 97%. And places like Atlanta, Lakeland and the Carolinas, which had on-time rates as low as 41%, 56%, and 76% at points this week, all saw on-time delivery rates improve to 95% by Thursday, the last day data was submitted.
This is the first set of data the USPS has released to the public to show how quickly ballots are moving in specific regions. Last week, the agency released aggregate figures for the country that showed that ballots have a higher on-time delivery rate than other types of first-class mail.
The new data appears to show that slowdowns in ballot delivery are nevertheless tethered to poor performance in the mail. In Detroit on Tuesday, 44.1% of first-class mail arrived on time and 51.65% of ballots arrived on time, meaning those ballots moved faster, but barely.
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“These are counties where if absentee ballots are mistreated, if, say, there are excessive rejections, the risk of suppression of voters of color is high.” - Lucia Tian, chief analytics officer, ACLU
Again, there are significant limits to what this new USPS data can show. The numbers are based on ballots that have a special USPS tracking code, which are more likely to be used by well-funded election divisions or those with a lengthy history of running large vote-by-mail campaigns. In many districts, according to the USPS, the amount of data is too small to be statistically valid.
The data only captures processing times, meaning it doesn’t capture any delays that happen at the very beginning of a ballot’s journey when it’s on a truck or in a mail carrier’s bag. And many districts are not processing ballots alongside the general mail at all, but rather delivering them directly from local facilities to elections officials — which is faster but not reflected in these numbers.
One thing the data is not is an indicator of where it is still “safe” to vote by mail. Even in places with reliable delivery service, it is now too late to mail a ballot and expect it to arrive by Election Day, the due date in a majority of states.
Voters who have not voted yet should plan to do so in person, to return their absentee ballots to authorized dropboxes in states that have them, or to bring absentee ballots to local election offices in person.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-30--A $15 Minimum Wage Could Be Coming Soon To Florida

Along with possibly determining the outcome of the presidential election , Florida voters are now deciding whether to pass what ’ s known as Amendment 2 : a proposal to raise the statewide wage floor from its current $ 8.56 an hour to $ 15 an hour by 2026 .
The measure is drawing strong opposition from the state ’ s food and hospitality industries , which say they can ’ t sustain the higher labor costs on top of lost revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The ballot measure could have implications well beyond the Sunshine State .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ track to hit $ 15 in the coming years , but those tend to be blue states with liberal labor policies .
Florida is a purple battleground state , with Republicans in control of the governor ’ s mansion and the statehouse .
It isn ’ t known for putting new mandates on employers .
If the ballot measure were to pass , it would demonstrate that a $ 15 minimum wage ― the rallying cry of the Fight for $ 15 campaign in the fast food industry ― carries support outside Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some proponents also say passage of Amendment 2 could help the push for a $ 15 wage floor at the federal level , especially if Democrats win the White House and control of the Senate .
Florida voters last approved a minimum wage increase in 2004 , when they voted to raise it to $ 6.15 per hour .
The current minimum wage is $ 8.56 thanks to inflation adjustments included in the 2004 referendum , but progressive advocates say that still falls far short of a living wage , especially in parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basic costs of living have risen rapidly .
The federal minimum wage is $ 7.25 and hasn ’ t been raised in more than a decade .
A single adult with no children would need to make more than $ 12 an hour to earn a living wage in Florida , according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology .
That rises to nearly $ 14 for a couple with one child ( where both adults are working ) and more than $ 25 for a single adult with one child .
The increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a quarter of the state ’ s workforce , according to the Florida Policy Institute , a progressive think tank .
It would especially benefit women of color , who already earn on average less per hour than women and workers overall .
A third of Florida ’ s female workers would see a raise ; 38 % of women of color in the workforce would receive a pay increase , the institute says .
Florida has a $ 3.02-per-hour “ tip credit ” for business owners .
It ’ s what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5.54 before gratuities , rather than $ 8.56 , under the current minimum wage .
That $ 3.02 credit would stay under the new law , but it would have less impact over time .
Once the regular minimum wage hit $ 15 , Johnson would have to pay his servers at least $ 11.98 per hour , more than double what he pays them now , before gratuities .
Progressive groups like Organize Florida have tried to use the ballot initiative to engage and register new voters , in hopes of boosting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ populations , two voting blocs that could determine the fate not only of the minimum wage measure but of races up and down Florida ’ s ballot , including the presidential contest .
DeSantis and Florida ’ s GOP-controlled legislature promptly worked to roll back Amendment 4 , the voting rights restoration referendum , even though nearly two-thirds of voters had supported it at the polls .
There are already worries that Florida Republicans might try to weaken the minimum wage measure if it wins next week , although the structure of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unwind .

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Low-wage workers in Florida’s sprawling service economy may soon find themselves on the path to a $15 minimum wage, thanks to one of the most far-reaching referendums in the country this year.
Along with possibly determining the outcome of the presidential election, Florida voters are now deciding whether to pass what’s known as Amendment 2: a proposal to raise the statewide wage floor from its current $8.56 an hour to $15 an hour by 2026. The measure is drawing strong opposition from the state’s food and hospitality industries, which say they can’t sustain the higher labor costs on top of lost revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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If passed, the amendment would give Florida the highest minimum wage among Southern states and impact an estimated 2.5 million workers. The wage floor would rise to $10 next year, and then increase $1 each year thereafter until it hit $15 in 2026. After that, it would adjust annually according to an inflation index.
The ballot measure could have implications well beyond the Sunshine State. There are seven other states already on track to hit $15 in the coming years, but those tend to be blue states with liberal labor policies. Florida is a purple battleground state, with Republicans in control of the governor’s mansion and the statehouse. It isn’t known for putting new mandates on employers.
If the ballot measure were to pass, it would demonstrate that a $15 minimum wage ― the rallying cry of the Fight for $15 campaign in the fast food industry ― carries support outside Democratic strongholds like California and New York. Some proponents also say passage of Amendment 2 could help the push for a $15 wage floor at the federal level, especially if Democrats win the White House and control of the Senate.
“I think the significance of Florida is it is a pivotal swing state,” said Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, a progressive political action group aligned with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). “If $15 passes in Florida, it will send a clear message to the incoming [Biden] administration that raising the minimum wage is not just good policy but also good politics.”
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Geevarghese’s group has been calling its members in Florida to urge them to vote yes on the amendment. But despite the general popularity of minimum wage hikes ― most have sailed through on the ballot in recent years ― the Florida proposal is by no means a sure thing.
As an amendment to the state constitution, the measure requires 60% approval from voters. Polls tend to show about two-thirds of respondents nationally support the idea of raising the minimum wage. A recent poll specifically on Amendment 2 conducted by the University of North Florida put support right around the 60% threshold.
“I think we feel good, but we need to turn out every single voter in the state,” said Stephanie Porta, the executive director of Organize Florida, a progressive group that supports the referendum.
Florida voters last approved a minimum wage increase in 2004, when they voted to raise it to $6.15 per hour. The current minimum wage is $8.56 thanks to inflation adjustments included in the 2004 referendum, but progressive advocates say that still falls far short of a living wage, especially in parts of the state where housing and other basic costs of living have risen rapidly. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 and hasn’t been raised in more than a decade.
“If $15 passes in Florida, it will send a clear message to the incoming administration that raising the minimum wage is not just good policy but also good politics.” - Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution
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A single adult with no children would need to make more than $12 an hour to earn a living wage in Florida, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. That rises to nearly $14 for a couple with one child (where both adults are working) and more than $25 for a single adult with one child.
The increase to $15 would boost pay for about a quarter of the state’s workforce, according to the Florida Policy Institute, a progressive think tank. It would especially benefit women of color, who already earn on average less per hour than women and workers overall. A third of Florida’s female workers would see a raise; 38% of women of color in the workforce would receive a pay increase, the institute says.
But Jay Johnson, who owns Bubba’s Roadhouse & Saloon in Cape Coral, said his business couldn’t withstand the wage increases without cutting hours or hiking prices on customers, or both. He said his main concern is how the proposal raises wages for tipped workers.
Florida has a $3.02-per-hour “tip credit” for business owners. It’s what allows Johnson to pay a server $5.54 before gratuities, rather than $8.56, under the current minimum wage. That $3.02 credit would stay under the new law, but it would have less impact over time. Once the regular minimum wage hit $15, Johnson would have to pay his servers at least $11.98 per hour, more than double what he pays them now, before gratuities.
He said the money to pay servers’ wages may come out of raises for kitchen staff, even though servers tend to earn more due to tips.
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If Amendment 2 passes, Florida will become the first state in the South on track to reach a $15 minimum wage. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
“Any restaurant that’s on the bubble right now, especially with COVID ― when they have those additional costs, I don’t know if they make it through,” said Johnson, who heads the Lee County chapter of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association.
According to Ballotpedia, political spending in favor of the amendment has dwarfed the money opposing it, by a roughly 10-1 margin. Much of the financial backing for the amendment has come from the law firm of John Morgan, a high-profile Florida attorney who represents workers in class-action lawsuits.
Supporters of the amendment argue that the wage increase wouldn’t hurt Florida’s economy or job growth. The Florida Policy Institute, in its report on the referendum, pointed to a 2005 study that found “no empirical evidence” that Florida’s last, more modest minimum wage increase caused employers to lay off workers.
Progressive groups like Organize Florida have tried to use the ballot initiative to engage and register new voters, in hopes of boosting turnout especially among the Black and Hispanic populations, two voting blocs that could determine the fate not only of the minimum wage measure but of races up and down Florida’s ballot, including the presidential contest.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has limited in-person organizing efforts, especially in the lower-income communities that would benefit most from the wage increase, and progressive groups and the Florida Democratic Party fell short of their voter registration targets.
Still, the minimum wage referendum may have boosted their efforts. Porta, of Organize Florida, pointed to a conversation she had this summer with a Hispanic woman who had never voted and didn’t plan to this year ― until Porta mentioned the minimum wage measure. The woman, Porta said, immediately asked where she could register.
“We need to turn out every single voter in the state.” - Stephanie Porta, executive director of Organize Florida
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has endorsed raising the federal minimum wage to $15, and Democrats and progressives in Florida hope that support for Amendment 2 could boost his chances of defeating President Donald Trump in the crucial swing state.
But the approval of progressive ballot measures isn’t necessarily linked to Democratic success in statewide races. In 2018, Florida voters said yes on a referendum to restore voting rights to people with felony convictions, a major progressive priority, even as Republicans Ron DeSantis and Rick Scott won narrow victories in the state’s gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races, respectively.
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DeSantis and Florida’s GOP-controlled legislature promptly worked to roll back Amendment 4, the voting rights restoration referendum, even though nearly two-thirds of voters had supported it at the polls. There are already worries that Florida Republicans might try to weaken the minimum wage measure if it wins next week, although the structure of the law would make it more difficult to unwind.
“I’m sure the legislature will try to screw with it,” Porta said. “They always try to go against the people ― that is their M.O. But we will be ready to fight.”
We want to know what you’re hearing on the ground from the candidates. If you get any interesting ― or suspicious! ― campaign mailers, robocalls or hear anything else you think we should know about, email us at scoops@huffpost.com.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-30--Facebook’s Political Ads Ban Has Been An Ominous Disaster

In theory , as Zuckerberg touted , the policy would prevent political advertisers from spreading new messages to targeted audiences before fact-checkers and journalists had time to scrutinize them — reducing the risk of false and misleading claims going viral in the run-up to the vote .
The ban went into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday .
Chaos ensued almost immediately : Thousands of previously approved ads from Democratic nominee Joe Biden ’ s campaign and multiple progressive groups were wrongly blocked due to a “ technical flaw , ” potentially costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managed to launch new ads post-ban .
And in violation of its own rules , Facebook approved ads from the president ’ s campaign prematurely declaring victory , as well as hundreds of ads bearing the misleading text “ ELECTION DAY IS TODAY ” or “ Vote Today.
” Days later , Facebook is still putting out fires amid searing accusations of partisan bias and negligence .
The company ’ s stunning failure to properly enforce its own high-profile policy at such a critical time has raised alarm about its preparedness for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which could be inconclusive for days or even weeks .
“ [ Facebook ’ s ] implementation certainly has only inspired more fears over how they ’ re going to be able to handle these last-minute election-specific rollouts , ” Lehrich said .
“ It constantly feels like they ’ re dealing with optics — they ’ re thinking of everything as optical problems and never as structural problems.
” Initially , Facebook ’ s political ads ban was set to end after Election Day .
But just hours after the news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the policy ’ s glaring flaws — a candidate could still falsely declare victory in an ad before the results are known — Facebook introduced a new rule prohibiting “ political ads that claim victory before the results of the 2020 election have been declared , ” and later extended the ban indefinitely .
The ban is only supposed to apply for new political ads ; those approved before Tuesday are eligible to run as usual , per Facebook ’ s rules , including in the days leading up to Nov. 3 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for several reasons .
In anticipation of the ban , Trump ’ s campaign and other political advertisers submitted thousands of ads for approval right before the deadline .
These ads — which are catalogued in Facebook ’ s public library — can now be switched on- and offline whenever the advertisers please .
( Of course , it is near-impossible for the public or fact-checkers to scrutinize such a vast quantity of last-minute ads before next week ’ s vote , which was supposedly the point of the ban in the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exempts political ads from its third-party fact-checking program . )
“ For more than a year , our campaign has engaged with Facebook in good faith to both better understand their shifting policies around elections and to push for equal and measurable enforcement of those rules .
Once again , just five days before Election Day , they have failed to meet the moment , ” Rob Flaherty , digital director of the Biden campaign , said in a statement on Thursday .
“ Facebook has , to this point , provided no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plaguing all of our ad campaigns since the onset of their new ad restrictions , ” Flaherty continued .
“ It is currently unclear to us whether or not Facebook is giving Donald Trump an unfair electoral advantage in this particular instance , but it is abundantly clear that Facebook was wholly unprepared to handle this election despite having four years to prepare.
” “ After two days of public and private complaints , Facebook has finally acknowledged that they were wrong in shutting off our ads , but their recalcitrance and failure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final seven days of advertising , ” Priorities USA said in an emailed statement to HuffPost .
“ Throughout this process we were misled and strung along in an attempt to shift blame onto us and other organizations , but the facts tell a different story , ” it continued .
“ The last two days demonstrate a refusal to act responsibly without public pressure .
”

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckberberg. Leah Millis/Reuters
Under mounting pressure to quell the flood of partisan misinformation coursing through its platform, Facebook announced a new policy in September: It would stop accepting all new political ads during the week preceding the presidential election.
“This election is not going to be business as usual,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement at the time. “We all have a responsibility to protect our democracy.”
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In theory, as Zuckerberg touted, the policy would prevent political advertisers from spreading new messages to targeted audiences before fact-checkers and journalists had time to scrutinize them — reducing the risk of false and misleading claims going viral in the run-up to the vote.
In practice, it has been a disaster.
The ban went into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. Chaos ensued almost immediately: Thousands of previously approved ads from Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s campaign and multiple progressive groups were wrongly blocked due to a “technical flaw,” potentially costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations. President Donald Trump’s campaign managed to launch new ads post-ban. And in violation of its own rules, Facebook approved ads from the president’s campaign prematurely declaring victory, as well as hundreds of ads bearing the misleading text “ELECTION DAY IS TODAY” or “Vote Today.”
Days later, Facebook is still putting out fires amid searing accusations of partisan bias and negligence. The company’s stunning failure to properly enforce its own high-profile policy at such a critical time has raised alarm about its preparedness for the fallout of the election — the results of which could be inconclusive for days or even weeks.
Facebook approved hundreds of ads from the Trump campaign that violate the platform's own policies. Facebook
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From the start, the policy was transparently more of a PR stunt than an effective election integrity measure, Jesse Lehrich, co-founder of the nonprofit Accountable Tech, told HuffPost after the ban began on Tuesday.
“[Facebook’s] implementation certainly has only inspired more fears over how they’re going to be able to handle these last-minute election-specific rollouts,” Lehrich said. “It constantly feels like they’re dealing with optics — they’re thinking of everything as optical problems and never as structural problems.”
Initially, Facebook’s political ads ban was set to end after Election Day. But just hours after the news outlet Fast Company pointed out one of the policy’s glaring flaws — a candidate could still falsely declare victory in an ad before the results are known — Facebook introduced a new rule prohibiting “political ads that claim victory before the results of the 2020 election have been declared,” and later extended the ban indefinitely.
The ban is only supposed to apply for new political ads; those approved before Tuesday are eligible to run as usual, per Facebook’s rules, including in the days leading up to Nov. 3. This aspect of the policy is problematic for several reasons.
In anticipation of the ban, Trump’s campaign and other political advertisers submitted thousands of ads for approval right before the deadline. These ads — which are catalogued in Facebook’s public library — can now be switched on- and offline whenever the advertisers please. (Of course, it is near-impossible for the public or fact-checkers to scrutinize such a vast quantity of last-minute ads before next week’s vote, which was supposedly the point of the ban in the first place. Not to mention Facebook specifically exempts political ads from its third-party fact-checking program.)
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In a pre-approved ad, the Trump campaign appears to declare victory in California, which is against Facebook's rules. Facebook
Trump’s ad arsenal now includes at least 18 apparent victory ads, in which a narrated video declares, “It’s morning in America. Donald J. Trump is still president of the United States,” over cries of despair, supposedly from liberals. Other ads bear the text, “CALIFORNIA VOTES TRUMP.”
The president’s team also preemptively launched ads on Monday claiming record-setting GDP growth — citing figures that hadn’t yet been released.
Meanwhile, Biden’s campaign was stuck in limbo, unable to run its pre-approved ads for days, reportedly without any explanation from Facebook.
“For more than a year, our campaign has engaged with Facebook in good faith to both better understand their shifting policies around elections and to push for equal and measurable enforcement of those rules. Once again, just five days before Election Day, they have failed to meet the moment,” Rob Flaherty, digital director of the Biden campaign, said in a statement on Thursday.
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“Facebook has, to this point, provided no clarity on the widespread issues that are plaguing all of our ad campaigns since the onset of their new ad restrictions,” Flaherty continued. “It is currently unclear to us whether or not Facebook is giving Donald Trump an unfair electoral advantage in this particular instance, but it is abundantly clear that Facebook was wholly unprepared to handle this election despite having four years to prepare.”
This error and Facebook’s slow response to correct it cost Biden’s campaign an estimated $500,000 in donations, Flaherty said.
Facebook blamed the issue on “technical flaws” in a statement released Thursday night, adding that “no ad was paused or rejected by a person, or because of any partisan consideration.”
Facebook also blocked pre-approved ads from progressive groups including Priorities USA, DSPolitical and Defending Democracy Together.
“After two days of public and private complaints, Facebook has finally acknowledged that they were wrong in shutting off our ads, but their recalcitrance and failure to prepare cost us two of the final seven days of advertising,” Priorities USA said in an emailed statement to HuffPost.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-30--Savvy K-Pop Superfans Take On QAnon With Vast Cyberarmy

Forbes last month referred to the cyber force of some 100 million fans as the “ new Anonymous.
” Some experts consider the loosely linked stans even more powerful on the internet than some nations .
In June , TikTok users and the K-Pop fans flooded the Trump campaign with requests for free tickets to the president ’ s rally in Tulsa , which they had no intention of using .
The campaign boasted it had received more than a million ticket requests , but only some 6,000 were used .
That left vast swathes of empty seats in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) gave a shout out then to “ Zoomers — y ’ all make me so proud , ” and to “ KPop allies.
” “ We see and appreciate your contributions in the fight for justice too , ” the progressive lawmaker said .
The cyber movement is dominated by some 50 million fans of K-Pop kings BTS .
Stans of the seven-member boy band call themselves ARMY ( Adorable Representative M.C for Youth ) .
In June , BTS tweeted support of the Black Lives Matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 1 million to the cause .
우리는 인종차별에 반대합니다 .
우리는 폭력에 반대합니다 .
나 , 당신 , 우리 모두는 존중받을 권리가 있습니다 .
함께 하겠습니다 .
We stand against racial discrimination .
We condemn violence .
You , I and we all have the right to be respected .
We will stand together.
# BlackLivesMatter — 방탄소년단 ( @ BTS_twt ) June 4 , 2020 A key tactic in the cyberattacks is “ keyword squatting ” — hijacking phrases used by an enemy group to render them useless , Bloomberg reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white lives matter ” after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May .
Searches for the phrase suddenly turned up a flood of photos and video clips of Korean boy bands .
Text with the images or videos frequently referred to the cyberassault , such as “ Stan Twitter RISE.
” The LGBTQ community used the same tactic earlier this month when the hashtag “ Proud Boys ” was inundated with photos of gay lovers .
QAnon , the far-right conspiracy theory that has gained support from Trump and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups to utilize the tactic .
But the vast numbers of K-Pop fans are capable of swamping most other efforts .
QAnon “ got beaten at their own game by Korean pop fans , ” conspiracy theory researcher Mike Rothschild told Bloomberg .
“ I ’ ve never seen anything like it .
”

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Internet-savvy K-Pop fans are mobilizing against QAnon in an ongoing cyberwar, say digital security experts.
Attacks hijacking QAnon’s memes and messages are part of K-Pop stans’ success this summer sabotaging ticket reservations for President Donald Trump’s Tulsa, Oklahoma, rally.
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Forbes last month referred to the cyber force of some 100 million fans as the “new Anonymous.” Some experts consider the loosely linked stans even more powerful on the internet than some nations.
In June, TikTok users and the K-Pop fans flooded the Trump campaign with requests for free tickets to the president’s rally in Tulsa, which they had no intention of using. The campaign boasted it had received more than a million ticket requests, but only some 6,000 were used. That left vast swathes of empty seats in a city stadium, which infuriated Trump.
“We see and appreciate your contributions in the fight for justice too,” the progressive lawmaker said.
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KPop allies, we see and appreciate your contributions in the fight for justice too 😌 — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 21, 2020
The cyber movement is dominated by some 50 million fans of K-Pop kings BTS. Stans of the seven-member boy band call themselves ARMY (Adorable Representative M.C for Youth).
In June, BTS tweeted support of the Black Lives Matter movement and announced that it had donated $1 million to the cause.
우리는 인종차별에 반대합니다.
우리는 폭력에 반대합니다.
나, 당신, 우리 모두는 존중받을 권리가 있습니다. 함께 하겠습니다.
We stand against racial discrimination.
We condemn violence.
You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.#BlackLivesMatter — 방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) June 4, 2020
A key tactic in the cyberattacks is “keyword squatting” — hijacking phrases used by an enemy group to render them useless, Bloomberg reports.
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An example was the phrase “white lives matter” after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. Searches for the phrase suddenly turned up a flood of photos and video clips of Korean boy bands. Text with the images or videos frequently referred to the cyberassault, such as “Stan Twitter RISE.”
The LGBTQ community used the same tactic earlier this month when the hashtag “Proud Boys” was inundated with photos of gay lovers.
QAnon, the far-right conspiracy theory that has gained support from Trump and other Republicans, was one of the first groups to utilize the tactic. But the vast numbers of K-Pop fans are capable of swamping most other efforts.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-30--Here Are Voters' Top Issues For 2020

Here Are Voters' Top Issues For 2020

Voters ’ top issues in this election include the economy , health care and the pandemic , a new HuffPost/YouGov poll finds .
President Donald Trump ’ s campaign , voters say , has focused largely on the economy , while Joe Biden ’ s campaign has spent more time addressing the latter two issues .
No matter how atypical this year has turned out to be , voters ’ top issues cover familiar ground .
Asked to select three top campaign issues from a list of 15 topics , 47 % of voters picked the economy and 46 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ naming the coronavirus outbreak .
That trio was trailed by immigration ( 22 % ) , the Supreme Court ( 19 % ) , the environment and gun policies ( each at 17 % ) , social issues ( 11 % ) , and abortion policy ( 10 % ) .
None of the remaining topics , including foreign policy and the candidates ’ personal qualities , reached double digits .
Concerns are starkly polarized .
Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters say they ’ re most concerned about health care ( 59 % ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the economy ( 33 % ) and the environment ( 31 % ) .
Republican and Republican-leaning voters describe themselves as overwhelmingly focused on the economy ( 61 % ) , followed by health care ( 34 % ) , immigration ( 31 % ) and the Supreme Court ( 27 % ) .
The two issues voters are most likely to say they ’ ve heard about from Biden are the coronavirus outbreak ( 44 % ) and health care ( 43 % ) , followed by criticism of Trump ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Biden had focused on the economy , the environment and social issues , respectively , with no other issues breaking into the double digits .
The two issues voters are most likely to say they ’ ve heard about from Trump are the economy ( 46 % ) and criticism of Biden ( 41 % ) , followed by the Supreme Court ( 28 % ) .
Just 18 % say the coronavirus outbreak has ranked among Trump ’ s top campaign issues , with the same percentage citing immigration .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % mention crime .
As we ’ ve written previously , any poll aiming to measure voters ’ top concerns deserves to come with a few caveats .
For one , the results of any poll on top issues will depend , to a significant degree , on the topics listed .
Also , what people define as an issue and what they mean when they talk about it is complicated .
That may be especially true this year , when the pandemic itself is inextricably tied to economic and health care issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often pinpoint a specific set of issues that influence their ultimate decision to pick one candidate over another .
For many , their decision-making process simply doesn ’ t work that way .
Those voters attached to one or the other parties will overwhelmingly vote along party lines ; the small , crucial pool of persuadable voters are often more idiosyncratic than ideological .
Finally , which issues voters see as important often reflects what stories they ’ re seeing in the media and what messaging they ’ re hearing from campaigns .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a disconnect between what voters indicate as important and where they see one party ’ s campaign is focused can also be a warning sign .
A HuffPost/YouGov poll taken just before big GOP wins in the 2014 midterms , for instance , found that voters saw Republicans as sharing their concerns about the economy and Democrats as more focused on social issues .
In 2016 , voters ― again registering concerns about the economy ― felt that neither presidential campaign shared their priorities .
Voters ’ perception that Biden is most focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up well with data on his campaign ’ s TV ad spending .
It also makes sense : Both are major concerns for voters , and areas on which he holds the advantage .
Trump ’ s ratings for handling the coronavirus have steadily worsened throughout the year , and voters now give Biden a significant edge in trust to handle the pandemic .
Trump ’ s perceived focus on the economy also makes sense .
Aside from being a top concern for voters , it ’ s one of the few issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ratings from the public .
Other issues on which he ’ s traditionally relied , however , have slipped out of focus .
Immigration , which was the center of attention for many GOP voters in the 2018 midterms , has failed to garner similar scrutiny this year .
Public safety issues have failed to break through , despite the Trump campaign ’ s significant expenditures on ads depicting the president as a bulwark against national unrest .
Crime is neither a top issue for many voters nor something he ’ s perceived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey , using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups : HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls .
You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov ’ s nationally representative opinion polling .
More details on the polls ’ methodology are available here .
Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some but not all potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include a model-based margin of error , which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling .
If these assumptions are wrong , the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate .

A young African American woman holding a voting badge. LPETTET via Getty Images
Voters’ top issues in this election include the economy, health care and the pandemic, a new HuffPost/YouGov poll finds. President Donald Trump’s campaign, voters say, has focused largely on the economy, while Joe Biden’s campaign has spent more time addressing the latter two issues.
No matter how atypical this year has turned out to be, voters’ top issues cover familiar ground. Asked to select three top campaign issues from a list of 15 topics, 47% of voters picked the economy and 46% chose health care, with 31% naming the coronavirus outbreak. That trio was trailed by immigration (22%), the Supreme Court (19%), the environment and gun policies (each at 17%), social issues (11%), and abortion policy (10%). None of the remaining topics, including foreign policy and the candidates’ personal qualities, reached double digits.
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Concerns are starkly polarized. Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters say they’re most concerned about health care (59%), the coronavirus (44%), the economy (33%) and the environment (31%). Republican and Republican-leaning voters describe themselves as overwhelmingly focused on the economy (61%), followed by health care (34%), immigration (31%) and the Supreme Court (27%).
Results of a new HuffPost/YouGov poll on top campaign issues. Ariel Edwards-Levy/HuffPost
Those divides largely echo voters’ perceptions about where each of the candidates has focused their attention.
The two issues voters are most likely to say they’ve heard about from Biden are the coronavirus outbreak (44%) and health care (43%), followed by criticism of Trump (31%). About 1-in-5 voters said Biden had focused on the economy, the environment and social issues, respectively, with no other issues breaking into the double digits.
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The two issues voters are most likely to say they’ve heard about from Trump are the economy (46%) and criticism of Biden (41%), followed by the Supreme Court (28%). Just 18% say the coronavirus outbreak has ranked among Trump’s top campaign issues, with the same percentage citing immigration. And further down the list, just 11% mention crime.
Results of a new HuffPost/YouGov poll on top campaign issues. Ariel Edwards-Levy/HuffPost
As we’ve written previously, any poll aiming to measure voters’ top concerns deserves to come with a few caveats. For one, the results of any poll on top issues will depend, to a significant degree, on the topics listed. Also, what people define as an issue and what they mean when they talk about it is complicated. That may be especially true this year, when the pandemic itself is inextricably tied to economic and health care issues.
Additionally, people can’t often pinpoint a specific set of issues that influence their ultimate decision to pick one candidate over another. For many, their decision-making process simply doesn’t work that way. Those voters attached to one or the other parties will overwhelmingly vote along party lines; the small, crucial pool of persuadable voters are often more idiosyncratic than ideological.
Finally, which issues voters see as important often reflects what stories they’re seeing in the media and what messaging they’re hearing from campaigns. Precisely because of that, however, a disconnect between what voters indicate as important and where they see one party’s campaign is focused can also be a warning sign. A HuffPost/YouGov poll taken just before big GOP wins in the 2014 midterms, for instance, found that voters saw Republicans as sharing their concerns about the economy and Democrats as more focused on social issues. In 2016, voters ― again registering concerns about the economy ― felt that neither presidential campaign shared their priorities.
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Voters’ perception that Biden is most focused on health care and the coronavirus lines up well with data on his campaign’s TV ad spending. It also makes sense: Both are major concerns for voters, and areas on which he holds the advantage. Trump’s ratings for handling the coronavirus have steadily worsened throughout the year, and voters now give Biden a significant edge in trust to handle the pandemic.
Trump’s perceived focus on the economy also makes sense. Aside from being a top concern for voters, it’s one of the few issues on which he continues to earn positive ratings from the public. Other issues on which he’s traditionally relied, however, have slipped out of focus. Immigration, which was the center of attention for many GOP voters in the 2018 midterms, has failed to garner similar scrutiny this year.
Public safety issues have failed to break through, despite the Trump campaign’s significant expenditures on ads depicting the president as a bulwark against national unrest. Crime is neither a top issue for many voters nor something he’s perceived as having devoted significant attention to.
Trump’s attacks on his rival, meanwhile, have apparently failed to do significant damage. Biden’s favorability ratings are still slightly above water among likely voters ― a shift from 2016, when both Trump and his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, were viewed unfavorably.
Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey, using the menu at the top to select survey questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroups:
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he HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 completed interviews conducted Oct. 22-25 among U.S. registered voters, using a sample selected from YouGov’s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the population.
HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov’s nationally representative opinion polling. More details on the polls’ methodology are available here.
Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some but not all potential survey errors. YouGov’s reports include a model-based margin of error, which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling. If these assumptions are wrong, the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-30--Affirmative Action Supporters Could Finally Revive It In California

Justin Sullivan via Getty Images People protested Prop 209 , California 's anti-affirmative action law , in San Francisco back in 2012 .
Eight years later , voters could finally overturn it .
In 1996 , California became the first of 10 states to pass a ban on affirmative action at its public institutions , outlawing them from considering race or gender when offering people employment , education or contracting opportunities .
Twenty-four years later , that legislation is under the spotlight again , forcing Californians to grapple with just how progressive they really want to be .
The motivation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as California banned its public institutions from using affirmative action ― a policy of including groups of people in spaces that have historically discriminated against them ― women and people of color were immediately pushed out , its proponents say .
Paterson , president and co-founder of the Equal Justice Society , has helped to do polling on affirmative action in the years since Prop 209 passed .
For years , the group didn ’ t see the numbers it needed to overturn it .
But the pandemic ’ s outsized effect on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of George Floyd , Paterson believes , helped tip the scales for the first time .
But it ’ s been a tough fight for the Yes on Prop 16 campaign .
Polls earlier this month showed it trailing badly , fighting an uphill battle with conservative white and Asian Americans who believed it would hurt them in university admissions , even though its proponents say no quotas will be established .
The No On Prop 16 campaign is led by Ward Connerly , a former member of the University of California Board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign in 1996 .
He recently praised President Donald Trump as the nation ’ s first truly “ color-blind ” president .
The campaign ’ s biggest donation came from an Austin , Texas , group , called Students for Fair Admissions , which gave $ 50,000 .
“ One thing Prop .
16 has done , even before people vote yes or no on it , is reveal California ’ s true face .
It ’ s not one we should be proud of , ” wrote Phillips , who believes himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a full-time food writer at a major daily news publication in the U.S. “ California is a place for a dialogue .
But in 2020 , it doesn ’ t appear to be a place for action.
” Paterson isn ’ t too fazed by those polls .
She said the campaign always knew it wouldn ’ t get a majority of support on the measure without helping people see through the confusing ballot language .
They ’ re making big strides doing that in the final weeks of the election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Latinx voters in Southern California and highlighting their big endorsements : Sens .
Kamala Harris ( D-Calif. ) and Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) , the Golden State Warriors and other cultural icons in the Black community , from Tracee Ellis Ross to Dwayne Wade .
It ’ s also racked up endorsements from nearly every major newspaper in the state and The New York Times .
With just a few days to go , the tides may be turning enough for Prop 16 to eke out a win .
A new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s currently tied at 45 % yes and 45 % no , with 10 % undecided .
The campaign also pointed to a new Capitol Weekly poll showing it ahead 53-47 .
“ [ W ] e are confident that as voters continue to learn more about how Prop 16 levels the playing field for women and people of color they will continue to come over to our side , ” Prop 16 campaign manager Andy Wong said in a statement when the new polling came out .
One of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , is that it gives employment or educational opportunities to people who are under-qualified .
In reality , she argued , there are discriminatory factors at play that make some candidates simply appear more qualified than others .
White students at well-funded high schools , for example , have more access to Advanced Placement courses than Black students at schools with less funding .
Students from both schools could get an A grade in every class , but the students with access to AP courses will have an inflated grade point average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weighted .
[ W ] e are confident that as voters continue to learn more about how Prop 16 levels the playing field for women and people of color they will continue to come over to our side .
Andy Wong , Yes on Prop 16 campaign manager

People protested Prop 209, California's anti-affirmative action law, in San Francisco back in 2012. Eight years later, voters could finally overturn it. Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
In 1996, California became the first of 10 states to pass a ban on affirmative action at its public institutions, outlawing them from considering race or gender when offering people employment, education or contracting opportunities. Twenty-four years later, that legislation is under the spotlight again, forcing Californians to grapple with just how progressive they really want to be.
Proposition 16 ― a measure that made its way on to the California ballot amid a pandemic that largely affects Black and Latinx people and a reckoning against racist police violence ― could reverse that 1996 law, known as Prop 209.
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“I started working on this repeal the night Proposition 209 passed,” the campaign’s co-chair, litigator and civil rights activist Eva Paterson, told HuffPost.
The motivation behind Prop 16 is that as soon as California banned its public institutions from using affirmative action ― a policy of including groups of people in spaces that have historically discriminated against them ― women and people of color were immediately pushed out, its proponents say.
“People could no longer say, ‘I don’t see color. We’re post-racial.' People went, ‘No, systemic racism is here.’” - Eva Paterson, Yes on Prop 16 co-chair
Paterson, president and co-founder of the Equal Justice Society, has helped to do polling on affirmative action in the years since Prop 209 passed. For years, the group didn’t see the numbers it needed to overturn it. But the pandemic’s outsized effect on people of color and the police killing of George Floyd, Paterson believes, helped tip the scales for the first time.
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“People could no longer say, ‘I don’t see color. We’re post-racial,’” she said. “People went, ‘No, systemic racism is here.’”
But it’s been a tough fight for the Yes on Prop 16 campaign. Polls earlier this month showed it trailing badly, fighting an uphill battle with conservative white and Asian Americans who believed it would hurt them in university admissions, even though its proponents say no quotas will be established.
The No On Prop 16 campaign is led by Ward Connerly, a former member of the University of California Board of Regents who led the Prop 209 campaign in 1996. He recently praised President Donald Trump as the nation’s first truly “color-blind” president. The campaign’s biggest donation came from an Austin, Texas, group, called Students for Fair Admissions, which gave $50,000.
Justin Phillips, a staff writer at the San Francisco Chronicle, reflected on how disheartening it is to see Prop 16 struggle in a state that prides itself on its liberal values.
“One thing Prop. 16 has done, even before people vote yes or no on it, is reveal California’s true face. It’s not one we should be proud of,” wrote Phillips, who believes himself to be the only Black man working as a full-time food writer at a major daily news publication in the U.S. “California is a place for a dialogue. But in 2020, it doesn’t appear to be a place for action.”
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UC Berkeley is one of the most highly selective schools in California's public university system. San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images via Getty Images
Paterson isn’t too fazed by those polls. She said the campaign always knew it wouldn’t get a majority of support on the measure without helping people see through the confusing ballot language. They’re making big strides doing that in the final weeks of the election, she said, by conducting heavy outreach with Latinx voters in Southern California and highlighting their big endorsements: Sens. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the Golden State Warriors and other cultural icons in the Black community, from Tracee Ellis Ross to Dwayne Wade. It’s also racked up endorsements from nearly every major newspaper in the state and The New York Times.
With just a few days to go, the tides may be turning enough for Prop 16 to eke out a win. A new poll by David Binder Research found that it’s currently tied at 45% yes and 45% no, with 10% undecided. The campaign also pointed to a new Capitol Weekly poll showing it ahead 53-47.
“[W]e are confident that as voters continue to learn more about how Prop 16 levels the playing field for women and people of color they will continue to come over to our side,” Prop 16 campaign manager Andy Wong said in a statement when the new polling came out.
One of the biggest misconceptions with affirmative action, Paterson said, is that it gives employment or educational opportunities to people who are under-qualified. In reality, she argued, there are discriminatory factors at play that make some candidates simply appear more qualified than others.
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White students at well-funded high schools, for example, have more access to Advanced Placement courses than Black students at schools with less funding. Students from both schools could get an A grade in every class, but the students with access to AP courses will have an inflated grade point average because of the way those grades are weighted.
“[W]e are confident that as voters continue to learn more about how Prop 16 levels the playing field for women and people of color they will continue to come over to our side.” - Andy Wong, Yes on Prop 16 campaign manager
“I was a part of 30 Black students admitted in my class in 1972 at Berkeley Law,” Paterson recalled. “The year after affirmative action was eliminated, there was not one Black student admitted to Berkeley Law. Not one.”
Studies show that the affirmative action ban had little impact on white and Asian American university applicants, who go on to attend selective universities and graduate with good career prospects at the same rates regardless of diversity policies.
While the ban on affirmative action is often discussed in the context of school admissions, it has left its mark elsewhere, too.
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Before 1996, the California government used to award nearly a quarter of its public contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses. When Prop 209 disbanded that program, those businesses lost out on around $825 million a year, according to a study from the Equal Justice Society.
People awarding those contracts tend to work with the same people they always work with, who often happen to be white men, Paterson said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-10-30--Berlin's Madame Tussauds Wax Museum Dumps Trump Before US Election

BERLIN , Oct 30 ( Reuters ) - The waxwork museum Madame Tussauds in Berlin loaded its effigy of TV star-turned Republican president Donald Trump into a dumpster on Friday , a move apparently intended to reflect its expectations of next Tuesday ’ s presidential election .
In what seemed a further calculated insult , the statue of his predecessor and nemesis Barack Obama , who counted Germany ’ s Chancellor Angela Merkel among his closest allies , remained in place , beaming and besuited .
The wax figure of President Donald Trump is pushed in a garbage container at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s activity is rather of a symbolic character ahead of the elections in the United States , ” said the museum ’ s marketing manager Orkide Yalcindag .
“ We here at Madame Tussauds Berlin removed Donald Trump ’ s waxwork as a preparatory measure.
” Trump has trailed his Democratic challenger Joe Biden in national opinion polls for months , partly because of widespread disapproval of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping Europe and the United States , though recent polls have shown him gaining ground in a handful of key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is rather of a symbolic character ahead of the elections in the United States , ” the museum ’ s marketing manager Orkide Yalcindag said .
Madame Tussauds ’ s display also includes former U.S. presidents : regardless of the outcome , Trump and his dumpster are likely to be wheeled back before long .

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BERLIN, Oct 30 (Reuters) - The waxwork museum Madame Tussauds in Berlin loaded its effigy of TV star-turned Republican president Donald Trump into a dumpster on Friday, a move apparently intended to reflect its expectations of next Tuesday’s presidential election.
In what seemed a further calculated insult, the statue of his predecessor and nemesis Barack Obama, who counted Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel among his closest allies, remained in place, beaming and besuited.
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The wax figure of President Donald Trump is pushed in a garbage container at Madame Tussauds Berlin. picture alliance via Getty Images
“Today’s activity is rather of a symbolic character ahead of the elections in the United States,” said the museum’s marketing manager Orkide Yalcindag. “We here at Madame Tussauds Berlin removed Donald Trump’s waxwork as a preparatory measure.”
Trump has trailed his Democratic challenger Joe Biden in national opinion polls for months, partly because of widespread disapproval of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping Europe and the United States, though recent polls have shown him gaining ground in a handful of key states.
“Today’s activity is rather of a symbolic character ahead of the elections in the United States,” the museum’s marketing manager Orkide Yalcindag said. picture alliance via Getty Images
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Madame Tussauds’s display also includes former U.S. presidents: regardless of the outcome, Trump and his dumpster are likely to be wheeled back before long.