theguardian--2020-02-04--Trump impeachment: Republican Susan Collins vows to vote for acquittal

Donald Trump moved a step closer to winning perfect Republican support on Tuesday in his quest for impeachment acquittal , gaining a vow from senator Susan Collins of Maine to vote to acquit on both articles of impeachment .
Before a final vote scheduled for Wednesday afternoon on whether to convict Trump , senators began a round of speeches on how they think the third presidential impeachment trial in US history should end .
As he prepared to deliver the State of the Union address at the Capitol on Tuesday night , Trump appeared headed for acquittal on charges of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
About half of the 100 senators had delivered speeches by Tuesday evening , with no signs of partisan defections .
But a small sense of suspense continued to attend the trial , over the question of whether Trump and his surrogate , the Senate majority leader , Mitch McConnell , would maintain total party discipline .
“ We must vote to reject the House abuse of power , ” said McConnell .
“ Vote to protect our institutions .
Vote to reject new precedents that would reduce the framers ’ design to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these charges.
” The effort got a boost from Collins on Tuesday afternoon .
“ Impeachment of a president should be reserved for conduct that poses such a serious threat to our governmental institutions as to warrant an extreme step of immediate removal from office , ” she said .
“ I do not believe that the House has met its burden in showing that the president ’ s conduct , however flawed , warrants the extreme step of removal from office.
” Just one question mark remained : Mitt Romney of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week broke with the party to vote in favor of witnesses and new documentation at the trial .
The effort failed , 51-49 .
“ The Republicans refused to get the evidence because they were afraid of what it would show , ” said the Democratic minority leader , Chuck Schumer , on Tuesday .
“ And that ’ s all that needs to be said.
” One Republican who had been closely watched as a possible swing vote , Lisa Murkowski of Alaska , ultimately voted with her caucus on the witnesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she would do so again on Wednesday .
In a speech on a virtually empty Senate floor , Murkowski called Trump ’ s conduct “ shameful and wrong ” but saved her hottest fire for Congress itself .
“ The House failed in its responsibilities and the Senate – the Senate should be ashamed by the rank partisanship that has been on display here , ” Murkowski said .
“ So many in this chamber share my sadness for the present state of our institutions .
It ’ s my hope that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For the duration of the trial , Trump and Republicans have sought to derail impeachment by criticizing the conduct of the process on the House side , as Murkowski did .
But the House managers pointed out that they were guided by Republican rules in investigating the case , and their conduct was historically efficient , lasting four months from initiation to final vote .
One potential Democratic crossover vote , Joe Manchin of West Virginia , offered a bill to censure Trump on Monday , and did not say which way he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill did not attract any visible interest from McConnell .
In a reprise of a previous controversy at the trial , Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky appeared on the Senate floor on Tuesday with a placard bearing the text of a question he had attempted to ask last week , only to have the question refused by supreme court Chief Justice John Roberts , who is presiding .
The question included a name that reports have associated with the whistleblower whose August complaint set the impeachment inquiry in motion .
Republicans have sought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the whistleblower as a partisan , despite federal laws protecting whistleblowers from recrimination .
Murkowski ’ s criticism of Trump ’ s “ shameful ” conduct was as sharp as any criticism to be heard of Trump among Republicans on the floor on Monday .
Chuck Grassley of Iowa was more typical of the Republican position , saying he did not see charges against Trump as impeachable because “ a president is not prohibited by law from engaging the assistance of a foreign ally in an anti-corruption investigation ” .
Trump was impeached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an attempt to extract political favors , retrospectively dressed up as an anti-corruption investigation , from Ukraine .

Donald Trump moved a step closer to winning perfect Republican support on Tuesday in his quest for impeachment acquittal, gaining a vow from senator Susan Collins of Maine to vote to acquit on both articles of impeachment.
Before a final vote scheduled for Wednesday afternoon on whether to convict Trump, senators began a round of speeches on how they think the third presidential impeachment trial in US history should end.
As he prepared to deliver the State of the Union address at the Capitol on Tuesday night, Trump appeared headed for acquittal on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. About half of the 100 senators had delivered speeches by Tuesday evening, with no signs of partisan defections.
But a small sense of suspense continued to attend the trial, over the question of whether Trump and his surrogate, the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, would maintain total party discipline.
01:00 Senate leaders make speeches before final vote – video
“We must vote to reject the House abuse of power,” said McConnell. “Vote to protect our institutions. Vote to reject new precedents that would reduce the framers’ design to rubble … vote to acquit the president of these charges.”
The effort got a boost from Collins on Tuesday afternoon. “Impeachment of a president should be reserved for conduct that poses such a serious threat to our governmental institutions as to warrant an extreme step of immediate removal from office,” she said. “I do not believe that the House has met its burden in showing that the president’s conduct, however flawed, warrants the extreme step of removal from office.”
Just one question mark remained: Mitt Romney of Utah. Both Romney and Collins last week broke with the party to vote in favor of witnesses and new documentation at the trial. The effort failed, 51-49.
“The Republicans refused to get the evidence because they were afraid of what it would show,” said the Democratic minority leader, Chuck Schumer, on Tuesday. “And that’s all that needs to be said.”
One Republican who had been closely watched as a possible swing vote, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, ultimately voted with her caucus on the witnesses question. She said on Monday evening she would do so again on Wednesday.
In a speech on a virtually empty Senate floor, Murkowski called Trump’s conduct “shameful and wrong” but saved her hottest fire for Congress itself.
“The House failed in its responsibilities and the Senate – the Senate should be ashamed by the rank partisanship that has been on display here,” Murkowski said. “So many in this chamber share my sadness for the present state of our institutions. It’s my hope that we’ve finally found bottom here.”
For the duration of the trial, Trump and Republicans have sought to derail impeachment by criticizing the conduct of the process on the House side, as Murkowski did.
But the House managers pointed out that they were guided by Republican rules in investigating the case, and their conduct was historically efficient, lasting four months from initiation to final vote.
One potential Democratic crossover vote, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, offered a bill to censure Trump on Monday, and did not say which way he would vote on conviction. The censure bill did not attract any visible interest from McConnell.
In a reprise of a previous controversy at the trial, Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky appeared on the Senate floor on Tuesday with a placard bearing the text of a question he had attempted to ask last week, only to have the question refused by supreme court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding.
The question included a name that reports have associated with the whistleblower whose August complaint set the impeachment inquiry in motion. Republicans have sought to take pressure off Trump by attacking the whistleblower as a partisan, despite federal laws protecting whistleblowers from recrimination.
Murkowski’s criticism of Trump’s “shameful” conduct was as sharp as any criticism to be heard of Trump among Republicans on the floor on Monday.
Chuck Grassley of Iowa was more typical of the Republican position, saying he did not see charges against Trump as impeachable because “a president is not prohibited by law from engaging the assistance of a foreign ally in an anti-corruption investigation”.
Trump was impeached for using the power of his office in an attempt to extract political favors, retrospectively dressed up as an anti-corruption investigation, from Ukraine.


theguardian--2020-02-04--Iowa app chaos: what is the software that crashed the vote?

The chaotic delay in declaring a winner in the Iowa caucuses is being blamed , in part , on a smartphone app introduced just weeks before the election to report results .
Many are asking what went so wrong with the new platform – and as a result , whether Iowa will be entrusted with its first-in-the-nation vote in the future .
Here is what we know so far .
What was the Iowa caucuses app and why was it being used ?
For the first time ever , precinct chairs in the Iowa caucuses were asked to use a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of phoning in results , reportedly to streamline the process and get results more quickly .
The app was developed by a company called Shadow .
Shadow is based in Denver , Colorado , and describes itself as “ an independent , for-profit technology company ” that contracted with the Iowa Democratic party to build a caucus reporting mobile app .
The company has also been contracted by a number of Democratic candidates , including Pete Buttigieg , Joe Biden and Kirsten Gillibrand for texting software during 2020 campaigns , according to Federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter it “ regret [ s ] the delay in the reporting of the results ” of the caucuses .
How was it built ?
The app was reportedly built in the last two months on a budget of about $ 60,000 , according to Iowa FEC data .
Experts say this is a relatively low budget and recklessly fast timeline for an app set to be used in a high-stakes scenario like an election .
“ The sequence of events that led to the failure of this technology is nothing new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Meredith Broussard , a professor at NYU and computer scientist .
“ This was a totally predictable disaster.
” What ’ s more , the app was not tested at scale and not vetted by any third party agencies , according to reports .
The Department of Homeland Security released a statement on Tuesday saying it was not asked to audit the Shadow app .
It was also sent to volunteers without any training on how to use it .
One precinct reporter told Vice ’ s Motherboard he first received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18 January , just weeks before the caucus .
Reporters were expected to use their personal devices and began experiencing errors in the app , which introduced additional risk into the process , Broussard said .
“ People have wildly different phones and comfort levels with technology , ” she said .
“ It would have been a much more effective strategy to give everyone a device with the app pre-loaded – you have to plan for disaster in this kind of high-stakes situation ” .
And disaster , indeed , is what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused only partial data to be reported out by the 1,700 caucus sites throughout Iowa .
What ’ s more , many caucuses take place in rural areas of Iowa where cellphone coverage is less reliable , compounding issues , said Doug Schmidt , a professor of computer science at Vanderbilt .
“ These things were clearly not taken to account when building the app and the app was clearly not tested in more chaotic environments , ” he said .
“ This should serve as a cautionary warning that there are some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for hundreds of years.
” Because the Democratic party had relied almost entirely on the app to report data , its backup method of phone-in reporting was not well-staffed , and thus some precinct chairs reported wait times of hours just to call in results .
After glitches were reported in the app , the Democratic party said it would recount votes from the paper backups initially used to record results , causing a nearly 24-hour delay .
This was not a hack , said Schmidt , intensifying concerns about the viability of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without anyone even trying to disrupt the election – it was simply self-inflicted wounds , ” he said .
“ This is a good wakeup call that you have to be willing to pay for technology and invest in it to get it to work.
” What does this mean for future elections ?
In light of the Iowa debacle , managers in the upcoming Nevada caucus appear to be considering alternatives to app-based reporting .
“ This should serve as a cautionary note warning that there are some reasons why we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of years with paper and cross checks , ” Schmidt said .

The chaotic delay in declaring a winner in the Iowa caucuses is being blamed, in part, on a smartphone app introduced just weeks before the election to report results.
Many are asking what went so wrong with the new platform – and as a result, whether Iowa will be entrusted with its first-in-the-nation vote in the future. Here is what we know so far.
What was the Iowa caucuses app and why was it being used?
For the first time ever, precinct chairs in the Iowa caucuses were asked to use a product called IowaReporterApp to report data instead of phoning in results, reportedly to streamline the process and get results more quickly. The app was developed by a company called Shadow.
What is Shadow?
Shadow is based in Denver, Colorado, and describes itself as “an independent, for-profit technology company” that contracted with the Iowa Democratic party to build a caucus reporting mobile app.
The company has also been contracted by a number of Democratic candidates, including Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden and Kirsten Gillibrand for texting software during 2020 campaigns, according to Federal Election Commission data.
The company said on Twitter it “regret[s] the delay in the reporting of the results” of the caucuses.
We will apply the lessons learned in the future, and have already corrected the underlying technology issue. We take these issues very seriously, and are committed to improving and evolving to support the Democratic Party’s goal of modernizing its election processes. — Shadow, Inc. (@ShadowIncHQ) February 4, 2020
How was it built?
The app was reportedly built in the last two months on a budget of about $60,000, according to Iowa FEC data. Experts say this is a relatively low budget and recklessly fast timeline for an app set to be used in a high-stakes scenario like an election.
“The sequence of events that led to the failure of this technology is nothing new – it happens in every rollout,” said Meredith Broussard, a professor at NYU and computer scientist. “This was a totally predictable disaster.”
What’s more, the app was not tested at scale and not vetted by any third party agencies, according to reports. The Department of Homeland Security released a statement on Tuesday saying it was not asked to audit the Shadow app. It was also sent to volunteers without any training on how to use it.
One precinct reporter told Vice’s Motherboard he first received an invitation to test the app on 18 January, just weeks before the caucus. Reporters were expected to use their personal devices and began experiencing errors in the app, which introduced additional risk into the process, Broussard said.
“People have wildly different phones and comfort levels with technology,” she said. “It would have been a much more effective strategy to give everyone a device with the app pre-loaded – you have to plan for disaster in this kind of high-stakes situation”.
What went wrong?
And disaster, indeed, is what occurred. A “coding issue” caused only partial data to be reported out by the 1,700 caucus sites throughout Iowa. What’s more, many caucuses take place in rural areas of Iowa where cellphone coverage is less reliable, compounding issues, said Doug Schmidt, a professor of computer science at Vanderbilt.
“These things were clearly not taken to account when building the app and the app was clearly not tested in more chaotic environments,” he said. “This should serve as a cautionary warning that there are some reasons we have done elections on paper for hundreds of years.”
Because the Democratic party had relied almost entirely on the app to report data, its backup method of phone-in reporting was not well-staffed, and thus some precinct chairs reported wait times of hours just to call in results.
After glitches were reported in the app, the Democratic party said it would recount votes from the paper backups initially used to record results, causing a nearly 24-hour delay.
Was it a hack?
This was not a hack, said Schmidt, intensifying concerns about the viability of the underlying technology.
“This occurred without anyone even trying to disrupt the election – it was simply self-inflicted wounds,” he said. “This is a good wakeup call that you have to be willing to pay for technology and invest in it to get it to work.”
What does this mean for future elections?
In light of the Iowa debacle, managers in the upcoming Nevada caucus appear to be considering alternatives to app-based reporting.
“This should serve as a cautionary note warning that there are some reasons why we have done elections a certain way for hundreds of years with paper and cross checks,” Schmidt said.


theguardian--2020-02-04--'People were breaking down crying': Iowa vote-counters tell of caucus debacle

Matthew Marroquin , a 20-year-old caucus captain for a satellite precinct in Buena Vista county in north-western Iowa , was eager to tell state party officials on Monday night that his candidate of choice , Bernie Sanders , had swept one of the county ’ s largest precincts .
That fitted a growing narrative of Sanders ’ strength in the first-in-the nation caucuses .
An average of a recent string of polls and results of a Des Moines Register/CNN Iowa poll that were pulled because of respondent concerns showed Sanders with a slight edge over Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A rousing speech from Storm Lake city resident Linda Torres , a 24-year-old precinct captain , about how Sanders ’ healthcare plan would have saved her father ’ s life helped seal the crowd ’ s preference for Sanders .
Torres ’ sister , Teresa , told the Guardian : “ Bernie ’ s fighting for us for all the right reasons.
” The end count was 93-0 for Sanders .
Twelve other people at the precinct , most of them supporting Buttigieg , decided they ’ d leave rather than throw their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been easy to run .
Everything had worked .
Until Marroquin turned to the party-administered app to report his results at around 8.50pm .
That ’ s when events in at the precinct site – echoing similar scenes at hundreds of other caucus sites across the state – began to go very wrong .
The app for transmitting results was not working in many places .
A telephone hotline back-up system quickly became jammed .
The TV cable news shows , eagerly awaiting results , rapidly turned to covering the ever-lengthening delay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working , so we had to go to this hotline , where we had to wait , like , an hour to get anybody on the other line , ” Marroquin said over the phone at about midnight on Tuesday morning .
“ And when we did , we got people on the other side who were breaking down crying .
The whole thing took forever.
” Marroquin said he finally uploaded the results at around midnight .
Marroquin , Torres and the entirety of the local Sanders operation camped out until the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Democratic party releasing something .
As of 10am local time , the state map was still blank , the party still maintaining results would be released at “ some time ” on Tuesday .
By then all the major candidates in Iowa had already given farewell speeches and moved on to the next state in the race : New Hampshire .
But still no results had been released as officials scrambled to recount results verify them , as national and international headlines focused on the unfolding chaos .
A Guardian survey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiences similar to that of Marroquin .
Norbert Sarsfield , a Sanders precinct captain in Iowa City , said a mishandling of the first alignment delayed reporting in one of Iowa ’ s largest precincts ; the reporting issue only compounded the issue , he said .
“ Rage drinking , ” he said of his experience at his Iowa City precinct .
The informal survey showed Sanders , Buttigieg and Warren making strong showings , and Amy Klobuchar was exceeding expectations .
JD Scholten , a Sioux City Democrat running for Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across western Iowa showed varied support for Klobuchar and Buttigieg .
Sarsfield said Warren and Sanders led the way .
Still , without actual results , no one really knows .
The Iowa caucuses are never about the final delegate count ; in total , its 41 delegates comprise around a single percentage point of the total delegate total .
The caucuses are more of a stress test for the campaigns , explained Brad Best , a Buena Vista University political science professor and a longtime observer of the caucuses .
A win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buttigieg or Warren could have spun new narratives of strength heading into the New Hampshire primaries and Super Tuesday .
That ’ s why every four years Iowa is such a hard-fought battleground .
That ’ s all for naught now .
Best said the caucuses and Iowa ’ s first-in-the-nation status are probably in jeopardy after Monday night ’ s fiasco .
“ The Iowa caucuses generate narratives , both legitimate and not , ” Best said in a recent interview .
“ The campaigns seize on them to demonstrate new strength @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact they can ’ t this time , is already posing headaches .
”

Matthew Marroquin, a 20-year-old caucus captain for a satellite precinct in Buena Vista county in north-western Iowa, was eager to tell state party officials on Monday night that his candidate of choice, Bernie Sanders, had swept one of the county’s largest precincts.
That fitted a growing narrative of Sanders’ strength in the first-in-the nation caucuses. An average of a recent string of polls and results of a Des Moines Register/CNN Iowa poll that were pulled because of respondent concerns showed Sanders with a slight edge over Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg, with Joe Biden fading off.
A rousing speech from Storm Lake city resident Linda Torres, a 24-year-old precinct captain, about how Sanders’ healthcare plan would have saved her father’s life helped seal the crowd’s preference for Sanders. Torres’ sister, Teresa, told the Guardian: “Bernie’s fighting for us for all the right reasons.”
The end count was 93-0 for Sanders. Twelve other people at the precinct, most of them supporting Buttigieg, decided they’d leave rather than throw their support behind the progressive firebrand.
Everything had been easy to run. Everything had worked.
Until Marroquin turned to the party-administered app to report his results at around 8.50pm.
That’s when events in at the precinct site – echoing similar scenes at hundreds of other caucus sites across the state – began to go very wrong. The app for transmitting results was not working in many places. A telephone hotline back-up system quickly became jammed. The TV cable news shows, eagerly awaiting results, rapidly turned to covering the ever-lengthening delay.
“The website wasn’t working, so we had to go to this hotline, where we had to wait, like, an hour to get anybody on the other line,” Marroquin said over the phone at about midnight on Tuesday morning. “And when we did, we got people on the other side who were breaking down crying. The whole thing took forever.”
Marroquin said he finally uploaded the results at around midnight.
Marroquin, Torres and the entirety of the local Sanders operation camped out until the wee hours of Tuesday morning in anticipation of the Democratic party releasing something. As of 10am local time, the state map was still blank, the party still maintaining results would be released at “some time” on Tuesday.
By then all the major candidates in Iowa had already given farewell speeches and moved on to the next state in the race: New Hampshire. But still no results had been released as officials scrambled to recount results verify them, as national and international headlines focused on the unfolding chaos.
A Guardian survey of caucus-goers and observers around Iowa showed experiences similar to that of Marroquin.
The informal survey showed Sanders, Buttigieg and Warren making strong showings, and Amy Klobuchar was exceeding expectations. JD Scholten, a Sioux City Democrat running for Iowa’s fourth district, said results across western Iowa showed varied support for Klobuchar and Buttigieg.
01:34 'Iowa, you have shocked the nation': Democrats remain hopeful despite results chaos – video
Still, without actual results, no one really knows.
The Iowa caucuses are never about the final delegate count; in total, its 41 delegates comprise around a single percentage point of the total delegate total. The caucuses are more of a stress test for the campaigns, explained Brad Best, a Buena Vista University political science professor and a longtime observer of the caucuses.
A win for Sanders or a better-than-expected turnout for Buttigieg or Warren could have spun new narratives of strength heading into the New Hampshire primaries and Super Tuesday. That’s why every four years Iowa is such a hard-fought battleground.
That’s all for naught now.
Best said the caucuses and Iowa’s first-in-the-nation status are probably in jeopardy after Monday night’s fiasco.
“The Iowa caucuses generate narratives, both legitimate and not,” Best said in a recent interview. “The campaigns seize on them to demonstrate new strength heading into subsequent primaries, and the fact they can’t this time, is already posing headaches.”


theguardian--2020-02-04--Bad for Biden, good for Trump: Iowa caucus shambles – winners and losers

The shambles in Iowa means we ’ re all talking about voting chaos instead of the winning candidate .
So – with the proviso that this may all change once we have some actual results – who can we say are the initial winners and losers from this mess ?
Of the big four in the Iowa race , the former vice-president gave the most downbeat speech on Monday night , suggesting his campaign knows he underperformed .
If that is confirmed by the final results , and if Bernie Sanders wins big in New Hampshire next week , Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well before what are likely to be strong performances in South Carolina on 29 February and on Super Tuesday , 3 March .
Biden ’ s candidacy is based on the idea that he is the most electable candidate – if that suddenly seems in doubt , he could be seriously hobbled .
The leftwing senator has been threatening to overtake Biden as the frontrunner nationally and victory in Iowa – which had seemed increasingly likely – would have given that process crucial momentum , allowing him to firmly take the national spotlight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Instead , even if he does end up being certified as the winner he ’ ll have missed his big moment as the news agenda rushes on to Donald Trump ’ s State of the Union address and the primary in New Hampshire .
Many of his more suspicious supporters , who accused the party of rigging the race against him in 2016 , may see this as no accident .
The small-town centrist mayor from Indiana has always hung his hopes on a strong showing in Iowa and his speech last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are going on to New Hampshire victorious ” – and bullish predictions of a win suggest he feels confident he has got what he wanted .
If Biden does collapse and Sanders maintains his current strength , Buttigieg could make a case that the party establishment should now swing behind him .
The billionaire former mayor of New York will be making exactly that argument once New Hampshire is in the rear-view mirror .
He will be delighted that the ineffable momentum conferred on the winner of Iowa – another state Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be blunted .
Early voting in California , the largest state , which Bloomberg has been blanketing with advertising , began yesterday and Bloomberg will feel vindicated in keeping his focus there .
On the other hand , if the centrist “ lane ” is now shaping up to be a serious fight between Biden , Bloomberg and Buttigieg , that may split the moderate vote and benefit Sanders .
Overnight , the president ’ s campaign manager , Brad Parscale , channeled his master ’ s voice with a vivid mixed metaphor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caucus mess of their own creation with the sloppiest train wreck in history.
” Parscale went on to sow doubts about “ the fairness of the process ” – encouraging those suspicious Sanders supporters – and ask : “ And these are the people who want to run our entire healthcare system ?
” The Trump campaign has never let the facts get in the way of – well , anything much .
Reports of low turnout in Iowa – if confirmed – will also be seized upon by Trump , whose strategy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democrats can excite theirs .
On Tuesday morning , the president duly weighed in , tweeting : “ The Democrat Caucus is an unmitigated disaster .
Nothing works , just like they ran the Country .
Remember the 5 Billion Dollar Obamacare Website , that should have cost 2 % of that .
The only person that can claim a very big victory in Iowa last night is ‘ Trump ’ .
” He also responded to chatter about whether Iowa should keep its first-in-the-nation status after this year ’ s shambles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fault of Iowa , it is the Do Nothing Democrats fault ” and making a meaningless promise : “ As long as I am President , Iowa will stay where it is .
Important tradition !
” Both senators gave confident speeches – but it ’ s unclear exactly how the chips will fall .
Klobuchar will need a strong performance to continue to compete against her fellow centrists but Warren , who arrived in New Hampshire before dawn saying , “ This is an organization that is built for the long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fight her progressive rival Sanders even if Iowa turns out to have been disappointing .

The shambles in Iowa means we’re all talking about voting chaos instead of the winning candidate. So – with the proviso that this may all change once we have some actual results – who can we say are the initial winners and losers from this mess?
Losers
Joe Biden
Of the big four in the Iowa race, the former vice-president gave the most downbeat speech on Monday night, suggesting his campaign knows he underperformed. If that is confirmed by the final results, and if Bernie Sanders wins big in New Hampshire next week, Biden could find supporters and donors losing confidence well before what are likely to be strong performances in South Carolina on 29 February and on Super Tuesday, 3 March. Biden’s candidacy is based on the idea that he is the most electable candidate – if that suddenly seems in doubt, he could be seriously hobbled.
Bernie Sanders
The leftwing senator has been threatening to overtake Biden as the frontrunner nationally and victory in Iowa – which had seemed increasingly likely – would have given that process crucial momentum, allowing him to firmly take the national spotlight in the first race of the year.
Instead, even if he does end up being certified as the winner he’ll have missed his big moment as the news agenda rushes on to Donald Trump’s State of the Union address and the primary in New Hampshire. Many of his more suspicious supporters, who accused the party of rigging the race against him in 2016, may see this as no accident.
Winners
Pete Buttigieg
The small-town centrist mayor from Indiana has always hung his hopes on a strong showing in Iowa and his speech last night – “By all indications, we are going on to New Hampshire victorious” – and bullish predictions of a win suggest he feels confident he has got what he wanted. If Biden does collapse and Sanders maintains his current strength, Buttigieg could make a case that the party establishment should now swing behind him.
Michael Bloomberg
The billionaire former mayor of New York will be making exactly that argument once New Hampshire is in the rear-view mirror. He will be delighted that the ineffable momentum conferred on the winner of Iowa – another state Bloomberg decided to skip – will this year be blunted. Early voting in California, the largest state, which Bloomberg has been blanketing with advertising, began yesterday and Bloomberg will feel vindicated in keeping his focus there.
On the other hand, if the centrist “lane” is now shaping up to be a serious fight between Biden, Bloomberg and Buttigieg, that may split the moderate vote and benefit Sanders.
Donald Trump
Overnight, the president’s campaign manager, Brad Parscale, channeled his master’s voice with a vivid mixed metaphor: “Democrats are stewing in a caucus mess of their own creation with the sloppiest train wreck in history.”
Parscale went on to sow doubts about “the fairness of the process” – encouraging those suspicious Sanders supporters – and ask: “And these are the people who want to run our entire healthcare system?”
The Trump campaign has never let the facts get in the way of – well, anything much. Reports of low turnout in Iowa – if confirmed – will also be seized upon by Trump, whose strategy depends upon enthusing his base more than the Democrats can excite theirs.
On Tuesday morning, the president duly weighed in, tweeting: “The Democrat Caucus is an unmitigated disaster. Nothing works, just like they ran the Country. Remember the 5 Billion Dollar Obamacare Website, that should have cost 2% of that. The only person that can claim a very big victory in Iowa last night is ‘Trump’.”
He also responded to chatter about whether Iowa should keep its first-in-the-nation status after this year’s shambles, writing: “It is not the fault of Iowa, it is the Do Nothing Democrats fault” and making a meaningless promise: “As long as I am President, Iowa will stay where it is. Important tradition!”
Unclear
Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar
Both senators gave confident speeches – but it’s unclear exactly how the chips will fall. Klobuchar will need a strong performance to continue to compete against her fellow centrists but Warren, who arrived in New Hampshire before dawn saying, “This is an organization that is built for the long haul”, probably has more time to fight her progressive rival Sanders even if Iowa turns out to have been disappointing.


theguardian--2020-02-04--What are the Iowa caucuses, and how do they work? All you need to know

The Iowa caucuses take place on Monday 3 February , kicking off the long process of nominating a Democratic presidential candidate who will eventually take on Donald Trump in November ’ s US election .
The primary race is made up of a series of contests called primaries and caucuses that take place in all 50 states plus Washington DC and outlying territories , by which the parties select their presidential nominee from the candidates who are running .
The goal in these contests is for candidates is to amass support from voters that translates into a majority of delegates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a presidential candidate at the party conventions in July and August .
When it comes to choosing a presidential candidate , Iowa traditionally goes first .
Though Iowa has relatively few delegates , it is highly influential because it gives Americans their first chance to see what support the candidates have , and a win could provide a vital boost in momentum , as it did for Barack Obama in 2008 .
Democratic and Republican caucuses will take place on Monday evening , but because Trump does not face any serious competition from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eyes will be on the Democratic contenders this year .
Most states hold primary elections , which are run by the state , and resemble general elections , in which voters go to a polling place , mail in their ballots or otherwise vote remotely .
But a handful of states hold caucuses , hours-long voting meetings run by the party .
Republican caucuses are simpler , and Democratic caucuses are more complicated .
It makes for a drawn out night , as results are tallied from more than 1,600 different locations across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
When can we expect the results ?
Patience will be key .
Iowans who are eligible to take part will have to be at their caucus venue ( usually a school , church or community center ) in their local precinct at 7pm CT ( 8pm ET ) in most cases – a tough ask itself given the frigid Iowa winters .
Once there , it ’ s not a matter of ticking a box and going home .
They will spend up to two hours casting their preference for presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect to know the winner : it ’ s hard to say .
In 2016 the Democratic race between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton was so close that the results were announced the next day ( Clinton won by a razor-thin majority ) .
On the Republican side , Ted Cruz beat Donald Trump , and was declared winner before midnight .
How do the Democratic caucuses work ?
In most other states , primary voting works similarly to voting in a regular election .
Voters turn up at a polling station and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have all day to vote , and don ’ t have to tell anyone who they voted for .
Not so in Iowa .
It isn ’ t a secret ballot .
In that venue , a representative for each candidate will be standing in a certain area of the room .
Voters have to go and stand in the area where their candidate is represented .
So Joe Biden supporters would be in one corner , Elizabeth Warren ’ s in another , and Bernie Sanders supporters in another .
Everyone is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in particular , second choices are important .
If a particular candidate does not attract 15 % of total voters present , they are not seen as “ viable ” and are taken off the ballot , leaving their voters free to throw their weight behind another candidate .
For example , a Pete Buttigieg supporter could sidle over to the Warren area .
Once the bartering for supporters is over , the votes are totted up , and state delegates are awarded to each candidate proportionately .
That , in turn , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate receives .
The candidate with the most state delegate equivalents “ wins ” Iowa .
Except… There could be confusion .
For the first time , the Democratic party plans to release three sets of numbers from different stages in the process .
It will release the raw tally of votes each candidate received taken before the 15 % cut off , and also release the tally of votes candidates received once supporters have realigned .
Finally , the party will publish the STEs , which represents the number of delegates assigned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ winner ” of the Iowa caucuses is still based on the number of state delegate equivalents each candidate receives .
How do the Republican caucuses work ?
With all the attention being paid to the Democratic side , it is easy to forget that there is a Republican primary happening , too .
Trump is facing challenges from the former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld and Joe Walsh , who served one term in the House of Representatives , among less well-known candidates .
It ’ s extremely unlikely that Weld , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Federal Election Commission 153 people are running for president as Republican ) will win , but at least they will navigate a less a complex system than the Democrats .
In the Iowa Republican caucus , people still have to physically show up at a location .
They then cast a straightforward vote , secretly .
The votes are tallied up , and the delegates are dished out in the same manner .
In the Republican caucuses , there is no 15 % threshold , meaning candidates with relatively little support @ @ @ @ @ @

The Iowa caucuses take place on Monday 3 February, kicking off the long process of nominating a Democratic presidential candidate who will eventually take on Donald Trump in November’s US election.
The primary race is made up of a series of contests called primaries and caucuses that take place in all 50 states plus Washington DC and outlying territories, by which the parties select their presidential nominee from the candidates who are running.
The goal in these contests is for candidates is to amass support from voters that translates into a majority of delegates, whose job it is to nominate a presidential candidate at the party conventions in July and August.
When it comes to choosing a presidential candidate, Iowa traditionally goes first. Though Iowa has relatively few delegates, it is highly influential because it gives Americans their first chance to see what support the candidates have, and a win could provide a vital boost in momentum, as it did for Barack Obama in 2008.
Democratic and Republican caucuses will take place on Monday evening, but because Trump does not face any serious competition from his challengers for the nomination, all eyes will be on the Democratic contenders this year.
03:13 How the Democrats will decide who fights Trump – video
What is a caucus?
Most states hold primary elections, which are run by the state, and resemble general elections, in which voters go to a polling place, mail in their ballots or otherwise vote remotely. But a handful of states hold caucuses, hours-long voting meetings run by the party. Republican caucuses are simpler, and Democratic caucuses are more complicated.
It makes for a drawn out night, as results are tallied from more than 1,600 different locations across Iowa – all 55,000 square miles of it.
When can we expect the results?
Patience will be key. Iowans who are eligible to take part will have to be at their caucus venue (usually a school, church or community center) in their local precinct at 7pm CT (8pm ET) in most cases – a tough ask itself given the frigid Iowa winters.
Once there, it’s not a matter of ticking a box and going home. They will spend up to two hours casting their preference for presidential candidate.
As for when we can expect to know the winner: it’s hard to say. In 2016 the Democratic race between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton was so close that the results were announced the next day (Clinton won by a razor-thin majority). On the Republican side, Ted Cruz beat Donald Trump, and was declared winner before midnight.
How do the Democratic caucuses work?
In most other states, primary voting works similarly to voting in a regular election. Voters turn up at a polling station and cast their vote privately. They usually have all day to vote, and don’t have to tell anyone who they voted for. Not so in Iowa.
It isn’t a secret ballot. In that venue, a representative for each candidate will be standing in a certain area of the room.
Voters have to go and stand in the area where their candidate is represented. So Joe Biden supporters would be in one corner, Elizabeth Warren’s in another, and Bernie Sanders supporters in another. Everyone is tallied.
For the Democratic caucuses, in particular, second choices are important. If a particular candidate does not attract 15% of total voters present, they are not seen as “viable” and are taken off the ballot, leaving their voters free to throw their weight behind another candidate. For example, a Pete Buttigieg supporter could sidle over to the Warren area.
Once the bartering for supporters is over, the votes are totted up, and state delegates are awarded to each candidate proportionately. That, in turn, determines how many national convention delegates each candidate receives.
The candidate with the most state delegate equivalents “wins” Iowa. Except…
There could be confusion.
For the first time, the Democratic party plans to release three sets of numbers from different stages in the process. It will release the raw tally of votes each candidate received taken before the 15% cut off, and also release the tally of votes candidates received once supporters have realigned. Finally, the party will publish the STEs, which represents the number of delegates assigned to each candidate.
However, the “winner” of the Iowa caucuses is still based on the number of state delegate equivalents each candidate receives.
How do the Republican caucuses work?
With all the attention being paid to the Democratic side, it is easy to forget that there is a Republican primary happening, too.
Trump is facing challenges from the former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld and Joe Walsh, who served one term in the House of Representatives, among less well-known candidates.
It’s extremely unlikely that Weld, or Walsh, or the others (according to the Federal Election Commission 153 people are running for president as Republican) will win, but at least they will navigate a less a complex system than the Democrats.
In the Iowa Republican caucus, people still have to physically show up at a location. They then cast a straightforward vote, secretly. The votes are tallied up, and the delegates are dished out in the same manner. In the Republican caucuses, there is no 15% threshold, meaning candidates with relatively little support could still pick up delegates.


theguardian--2020-02-04--Joe Biden heckled on campaign trail in New Hampshire – video

The Democratic presidential candidate said he had had a good night in Iowa and was expecting good results from the @ @ @ @ @ speech at a 'get out and vote ' event , where he was suddenly heckled @ @ @ @ @ of the audience who was escorted away as supporters shouted 'get out '

The Democratic presidential candidate said he had had a good night in Iowa and was expecting good results from the caucus. Biden held his speech at a 'get out and vote' event, where he was suddenly heckled by at least one member of the audience who was escorted away as supporters shouted 'get out'


theguardian--2020-03-30--Coronavirus US live: New York governor warns 'no American is immune to this virus'

Joe Biden said Donald Trump must move “ more rapidly ” in the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic quickly spreading across the US .
“ We know from experience that speed matters , ” Biden said in an interview on MSNBC on Monday afternoon .
“ We know that you can ’ t go too fast .
It ’ s about going too slow.
” Biden , the presumptive Democrtaic nominee , implored Trump to use the defense production act “ more aggressively ” and said that if he were president he would “ surge ” more medical supplies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as New York .
He also endorsed an idea from New York governor Andrew Cuomo , who has asked the federal government to send life-saving ventilators and other equipment to his state – the worst hit in the US – and when it is under control New York can send the equipment to other states as they need it .
If elected , Biden said his team has already discussed how swiftly they could replace the pandemic office in the White House , which was shut down by the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Trump ’ s comments about him on Fox & Friends , Biden said it “ didn ’ t warrant a response.
” “ It ’ s bravado .
It ’ s a bunch of malarkey as they say in my family , ” he said .
He called on Trump to stop the attacks and criticism of those who don ’ t agree with him and instead to “ step up and do your job.
” “ The president has to stop the belittling of the governors with whom he disagrees .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ York hospitals , they all of a sudden need more masks , we ought to investigate them ... That is bizarre - absolutely bizarre , ” he said .
Biden said the current crisis , which has exposed severe cracks in the US healthcare system , has not made him reconsider his opposition to a government-run healthcare system like Medicare for all .
“ Single-payer will not solve that at all , ” he said .
At the end of the interview , after being asked about his fading presence on the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for giving me the time so they don ’ t wonder where I am !
” On Monday , Biden ’ s campaign also launched a new podcast called “ Here ’ s the deal.
” The first episode features Ron Klain , the former White House Ebola Response coordinator who is advising the campaign on the coronavirus outbreak , to discuss Trump ’ s handling of the pandemic .

Joan E Greve in Washington (now) and Martin Pengelly in New York (earlier)

31 Mar 2020 01.16 BST Summary Donald Trump repeated misleading and false claims at a coronavirus briefing. During the briefing, the president invited several executives — including My Pillow CEO and Trump rally fixture Mike Lidell — to tout their coronavirus efforts.
During the briefing, the president invited several executives — including My Pillow CEO and Trump rally fixture Mike Lidell — to tout their coronavirus efforts. Even as US hospitals complained of shortages and struggles, Trump boasted that the US would soon have a surplus , and be able to provide millions in aid to Italy, France and Spain. He came under fire today over reports that the US provided nearly 18 tons of ventilators and other equipment to China, weeks after the first cases were reported in Washington state.
, and be able to provide millions in aid to Italy, France and Spain. He came under fire today over reports that the US provided nearly 18 tons of ventilators and other equipment to China, weeks after the first cases were reported in Washington state. Judges in Texas and Ohio temporarily overrode efforts to ban abortions during the coronavirus pandemic. A federal judge in Texas ruled that only the Supreme Court can decide if states are allowed to restrict abortion access during a national emergency. Conservative lawmakers have tried to block abortions by asserting that they do not constitute an “essential” health care service.
A federal judge in Texas ruled that only the Supreme Court can decide if states are allowed to restrict abortion access during a national emergency. Conservative lawmakers have tried to block abortions by asserting that they do not constitute an “essential” health care service. Joe Biden called on Trump to move “more rapidly” against coronavirus. The Democratic frontrunner has also demanded that Trump use the powers of the Defense Production Act to speed up the production of medical equipment.
The Democratic frontrunner has also demanded that Trump use the powers of the Defense Production Act to speed up the production of medical equipment. The governors of Virginia and Maryland issued “stay at home” orders, as the number of coronavirus cases in the Washington metropolitan area continues to rise.
Here’s the full story on Trump’s latest briefing: Trump accused of using coronavirus briefing as corporate advertising spot Read more
Updated at 01.28 BST
31 Mar 2020 01.03 BST Feds rescinds reservation status for Mashpee Wampanoag land Late Friday afternoon, the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs notified the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe that it would revoke reservation status for 300 acres of tribal land, and remove it from the federal trust, according to Cedric Cromwell, the tribe’s chairman. “The steps being taken right now – in the middle of a nationwide pandemic – to disestablish our reservation and take our land out of trust has created a crisis on top of a crisis,” Cromwell said in a statement. “We now have no choice but to divert precious resources from COVID-19 to address this unwarranted attack on our sovereignty.” When the federal government holds tribal land “in trust”, it allows the tribe special legal status and autonomy over that land. In February, a US appeals court upheld a lower court decision declaring that the federal government didn’t have the authority to take the 300 acres of land in Massachusetts into trust.
30 Mar 2020 00.48 BST In Texas and Ohio, abortion providers gain temporary relief A Planned Parenthood building in Houston. Photograph: Godofredo A Vasquez/AP In Texas, a federal district judge granted abortion providers a temporary restraining, allowing them to continue through April 13, after attorney general Ken Paxton sought to ban abortion access during the coronavirus pandemic, saying it did not qualify as “essential” health care. In Ohio, a judge struck down a similar policy put forth by the state’s health department. “Patients will suffer serious and irreparable harm,” said Judge Lee Yeakel of the Western District of Texas. Only the Supreme Court has the power to decide whether a ban on abortions during a national crisis is constitutional, Yeakel said. Women’s health advocates are seeking similar rulings in Oklahoma, Iowa, and Alabama, which have also sought to restrict abortion access amid the pandemic.
30 Mar 2020 00.31 BST Senators, they’re just like us! Many of us who are sheltering in place, or under quarantine, have sought artistic outlets for our anxieties. Senator Cory Booker has turned to poetry. Some late night writing: pic.twitter.com/uwcY3yEH1e — Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) March 30, 2020 “We can’t touch/But we still reach out,” Booker writes. “We are distant/But we stand together.”
30 Mar 2020 00.26 BST Report: Trump dismissed rural governors' need for medical supplies “I haven’t heard about testing in weeks,” Donald Trump told the governors of rural states, who are requesting medical supplies and testing equipment, according to an audio recording of the call between the president and governors obtained by CBS News. LISTEN: A portion of President Trump’s call today with state governors. @GovernorBullock raises concerns about testing in his state in response to a question from Dr. Fauci. Trump responds, “I haven’t heard anything about testing being a problem.” https://t.co/c9AelkeH9j — Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) March 30, 2020
30 Mar 2020 23.49 BST The president finished speaking a while back, but. we’ve just now finished fact-checking his words — for now. Please reach out to me via Twitter (@maanvisings) if you spotted any other statements from the president that you’d like us to vet.
Updated at 23.50 BST
30 Mar 2020 23.35 BST Adam Gabbatt Fact check: Are American coronavirus tests better? “Our testing is also better than any country in the world,” Trump bragged. In fact, some of the initial coronavirus tests sent out to states were seriously flawed – some did not even work. Part of the problem came from the CDC insisting it would manufacture the tests itself. Other countries – after their first coronavirus case – swiftly asked private companies to develop their own tests. South Korea, which recorded its first case on the same day as the US, did so within a week The US only allowed laboratories and hospitals to conduct their own tests on February 29, almost six weeks after the first case was confirmed. “The federal agency shunned the World Health Organization test guidelines used by other countries and set out to create a more complicated test of its own that could identify a range of similar viruses,” ProPublica reported. The missing six weeks: how Trump failed the biggest test of his life Read more
Updated at 23.50 BST
30 Mar 2020 23.31 BST Even as US hospitals report shortages and struggles, Trump boasted during the briefing that the US is “going to be sending approximately $100 million worth of things, of surgical and medical and hospital things to Italy.” “And Giuseppe was very, very happy, I will tell you that, they’re having a very hard time,” the president said. Trump said he had spoken with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and made the pledge. It’s unclear why Trump is emphasizing aid to other counties, which he has often opposed and runs counter to his principle of “America first”. His administration came under criticism today amid reports that the government sent nearly 17.8 tons of medical supplies to China—including masks and respirators— weeks after the first cases of coronavirus were reported in the US. Trump, you incompetent idiot! You sent 18 tons of PPE to China early but ignored warnings & called COVID19 concerns a hoax. You've endangered doctors, nurses, aids, orderlies, & janitors - all risking their lives to save ours. Pray 4 forgiveness for the harm that you're causing! — Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) March 30, 2020 “Trump, you incompetent idiot!”, said Maxine Waters, a democratic representative of California, in a tweet criticizing the move.


theguardian--2020-03-30--Trump says Republicans would ‘never’ be elected again if it was easier to vote

Donald Trump admitted on Monday that making it easier to vote in America would hurt the Republican party .
The president made the comments as he dismissed a Democratic-led push for reforms such as vote-by-mail , same-day registration and early voting as states seek to safely run elections amid the Covid-19 pandemic .
Democrats had proposed the measures as part of the coronavirus stimulus .
They ultimately were not included in the $ 2.2tn final package , which included only $ 400m to states to help them run elections .
“ The things they had in there were crazy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if you ’ d ever agreed to it , you ’ d never have a Republican elected in this country again , ” Trump said during an appearance on Fox & Friends .
“ They had things in there about election days and what you do and all sorts of clawbacks .
They had things that were just totally crazy and had nothing to do with workers that lost their jobs and companies that we have to save.
” Democrats often accuse Republicans of deliberately making it hard to vote in order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and other groups from the polls .
And Republicans often say they oppose voting reforms because of concerns of voter fraud – which is extremely rare – or concerns over having the federal government run elections .
But Trump ’ s remarks reveal how at least some Republicans have long understood voting barriers to be a necessary part of their political self-preservation .
“ I don ’ t want everybody to vote , ” Paul Weyrich , an influential conservative activist , said in 1980 .
“ As a matter of fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.
” Trump ’ s Monday comments showed he saw voter suppression as part of his re-election strategy , the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) said in a statement Monday .
“ Ensuring that Americans can vote during the Covid-19 crisis is fundamental to maintaining our democracy .
It is shocking that Trump is essentially admitting that when the American people vote , Republican lose , ” said Xochitl Hinojosa , a DNC spokeswoman .
“ Trump knows that suppressing the vote is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November.
” Shortly after he was elected , Trump falsely claimed he would have won the popular vote had it not been for millions of illegal votes .
There is no credible evidence to support the claim .
In December , a Trump campaign aide was recorded saying : “ Traditionally it ’ s always been Republicans suppressing votes in places.
” The aide later told the Associated Press he was saying that Republicans have traditionally been accused of voter suppression .
The $ 400m that Congress allocated so far is just a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Justice estimated election officials need to run elections in November if coronavirus still lingers .
Officials need that money to pay for postage , personnel and equipment to process an influx of mail-in ballots .
The urgency of getting election officials those resources should not be lost in the political fighting , said Myrna Perez , director of the Brennan Center ’ s voting rights and elections program .
“ What can not be lost in all the back and forth among politicians is that election administrators at the state and local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the elections in November go off smoothly and safely , ” she said .

Donald Trump admitted on Monday that making it easier to vote in America would hurt the Republican party.
The president made the comments as he dismissed a Democratic-led push for reforms such as vote-by-mail, same-day registration and early voting as states seek to safely run elections amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Democrats had proposed the measures as part of the coronavirus stimulus. They ultimately were not included in the $2.2tn final package, which included only $400m to states to help them run elections.
“The things they had in there were crazy. They had things, levels of voting that if you’d ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again,” Trump said during an appearance on Fox & Friends. “They had things in there about election days and what you do and all sorts of clawbacks. They had things that were just totally crazy and had nothing to do with workers that lost their jobs and companies that we have to save.”
Democrats often accuse Republicans of deliberately making it hard to vote in order to keep minorities, immigrants, young people and other groups from the polls. And Republicans often say they oppose voting reforms because of concerns of voter fraud – which is extremely rare – or concerns over having the federal government run elections. But Trump’s remarks reveal how at least some Republicans have long understood voting barriers to be a necessary part of their political self-preservation.
“I don’t want everybody to vote,” Paul Weyrich, an influential conservative activist, said in 1980. “As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.”
Trump’s Monday comments showed he saw voter suppression as part of his re-election strategy, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) said in a statement Monday. “Ensuring that Americans can vote during the Covid-19 crisis is fundamental to maintaining our democracy. It is shocking that Trump is essentially admitting that when the American people vote, Republican lose,” said Xochitl Hinojosa, a DNC spokeswoman. “Trump knows that suppressing the vote is the only way he and Republicans win in November.”
Shortly after he was elected, Trump falsely claimed he would have won the popular vote had it not been for millions of illegal votes. There is no credible evidence to support the claim. In December, a Trump campaign aide was recorded saying: “Traditionally it’s always been Republicans suppressing votes in places.” The aide later told the Associated Press he was saying that Republicans have traditionally been accused of voter suppression.
The $400m that Congress allocated so far is just a small fraction of what the Brennan Center for Justice estimated election officials need to run elections in November if coronavirus still lingers. Officials need that money to pay for postage, personnel and equipment to process an influx of mail-in ballots.
The urgency of getting election officials those resources should not be lost in the political fighting, said Myrna Perez, director of the Brennan Center’s voting rights and elections program.
“What cannot be lost in all the back and forth among politicians is that election administrators at the state and local level need substantial resources now to ensure that the elections in November go off smoothly and safely,” she said.


theguardian--2020-03-30--Trump lashes out at critics as Fauci warns New Orleans and Detroit will 'take off'

Donald Trump called Nancy Pelosi a “ sick puppy ” on Monday , after the House speaker said the president ’ s mishandling of the coronavirus crisis would contribute to deaths in the US that might have been avoided .
“ She ’ s a sick puppy … that ’ s a terrible thing to say , ” Trump said in a rambling hour-long call-in interview to the cable show Fox & Friends .
“ My poll numbers are the highest they ’ ve ever been because of her.
” While the president was attacking his adversaries , the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smaller cities were about to witness a rapid acceleration in coronavirus cases .
New Orleans and Detroit are showing signs that “ they ’ re going to take off ” and other , smaller cities are “ percolating ” , Dr Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , told ABC News .
According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University , by Monday nearly 143,000 Covid-19 cases had been confirmed in the US , with more than 2,500 deaths .
New York is by far the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases and about 1,000 deaths .
As the emergency has accelerated , Trump has stepped up his war of words with Democrats and the media , in what critics see as an attempt to distract from the administration ’ s failings in confronting the virus .
Widespread testing remains unavailable in most of the US , healthcare workers and local leaders raise a daily alarm about dire shortages of medical equipment , and state leaders have imposed a patchwork of restrictions – or declined to impose restrictions – in what emergency response experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership .
In news conferences , Trump has swung between false assurance – that business as normal would resume by Easter – and crediting himself with avoiding what early models showed could be a worst-case scenario of millions of deaths .
In his interview on Monday , Trump told the Fox News hosts he had saved the country from “ deaths like you have never seen before ” .
Pelosi told CNN on Sunday that “ the president ’ s denial at the beginning was deadly ” and said “ his delay in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed is deadly … As the president fiddles , people are dying.
” Trump also repeated a baseless claim he made on Sunday , accusing states including New York , which has had to erect emergency medical facilities in Central Park and move in refrigerator trucks to temporarily store bodies , of squandering medical equipment .
“ I find that insulting to our healthcare workers , ” Bill de Blasio told CNN .
“ I find it insensitive .
“ What the president should be doing is praising our healthcare workers , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong with the supplies that have been sent .
That ’ s just insensitive and it ’ s unhelpful.
” The long-running feud between Trump and New York state leaders simmered as dramatic pictures emerged of the US navy hospital ship USNS Comfort arriving in New York harbor .
The ship , which can accommodate about 1,000 patients , will not treat coronavirus victims but will take other patients to relieve hospitals on land .
“ Welcome to New York , USNS Comfort , ” Governor Andrew Cuomo tweeted .
“ We knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was critical .
We asked and the federal government answered.
” Other states continued to ramp up their responses .
The governor of Maryland issued a stay-at-home order effective from Monday evening , becoming the 23rd state to do so .
Michigan extended unemployment programs to workers who do not qualify for state benefits , including independent contractors , the self-employed and seasonal workers .
Vermont issued an order requiring any person coming from outside the state “ for anything other than an essential purpose ” to home-quarantine for 14 days .
Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the spring term .
And the Republican governor of Florida , who has resisted issuing a statewide stay-at-home order , urged residents in four southern counties to stay home through “ mid-May ” .
Fauci said at the weekend the US could see more than a million cases and suffer 100,000 to 200,000 deaths .
“ I don ’ t want to see it , I ’ d like to avoid it , but I wouldn ’ t be surprised if we saw 100,000 deaths , ” he said on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump claimed publicly that the virus would simply “ disappear ” .
But on Fox & Friends he credited his administration with avoiding a death toll in the millions .
Political leaders from both parties have indicated that Washington could follow its $ 2tn coronavirus relief package with more stimulus bills , but Trump on Monday criticized Democrats ’ demands for protections of the 2020 election in November .
As part of the initial relief package , Democrats sought a provision , later discarded , that would allow all voters to cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had in there were crazy , ” Trump told Fox & Friends .
“ They had levels of voting , that if you ever agreed to it you ’ d never have a Republican elected in this country again .
”

Donald Trump called Nancy Pelosi a “sick puppy” on Monday, after the House speaker said the president’s mishandling of the coronavirus crisis would contribute to deaths in the US that might have been avoided.
“She’s a sick puppy … that’s a terrible thing to say,” Trump said in a rambling hour-long call-in interview to the cable show Fox & Friends. “My poll numbers are the highest they’ve ever been because of her.”
While the president was attacking his adversaries, the top infectious-disease expert in the US warned that smaller cities were about to witness a rapid acceleration in coronavirus cases.
New Orleans and Detroit are showing signs that “they’re going to take off” and other, smaller cities are “percolating”, Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told ABC News.
According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, by Monday nearly 143,000 Covid-19 cases had been confirmed in the US, with more than 2,500 deaths. New York is by far the state worst hit, with nearly 60,000 cases and about 1,000 deaths.
As the emergency has accelerated, Trump has stepped up his war of words with Democrats and the media, in what critics see as an attempt to distract from the administration’s failings in confronting the virus.
Widespread testing remains unavailable in most of the US, healthcare workers and local leaders raise a daily alarm about dire shortages of medical equipment, and state leaders have imposed a patchwork of restrictions – or declined to impose restrictions – in what emergency response experts have described as a vacuum of federal leadership.
In news conferences, Trump has swung between false assurance – that business as normal would resume by Easter – and crediting himself with avoiding what early models showed could be a worst-case scenario of millions of deaths.
In his interview on Monday, Trump told the Fox News hosts he had saved the country from “deaths like you have never seen before”.
01:02 'As the president fiddles, people are dying': Nancy Pelosi slams Trump's coronavirus delays – video
Pelosi told CNN on Sunday that “the president’s denial at the beginning was deadly” and said “his delay in getting equipment to where it’s needed is deadly … As the president fiddles, people are dying.”
Trump also repeated a baseless claim he made on Sunday, accusing states including New York, which has had to erect emergency medical facilities in Central Park and move in refrigerator trucks to temporarily store bodies, of squandering medical equipment.
Trump’s charges drew fire from New York’s mayor.
“I find that insulting to our healthcare workers,” Bill de Blasio told CNN. “I find it insensitive.
“What the president should be doing is praising our healthcare workers, not suggesting somehow they’re doing something wrong with the supplies that have been sent. That’s just insensitive and it’s unhelpful.”
The long-running feud between Trump and New York state leaders simmered as dramatic pictures emerged of the US navy hospital ship USNS Comfort arriving in New York harbor. The ship, which can accommodate about 1,000 patients, will not treat coronavirus victims but will take other patients to relieve hospitals on land.
“Welcome to New York, USNS Comfort,” Governor Andrew Cuomo tweeted. “We knew from the outset that expanded hospital capacity was critical. We asked and the federal government answered.”
The New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, in Manhattan as the USNS Comfort arrives in New York. Photograph: Carlo Allegri/Reuters
Other states continued to ramp up their responses. The governor of Maryland issued a stay-at-home order effective from Monday evening, becoming the 23rd state to do so. Michigan extended unemployment programs to workers who do not qualify for state benefits, including independent contractors, the self-employed and seasonal workers.
Vermont issued an order requiring any person coming from outside the state “for anything other than an essential purpose” to home-quarantine for 14 days. Arizona announced that schools would remain closed through the end of the spring term. And the Republican governor of Florida, who has resisted issuing a statewide stay-at-home order, urged residents in four southern counties to stay home through “mid-May”.
In California, the San Francisco Bay Area’s shelter-in-place rules were extended on Monday through the end of April. The state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, announced at a press conference that the number of patients hospitalized had doubled and the number of patients admitted to ICUs had tripled over the past four days.
The governor called on healthcare professionals who have recently retired and those who are nearing completion of nursing and medical degrees to meet the “human capital surge” and join the frontline fight against the virus as part of a new initiative. The professionals Newsom wants to enlist in the new California Health Corps include medical doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, behavioral health scientists, pharmacists, EMTs, medical and administrative assistants, as well as certified nursing assistants.
Fauci said at the weekend the US could see more than a million cases and suffer 100,000 to 200,000 deaths. “I don’t want to see it, I’d like to avoid it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw 100,000 deaths,” he said on Monday.
As recently as late February, Trump claimed publicly that the virus would simply “disappear”. But on Fox & Friends he credited his administration with avoiding a death toll in the millions.
“That’s a lot,” he said.
Political leaders from both parties have indicated that Washington could follow its $2tn coronavirus relief package with more stimulus bills, but Trump on Monday criticized Democrats’ demands for protections of the 2020 election in November.
As part of the initial relief package, Democrats sought a provision, later discarded, that would allow all voters to cast ballots by mail.
“The things they had in there were crazy,” Trump told Fox & Friends. “They had levels of voting, that if you ever agreed to it you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.”
Mario Koran contributed reporting


theguardian--2020-03-30--'It couldn't have snowballed at a worse time': 2020 US census under threat from coronavirus

The coronavirus is upending the 2020 census , disrupting an already fragile operation that faced immense challenges in counting minority populations and other groups in the US before the outbreak of a global pandemic .
Americans started receiving invitations to respond to the census online , an option never offered before , or by phone on 12 March , just as governors and mayors started shutting down businesses and telling people to stay home .
While the US Census Bureau is already delaying some of its operations , the US constitution mandates a decennial census and it can not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April as census day – the date at which the government must try to get as accurate a count of the US population as possible .
There are certain populations already vulnerable to going undercounted in the census , including minorities , immigrants and the poor .
The outbreak will make it even harder , especially if the government is forced to scale back critical door-to-door operations to count people later this year .
There is an ongoing push to get people to respond online now while they are quarantined at home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reliable internet can ’ t do that .
These issues build on persistent distrust among immigrants of the Trump administration , fueled by its unsuccessful attempt to add a citizenship question to the survey .
For now , elected officials and advocacy groups will have to find a way to persuade them to respond and to ensure they get counted without face-to-face contact .
“ It couldn ’ t have snowballed at a worse time , ” said Terri Ann Lowenthal , a consultant who works on census issues with lawmakers and advocacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April that the bureau counts people , she said , the more difficult it will be to collect accurate data , and 21 % of US households have responded to the census so far .
An inaccurate count would have severe consequences .
The data from the census is used to allocate $ 1.5tn in federal funds and determines where governments build hospitals , roads , public transportation and other infrastructure .
It ’ s also used to draw political district lines in place for the next decade and determine how many representatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 31 December .
Depending on how severe delays are because of the Covid-19 outbreak , the Census Bureau may have to ask Congress to change federal law to extend that deadline , said John Thompson , the director of the Census Bureau from 2013 to 2016 .
The Census Bureau is already pushing back some of its programs , including an operation to dispatch workers to heavily trafficked areas to help them fill out the census and another to count the homeless population as well as people living in nursing homes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this month it was delaying the final deadline for the count from 31 July to 14 August .
The bureau has also delayed the start date of a critical door-to-door count from mid-May to late May following up with people who don ’ t respond on their own .
The program is critical to getting traditionally hard-to-count populations to respond to the survey .
It is unclear how the bureau would proceed with that operation if current social isolation practices are still in place then .
This is “ uncharted territory ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has extensively studied the census .
While the bureau plans extensively for emergencies , and has $ 2bn in contingency funds , it has never faced a pandemic during its peak operations .
There is already concern that it will be increasingly difficult to count college students , who are supposed to be counted where they live and sleep most of the time , because many schools have closed their campus for the semester .
The lack of in-person interaction will probably make it more difficult for organizers to build trust in vulnerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center , which serves immigrants and refugees throughout New York City , organizers planned to host in-person workshops about filling out the census .
Those workshops are no longer happening , and the center is focused on the 1,300 people who signed pledge cards to fill out the census .
“ It ’ s a level of being able to read a person and what their comfort level is and whether your message is getting through or not , ” said Howard Shih , director of research and policy at the Asian American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face-to-face thing.
” In New York City , where 29 % of households lack broadband internet , officials planned more than 300 “ pop-up ” centers – libraries and other public facilities – where people could use a computer to fill out the census online .
But census organizers scrapped those plans and are now focusing on reaching people through text-a-thons and phone banking .
Meanwhile , officials scaled back their subway advertisements as New Yorkers were discouraged from using public transportation and shifted to digital advertising .
“ It makes it extremely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is leading the city ’ s census efforts .
But New York officials have also realized that Covid-19 concerns can be channeled to highlight the importance of the census , and how it is used to get funding for healthcare services and hospitals .
23.4 % of households in the city have responded so far , according to the Census Bureau .
Nationwide , 33.1 % of households have self-responded .
One of the biggest challenges facing the census now is simply getting messaging about it out at a time when news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
So far , elected officials and advocacy groups have largely praised the Census Bureau ’ s efforts to mitigate the effects of coronavirus on the count ’ s operations .
But the census , the largest peacetime mobilization of the federal government , is a carefully calibrated effort .
The more changes there are , the greater the risk to its accuracy .
“ It ’ s a little like Jenga .
Every time you pull out a piece the structure becomes a little less stable , ” Lowenthal said .

The coronavirus is upending the 2020 census, disrupting an already fragile operation that faced immense challenges in counting minority populations and other groups in the US before the outbreak of a global pandemic.
Americans started receiving invitations to respond to the census online, an option never offered before, or by phone on 12 March, just as governors and mayors started shutting down businesses and telling people to stay home. While the US Census Bureau is already delaying some of its operations, the US constitution mandates a decennial census and it cannot be cancelled. Federal law also sets 1 April as census day – the date at which the government must try to get as accurate a count of the US population as possible.
There are certain populations already vulnerable to going undercounted in the census, including minorities, immigrants and the poor. The outbreak will make it even harder, especially if the government is forced to scale back critical door-to-door operations to count people later this year. There is an ongoing push to get people to respond online now while they are quarantined at home, but swaths of the American population without reliable internet can’t do that. These issues build on persistent distrust among immigrants of the Trump administration, fueled by its unsuccessful attempt to add a citizenship question to the survey.
For now, elected officials and advocacy groups will have to find a way to persuade them to respond and to ensure they get counted without face-to-face contact.
“It couldn’t have snowballed at a worse time,” said Terri Ann Lowenthal, a consultant who works on census issues with lawmakers and advocacy groups. The further away from 1 April that the bureau counts people, she said, the more difficult it will be to collect accurate data, and 21% of US households have responded to the census so far.
An inaccurate count would have severe consequences. The data from the census is used to allocate $1.5tn in federal funds and determines where governments build hospitals, roads, public transportation and other infrastructure. It’s also used to draw political district lines in place for the next decade and determine how many representatives in the US House each state gets by 31 December. Depending on how severe delays are because of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Census Bureau may have to ask Congress to change federal law to extend that deadline, said John Thompson, the director of the Census Bureau from 2013 to 2017.
The Census Bureau is already pushing back some of its programs, including an operation to dispatch workers to heavily trafficked areas to help them fill out the census and another to count the homeless population as well as people living in nursing homes and prisons. The bureau also announced earlier this month it was delaying the final deadline for the count from 31 July to 14 August.
The bureau has also delayed the start date of a critical door-to-door count from mid-May to late May following up with people who don’t respond on their own. The program is critical to getting traditionally hard-to-count populations to respond to the survey. It is unclear how the bureau would proceed with that operation if current social isolation practices are still in place then.
This is “uncharted territory”, said Margo Anderson, a historian who has extensively studied the census. While the bureau plans extensively for emergencies, and has $2bn in contingency funds, it has never faced a pandemic during its peak operations. There is already concern that it will be increasingly difficult to count college students, who are supposed to be counted where they live and sleep most of the time, because many schools have closed their campus for the semester.
The lack of in-person interaction will probably make it more difficult for organizers to build trust in vulnerable communities. At the Arab-American Family Support Center, which serves immigrants and refugees throughout New York City, organizers planned to host in-person workshops about filling out the census. Those workshops are no longer happening, and the center is focused on the 1,300 people who signed pledge cards to fill out the census.
“It’s a level of being able to read a person and what their comfort level is and whether your message is getting through or not,” said Howard Shih, director of research and policy at the Asian American Federation. “It’s that face-to-face thing.”
In New York City, where 29% of households lack broadband internet, officials planned more than 300 “pop-up” centers – libraries and other public facilities – where people could use a computer to fill out the census online. But census organizers scrapped those plans and are now focusing on reaching people through text-a-thons and phone banking. Meanwhile, officials scaled back their subway advertisements as New Yorkers were discouraged from using public transportation and shifted to digital advertising.
“It makes it extremely difficult,” said Julie Menin, who is leading the city’s census efforts.
But New York officials have also realized that Covid-19 concerns can be channeled to highlight the importance of the census, and how it is used to get funding for healthcare services and hospitals. 23.4% of households in the city have responded so far, according to the Census Bureau. Nationwide, 33.1% of households have self-responded.
One of the biggest challenges facing the census now is simply getting messaging about it out at a time when news about the coronavirus is crowding everything else out.
So far, elected officials and advocacy groups have largely praised the Census Bureau’s efforts to mitigate the effects of coronavirus on the count’s operations. But the census, the largest peacetime mobilization of the federal government, is a carefully calibrated effort. The more changes there are, the greater the risk to its accuracy.
“It’s a little like Jenga. Every time you pull out a piece the structure becomes a little less stable,” Lowenthal said.


theguardian--2020-03-30--Coronavirus upends US election cycle as officials scramble to protect voters

When Spelman College announced this month it was suspending in-person classes and closing residence halls in response to coronavirus , Ashee Groce , a junior , had a question : how would she vote ?
Groce , who serves as president of Young Democrats of America at Spelman , had registered herself and a number of fellow students in the Atlanta area .
But they had now lost their housing and would have to return home before Georgia ’ s presidential primary .
On a press call for the not-for-profit Rock the Vote , Groce said she was grateful Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delayed their primaries , giving her more time to figure out how to cast a ballot , but those decisions have sparked their own set of concerns .
As the coronavirus outbreak spreads across America , it is wreaking havoc in an election year as Democrats pick a champion to try to oust Donald Trump from the White House .
But at least 15 Democratic primaries have now been delayed because of coronavirus , essentially freezing the Democratic nominating contest – currently dominated by the former vice-president Joe Biden .
While state officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cast their ballots , voting rights advocates warn that lawmakers will have to do considerable work to ensure the pandemic does not derail the presidential election .
The delayed primaries are admittedly unlikely to change the final outcome of the Democratic race , considering Biden ’ s significant delegate lead over his rival , the democratic socialist senator Bernie Sanders .
But the country ’ s necessary focus on coronavirus has left Biden mostly on the sidelines as he tries to pivot to his likely match-up against Donald Trump in November .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer nominating convention also appears to be up in the air , which could rob Biden of another key opportunity to make his pitch to voters to choose him over Trump .
Asked last week whether the convention should be canceled , Biden said no .
“ I don ’ t think it should be called off , and I don ’ t think we should call off any of the elections , ” the candidate told CNN ’ s Jake Tapper .
“ I think we just have to move forward .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and methods .
There ’ s an awful lot of direct mail voting going on right now , which may be one of the answers.
” The Democratic National Committee chairman , Tom Perez , sent a similar message this month after Ohio canceled in-person voting at the last minute over concerns about spreading coronavirus at polling places .
Perez said in a statement that states should focus on expanding no-excuse absentee voting and vote by mail “ instead of moving primaries to later in the cycle , when timing around the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have long pushed for more absentee voter options , said the 17 March primaries in Florida , Illinois and Arizona demonstrated the need to expand such efforts in the face of coronavirus .
Illinois , which relies mostly on in-person voting , saw a 25 % decrease in turnout that was largely attributed to voters ’ concerns about the spread of coronavirus .
But Florida and Arizona , which both have robust early voting and vote by mail operations , actually saw increases in overall turnout .
Sean Eldridge , the founder of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said postponing primaries was unavoidable because so many states lack appropriate voting protocols to deal with such crises .
“ I think every state is going to have to make that choice right now , but the problem is too many states are not prepared for this moment , ” Eldridge said .
Eldridge ’ s group drove more than 70,000 constituent calls to lawmakers urging them to include funding to expand no-excuse absentee voting and vote by mail in the $ 2tn coronavirus package .
“ None of us know how long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we need to make sure every single eligible voter is able to cast their ballot , ” Eldridge said .
“ If Congress provides sufficient funding to the states , then states can put that infrastructure in place now to address the coronavirus pandemic but also to be prepared for future events that could disrupt future elections.
” But experts emphasize that states will need to develop a safe in-person voting option to ensure fair elections in the months to come .
Certain people , such as those who are homeless or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may not have reliable access to mail , so an entirely mail-based election could leave them behind .
“ There are these communities that get already wronged by our system , and they ’ re already getting underresourced , ” said Myrna Perez , the director of the voting rights and elections program at the Brennan Center for Justice .
“ Relying on the mail in that way would just bake in those existing inequalities.
” Perez urged states to set rigorous sanitization standards for polling sites and ensure voters can practice social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans can protect their health while voting .
“ We need many , many different options ready to go because we ’ re going to have many diverse communities that need to get served , and there ’ s not going to be one way that is able to serve them all , ” Perez said .
The Brennan Center has estimated it will cost up to $ 2bn to ensure the fairness of elections during the pandemic , but the coronavirus stimulus bill allocates only $ 400mn for election assistance .
Voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding as an encouraging sign , especially considering Senate Republicans allocated $ 140m for election assistance in their initial proposal , but they say they are not done fighting for a more robust response .
“ We all know that this pandemic has been a threat to our economy , to our health and to our democracy , ” Eldridge said .
“ It ’ s important that Congress respond on all three of those fronts .
”

When Spelman College announced this month it was suspending in-person classes and closing residence halls in response to coronavirus, Ashee Groce, a junior, had a question: how would she vote?
Groce, who serves as president of Young Democrats of America at Spelman, had registered herself and a number of fellow students in the Atlanta area. But they had now lost their housing and would have to return home before Georgia’s presidential primary.
On a press call for the not-for-profit Rock the Vote, Groce said she was grateful Georgia was one of the states that have delayed their primaries, giving her more time to figure out how to cast a ballot, but those decisions have sparked their own set of concerns.
As the coronavirus outbreak spreads across America, it is wreaking havoc in an election year as Democrats pick a champion to try to oust Donald Trump from the White House.
But at least 15 Democratic primaries have now been delayed because of coronavirus, essentially freezing the Democratic nominating contest – currently dominated by the former vice-president Joe Biden. While state officials scramble to find safe ways for voters to cast their ballots, voting rights advocates warn that lawmakers will have to do considerable work to ensure the pandemic does not derail the presidential election.
The delayed primaries are admittedly unlikely to change the final outcome of the Democratic race, considering Biden’s significant delegate lead over his rival, the democratic socialist senator Bernie Sanders. But the country’s necessary focus on coronavirus has left Biden mostly on the sidelines as he tries to pivot to his likely match-up against Donald Trump in November. The status of the party’s summer nominating convention also appears to be up in the air, which could rob Biden of another key opportunity to make his pitch to voters to choose him over Trump.
Asked last week whether the convention should be canceled, Biden said no. “I don’t think it should be called off, and I don’t think we should call off any of the elections,” the candidate told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “I think we just have to move forward. We may have to use different means and methods. There’s an awful lot of direct mail voting going on right now, which may be one of the answers.”
The Democratic National Committee chairman, Tom Perez, sent a similar message this month after Ohio canceled in-person voting at the last minute over concerns about spreading coronavirus at polling places. Perez said in a statement that states should focus on expanding no-excuse absentee voting and vote by mail “instead of moving primaries to later in the cycle, when timing around the virus remains unpredictable”.
Democrats, who have long pushed for more absentee voter options, said the 17 March primaries in Florida, Illinois and Arizona demonstrated the need to expand such efforts in the face of coronavirus. Illinois, which relies mostly on in-person voting, saw a 25% decrease in turnout that was largely attributed to voters’ concerns about the spread of coronavirus. But Florida and Arizona, which both have robust early voting and vote by mail operations, actually saw increases in overall turnout.
People leave a voting station during the Florida primary on 17 March. Photograph: Larry Marano/REX/Shutterstock
Sean Eldridge, the founder of the progressive group Stand Up America, said postponing primaries was unavoidable because so many states lack appropriate voting protocols to deal with such crises. “I think every state is going to have to make that choice right now, but the problem is too many states are not prepared for this moment,” Eldridge said.
Eldridge’s group drove more than 70,000 constituent calls to lawmakers urging them to include funding to expand no-excuse absentee voting and vote by mail in the $2tn coronavirus package.
“None of us know how long this pandemic is going to last, and we need to make sure every single eligible voter is able to cast their ballot,” Eldridge said. “If Congress provides sufficient funding to the states, then states can put that infrastructure in place now to address the coronavirus pandemic but also to be prepared for future events that could disrupt future elections.”
But experts emphasize that states will need to develop a safe in-person voting option to ensure fair elections in the months to come.
Certain people, such as those who are homeless or living on a Native American reservation, may not have reliable access to mail, so an entirely mail-based election could leave them behind.
“There are these communities that get already wronged by our system, and they’re already getting underresourced,” said Myrna Perez, the director of the voting rights and elections program at the Brennan Center for Justice. “Relying on the mail in that way would just bake in those existing inequalities.”
Perez urged states to set rigorous sanitization standards for polling sites and ensure voters can practice social distancing while casting in-person ballots, so Americans can protect their health while voting.
“We need many, many different options ready to go because we’re going to have many diverse communities that need to get served, and there’s not going to be one way that is able to serve them all,” Perez said.
The Brennan Center has estimated it will cost up to $2bn to ensure the fairness of elections during the pandemic, but the coronavirus stimulus bill allocates only $400mn for election assistance. Voting rights advocates and Democratic lawmakers described the funding as an encouraging sign, especially considering Senate Republicans allocated $140m for election assistance in their initial proposal, but they say they are not done fighting for a more robust response.
“We all know that this pandemic has been a threat to our economy, to our health and to our democracy,” Eldridge said. “It’s important that Congress respond on all three of those fronts.”