theguardian--2020-11-01--Positively shocking: Trump's boasts of help from Sean Connery fall apart

It was less licence to kill and more dramatic licence .
Donald Trump ’ s claim that the late Sean Connery assisted him in getting planning applications passed in Scotland fell apart quickly on Sunday when the chair of the planning committee said the James Bond star was not involved .
In a series of tweets , two days prior to the US election , Trump paid tribute to Connery , saying he was “ highly regarded and respected in Scotland and beyond ” .
It was announced on Saturday the James Bond actor had died aged 90 .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shouted “ let him build the damn thing ” in connection with a big development raised eyebrows in Scotland .
He tweeted that “ everything went swimmingly ” with his development plans after initially “ having a very hard time getting approvals ” .
In 2008 Connery is reported as saying of the project : “ During tough economic times , this is a major vote of confidence in Scotland ’ s tourist industry and our ability to rise to the challenge .
I look forward to seeing a new gem in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good for Scotland.
” But Martin Ford , the Aberdeenshire councillor who was chair of the planning committee that initially refused Trump ’ s application to build the resort , told the Guardian : “ Mr Connery was not involved in the due process that led to the granting of planning permission for a golf resort at Menie .
He did not submit a letter of representation to the council , appear at the planning hearing , or at the public local inquiry.
” Ford added : “ Opinions offered in press articles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planning applications.
” Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond said : “ Scotland and much of the world is mourning the loss of a great spirit .
Sean Connery ’ s contribution and life ’ s work was immense , real and lasting and everyone with an ounce of class is reflecting upon just that today .
Tributes are great from all sources but this is not a time for tweeting silly claims or indeed responding to them.
” David Milne , a near neighbour of the Trump golf course in Scotland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vocal local critic , said the claim that Connery helped him land planning permission for his golf resort was “ utter bollocks ” .
Milne said Connery had never played the course , despite Trump ’ s invites .
The actor was offered the honour of becoming the first member of Trump ’ s golf resort at Menie , north of Aberdeen , with membership number 007 , which the property mogul built after bulldozing a very rare dune habitat as well as overriding local planning rules .
Trump had said that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot on the course .
But when the resort was opened two years later , Trump played first balls with former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie instead .
The pair did know each other , however .
Connery and Trump were photographed together at several events in New York , including the Johnnie Walker Dressed to Kilt fashion show in the early 2000s .

It was less licence to kill and more dramatic licence. Donald Trump’s claim that the late Sean Connery assisted him in getting planning applications passed in Scotland fell apart quickly on Sunday when the chair of the planning committee said the James Bond star was not involved.
In a series of tweets, two days prior to the US election, Trump paid tribute to Connery, saying he was “highly regarded and respected in Scotland and beyond”. It was announced on Saturday the James Bond actor had died aged 90.
But his claim that Connery stepped in and shouted “let him build the damn thing” in connection with a big development raised eyebrows in Scotland.
....all I needed, everything went swimmingly from there. He was so highly regarded & respected in Scotland and beyond that years of future turmoil was avoided. Sean was a great actor and an even greater man. Sincere condolences to his family! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2020
He tweeted that “everything went swimmingly” with his development plans after initially “having a very hard time getting approvals”.
In 2008 Connery is reported as saying of the project: “During tough economic times, this is a major vote of confidence in Scotland’s tourist industry and our ability to rise to the challenge. I look forward to seeing a new gem in the north-east that is good for Aberdeenshire and good for Scotland.”
But Martin Ford, the Aberdeenshire councillor who was chair of the planning committee that initially refused Trump’s application to build the resort, told the Guardian: “Mr Connery was not involved in the due process that led to the granting of planning permission for a golf resort at Menie. He did not submit a letter of representation to the council, appear at the planning hearing, or at the public local inquiry.”
Ford added: “Opinions offered in press articles are not material considerations in decisions on planning applications.”
Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond said: “Scotland and much of the world is mourning the loss of a great spirit. Sean Connery’s contribution and life’s work was immense, real and lasting and everyone with an ounce of class is reflecting upon just that today. Tributes are great from all sources but this is not a time for tweeting silly claims or indeed responding to them.”
David Milne, a near neighbour of the Trump golf course in Scotland, and the US president’s most vocal local critic, said the claim that Connery helped him land planning permission for his golf resort was “utter bollocks”.
Milne said Connery had never played the course, despite Trump’s invites.
The actor was offered the honour of becoming the first member of Trump’s golf resort at Menie, north of Aberdeen, with membership number 007, which the property mogul built after bulldozing a very rare dune habitat as well as overriding local planning rules.
Trump had said that he wanted the star to play the first shot on the course. But when the resort was opened two years later, Trump played first balls with former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie instead.
The pair did know each other, however. Connery and Trump were photographed together at several events in New York, including the Johnnie Walker Dressed to Kilt fashion show in the early 2000s.


theguardian--2020-11-01--The media has mostly not taken the bait on dubious Biden claims – with some Australia-linked excepti

The media has mostly not taken the bait on dubious Biden claims – with some Australia-linked exceptions | Jason Wilson

The big difference between the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections is that this time , mainstream media outlets are mostly not taking the bait on a dubiously sourced set of digital materials associated with the Democratic candidate .
Outside the rightwing bubble , the exceptions are disproportionately connected with Australia : Australian writers , Australian outlets , and/or outlets associated with News Corporation , who , like its founder , has Australian origins .
The New York Post , a News Corp tabloid , has been leading the pursuit of the story of a data cache which is purportedly a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ computer belonging to Hunter Biden .
They ’ ve not had much support from other established newspapers , but News Corp ’ s Fox News and a flotilla of lesser conservative media outlets have been dutifully amplifying and even adding their own touches to the tale .
On Tucker Carlson ’ s Fox News show on Wednesday night US time , for example , the host implied that documents associated with the story , which his editorial team had shipped across the country , may have been stolen by people trying to shut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily Beast reported on Thursday , however , that freight company UPS had simply misdirected the package , which has been recovered .
The original New York Post Biden piece had huge problems on arrival , so much so that a journalist there reportedly refused to add their byline to it .
The chain of custody was one of the issues .
The data supposedly came from a computer , dropped off by an unidentified person , who was presumed but not positively determined to be Hunter Biden by the owner of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s story of how he retrieved the data from the machine and how he came to give it to the authorities and Rudy Giuliani has shifted .
The FBI subpoenaed a computer from the store , which is reportedly connected to a money-laundering investigation , but it ’ s impossible to compare that machine with the supposed copy .
Anyone who reports on leaked digital materials , as I have , knows that it is trivially easy to fake , modify , subtract from or add to , and otherwise mess around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some documents carry indelible marks , such as any emails that are signed with DKIM security signatures , but everything else can be messed with .
In this case , we haven ’ t seen the originals , just PDF printouts , and the New York Post has not been forthcoming with any detailed or satisfactory account of its own authentication process .
It hasn ’ t said how it determined the authenticity of the cache as a whole , or individual items it has reported on , and has continued handwaving about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of denials from the Biden camp .
If it does know for sure that the material is a genuine copy of Biden ’ s laptop , it isn ’ t letting on how .
At least some of the material appears to be authentic .
A sex tape released last week , for example , appears to really feature Hunter Biden .
But that doesn ’ t mean that Giuliani has it because Hunter Biden took all that data to the computer shop .
We still don ’ t really know who put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what purpose .
This explains the queasiness of most mainstream outlets – of whom Giuliani told the New York Times that “ either nobody else would take it , or if they took it , they would spend all the time they could to try to contradict it before they put it out.
” The Wall Street Journal and Fox News were both reportedly offered elements of the story , and each refused .
None of this appears to have been a concern for the leadership at the New York Post , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its Australian-born one-time editor in chief , and an outspoken Trump supporter .
Allan retired in 2016 but is now back there as a special adviser , and was reportedly leading the charge to publish the material quickly .
Once they pushed it out , Fox News started running with the pack that the Post had whistled up .
So too , at crucial moments , did Australia ’ s News Corp outlets .
On Sunday 18 October , Sharri Markson hosted Steve Bannon on her Sunday evening program .
Bannon crowed about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyer which supposedly showed him asking for the computer back .
Bannon told Markson that the lawyer called the shop owner , “ and when the guy said I can ’ t remember , I ’ m going back to my shop , he sent a couple of emails in a panic saying ‘ I ’ ve got to get my hands on this right away ’ ” .
That email was subsequently released by a Fox reporter , and merely contained a request that the proprietor “ review your records ” on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is on record saying that the Bidens “ have no idea ” where the email came from .
Markson ’ s show , like most of Sky ’ s fare , is not widely watched .
But she ’ s willing to have Bannon on .
One might say that he couldn ’ t get arrested in the US , except that he recently was , and charged with fraud in connection with a border wall crowdfunding scheme , aboard the mega-yacht of his reported employer , Guo Wengui , whose bitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him into exile .
Giuliani ’ s material was good enough for News Corp ’ s post ; Bannon ’ s record apparently posed no concerns to News Corp ’ s Markson .
News Corp ’ s Australian commentariat , and expatriate New York Post columnist Miranda Devine , have all assisted in pushing the story , and pushing back on criticism .
While most media outlets had a reckoning after 2016 , it didn ’ t extend to crucial parts of News Corporation , including the most prominent faces of its Australian @ @

The big difference between the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections is that this time, mainstream media outlets are mostly not taking the bait on a dubiously sourced set of digital materials associated with the Democratic candidate.
Outside the rightwing bubble, the exceptions are disproportionately connected with Australia: Australian writers, Australian outlets, and/or outlets associated with News Corporation, who, like its founder, has Australian origins.
The New York Post, a News Corp tabloid, has been leading the pursuit of the story of a data cache which is purportedly a copy of the hard drive of a computer belonging to Hunter Biden. They’ve not had much support from other established newspapers, but their sister company Fox News and a flotilla of lesser conservative media outlets have been dutifully amplifying and even adding their own touches to the tale.
On Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show on Wednesday night US time, for example, the host implied that documents associated with the story, which his editorial team had shipped across the country, may have been stolen by people trying to shut down reporting on the cache.
The Daily Beast reported on Thursday, however, that freight company UPS had simply misdirected the package, which has been recovered.
The original New York Post Biden piece had huge problems on arrival, so much so that a journalist there reportedly refused to add their byline to it.
The chain of custody was one of the issues. The data supposedly came from a computer, dropped off by an unidentified person, who was presumed but not positively determined to be Hunter Biden by the owner of a computer store in Delaware.
That man’s story of how he retrieved the data from the machine and how he came to give it to the authorities and Rudy Giuliani has shifted. The FBI subpoenaed a computer from the store, which is reportedly connected to a money-laundering investigation, but it’s impossible to compare that machine with the supposed copy.
Anyone who reports on leaked digital materials, as I have, knows that it is trivially easy to fake, modify, subtract from or add to, and otherwise mess around with any documents in any cache. Some documents carry indelible marks, such as any emails that are signed with DKIM security signatures, but everything else can be messed with.
In this case, we haven’t seen the originals, just PDF printouts, and the New York Post has not been forthcoming with any detailed or satisfactory account of its own authentication process. It hasn’t said how it determined the authenticity of the cache as a whole, or individual items it has reported on, and has continued handwaving about the FBI subpoena, and the lack of denials from the Biden camp.
If it does know for sure that the material is a genuine copy of Biden’s laptop, it isn’t letting on how.
At least some of the material appears to be authentic. A sex tape released last week, for example, appears to really feature Hunter Biden. But that doesn’t mean that Giuliani has it because Hunter Biden took all that data to the computer shop. We still don’t really know who put them together, how, and for what purpose.
This explains the queasiness of most mainstream outlets – of whom Giuliani told the New York Times that “either nobody else would take it, or if they took it, they would spend all the time they could to try to contradict it before they put it out.” The Wall Street Journal and Fox News were both reportedly offered elements of the story, and each refused.
(One of Fox’s news anchors, Chris Wallace, commented that “I can understand the concern about this story. It is completely unverified and frankly, Rudy Giuliani is not the most reliable source anymore. I hate to say that, but it’s just true.”)
None of this appears to have been a concern for the leadership at the New York Post, which once again now includes Col Allan, its Australian-born one-time editor in chief, and an outspoken Trump supporter. Allan retired in 2016 but is now back there as a special adviser, and was reportedly leading the charge to publish the material quickly.
Once they pushed it out, Fox News started running with the pack that the Post had whistled up.
So too, at crucial moments, did Australia’s News Corp outlets. On Sunday 18 October, Sharri Markson hosted Steve Bannon on her Sunday evening program. Bannon crowed about an email from Hunter Biden’s lawyer which supposedly showed him asking for the computer back.
Bannon told Markson that the lawyer called the shop owner, “and when the guy said I can’t remember, I’m going back to my shop, he sent a couple of emails in a panic saying ‘I’ve got to get my hands on this right away’”.
That email was subsequently released by a Fox reporter, and merely contained a request that the proprietor “review your records” on the matter. The lawyer, meanwhile, is on record saying that the Bidens “have no idea” where the email came from.
Markson’s show, like most of Sky’s fare, is not widely watched. But she’s willing to have Bannon on. One might say that he couldn’t get arrested in the US, except that he recently was, and charged with fraud in connection with a border wall crowdfunding scheme, aboard the mega-yacht of his reported employer, Guo Wengui, whose bitter fight with the Chinese government has driven him into exile.
Giuliani’s material was good enough for News Corp’s post; Bannon’s record apparently posed no concerns to News Corp’s Markson. News Corp’s Australian commentariat, and expatriate New York Post columnist Miranda Devine, have all assisted in pushing the story, and pushing back on criticism.
While most media outlets had a reckoning after 2016, it didn’t extend to crucial parts of News Corporation, including the most prominent faces of its Australian operation.


theguardian--2020-11-01--Whatever happens, it will take more than promises to Make America Normal Again | Adam Tooze

As we approach 3 November , it seems that the whole world is holding its breath .
No other political event attracts as much attention as an American presidential election .
Even in the midst of an epidemic , the American political process retains its carnivalesque appeal .
There is skulduggery and outrageous rhetoric .
Donald Trump performs politics as reality TV .
For those that way inclined , the flood of polling and electoral expertise are an irresistible draw .
But we don ’ t just follow for the show .
We follow because our era is marked by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pre-eminent superpower .
Historically speaking , this is a relatively recent state of affairs .
For more than a century after independence , in 1776 , the US was so marginal that the major powers did not even have full diplomatic representation in Washington DC .
It was only in 1893 that the UK led the way in upgrading its legation to full-embassy status .
In the July crisis of 1914 – the great diplomatic drama that triggered the first world war – tiny Serbia figured more prominently than the United States .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearly mattered to everyone was the re-election of Woodrow Wilson in 1916 .
American manpower , economic clout and Wilson ’ s novel diplomacy would decide the outcome of the first world war .
Indeed , Europeans learned the hard way that it wasn ’ t just the presidential elections that mattered .
The US ’ s division of powers means that you have to follow congressional politics too .
The Republican victory in the midterms of November 1918 , days before the end of the war , jeopardised Wilson ’ s prospects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peace deal and his beloved League of Nations .
The great assembly of nations at Versailles woke up to the fact that reliance on the US came with the risk that it would , in Wilson ’ s words , “ break the heart of the world ” .
If 1916 was decisive , that was even more true of Franklin Roosevelt ’ s third election in 1940 .
His victory opened the door to the giant aid package of lend-lease .
And , this time , after the victory over Nazi Germany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not abandonment but tough love in the form of the Marshall plan and Nato .
In 2008 , in the midst of the financial crisis , Barack Obama ’ s election had a historic feel .
The world desperately needed something better than George W Bush .
But Obama also exemplifies another reason that we care .
On a good day , the US claims to stand for something more than just itself .
And that ambition is infectious .
The election of a black man in a nation that once rested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symbol of hope .
It was that promise that brought tens of thousands of young Germans to the streets of Berlin in July 2008 to cheer Obama , even before he was elected .
In living memory , the other president who sparked that kind of enthusiasm was JFK .
His election set the tone for the 1960s .
It was a sign that it was time for the men of the Edwardian age – the likes of Harold Macmillan , Charles de Gaulle , Konrad Adenauer – to move on .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Willy Brandt and Harold Wilson , was waiting in the wings .
Short of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez being elected , it is hard to imagine any American president causing a similar stir today .
The US gerontocracy resembles the later , decrepit phase of the Soviet Union .
The late supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in office at the age of 87 .
Nancy Pelosi is 80 .
At 74 , Trump is a spring chicken .
Hillary Clinton , 73 , would have been the first woman president , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ female leadership the US is far behind the global curve .
Bernie Sanders , 79 , is an American original , but as such it was never easy to see him firing truly global enthusiasm .
In 2020 we aren ’ t looking to the US for thrills .
The overwhelming sensation is not of excitement but dread .
All we ask is reassurance that America ’ s democracy is not entirely broken .
Electing a normal human being , even if it is grandfatherly Joe Biden , who will turn 78 on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the right direction .
But it is time to be honest with ourselves .
The forces that Trump represents are not new .
Wilson was a racist to the core .
After Abraham Lincoln , the South would not vote Republican for a century .
The Jim Crow South was the domestic political base that made FDR and Harry Truman into world leaders .
McCarthyism was oppressive even by the standards of cold-war Europe .
Even Trump at his crudest is echoed by the taped diatribes of Richard Nixon ’ s foul-mouthed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of US political institutions is concerned , what more warning did we need than the shambles of Bush-Gore in 2000 , decided by a judicial branch packed with Republican-appointed judges ?
The chief problem today , the degeneration of the Republican party , has been decades in the making .
In retrospect Sarah Palin ’ s nomination as John McCain ’ s running mate in 2008 appears less a bad joke than an ominous harbinger .
In 2016 Trump was one of the less eccentric options on the Republican menu .
Since then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propriety .
This reached its height in June 2020 over the question of whether the army would be deployed to the streets of Washington DC .
Anxious soundings were taken about the political allegiances of US military leaders .
It is a relief to know that they tend to be less pro-Trump than the rank and file .
But their reluctance to accept Trump ’ s orders is hardly reassuring as far as the integrity of the command chain is concerned .
America ’ s electoral machinery is very fragile and at risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state machine is dominated by partisan politicisation .
Next week we may see polling booths flanked by gauntlets of armed militia , responding to Trump ’ s call to “ stand back and stand by ” .
We have reached a point where NGOs such as the International Crisis Group and the Carter Center , which normally monitor elections in fragile democracies around the world , are focusing their attention on the United States .
Turning the apparatus of electoral liberal certification on the US itself no doubt marks a historic crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the counterpart to Trump ’ s horror show is a liberal theatre of outrage .
Bingeing on a cocktail of Weimar noir and American gothic has been habit-forming .
If Biden and the Democrats win , the first thing we will need to do is to sober up .
Life without a daily jolt of fight-or-flight will be an adjustment , which comes with its own risks .
Beware the new high of Biden ’ s promise to Make America Normal Again .
After all , it was eight years of a very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Trump ’ s victory .
The essential question that comes after the 2020 election is this : can American politics change ?
If not , the world of the 21st century will be condemned to witness an increasingly morbid and dangerous spectacle .
• Adam Tooze is a professor of history at Columbia University

As we approach 3 November, it seems that the whole world is holding its breath. No other political event attracts as much attention as an American presidential election. Even in the midst of an epidemic, the American political process retains its carnivalesque appeal. There is skulduggery and outrageous rhetoric. Donald Trump performs politics as reality TV. For those that way inclined, the flood of polling and electoral expertise are an irresistible draw.
But we don’t just follow for the show. We follow because our era is marked by the US’s status as the pre-eminent superpower. Historically speaking, this is a relatively recent state of affairs. For more than a century after independence, in 1776, the US was so marginal that the major powers did not even have full diplomatic representation in Washington DC. It was only in 1893 that the UK led the way in upgrading its legation to full-embassy status. In the July crisis of 1914 – the great diplomatic drama that triggered the first world war – tiny Serbia figured more prominently than the United States.
The first time that an American election clearly mattered to everyone was the re-election of Woodrow Wilson in 1916. American manpower, economic clout and Wilson’s novel diplomacy would decide the outcome of the first world war. Indeed, Europeans learned the hard way that it wasn’t just the presidential elections that mattered. The US’s division of powers means that you have to follow congressional politics too. The Republican victory in the midterms of November 1918, days before the end of the war, jeopardised Wilson’s prospects of getting congressional approval for the Versailles peace deal and his beloved League of Nations. The great assembly of nations at Versailles woke up to the fact that reliance on the US came with the risk that it would, in Wilson’s words, “break the heart of the world”.
If 1916 was decisive, that was even more true of Franklin Roosevelt’s third election in 1940. His victory opened the door to the giant aid package of lend-lease. And, this time, after the victory over Nazi Germany and imperial Japan, what America delivered was not abandonment but tough love in the form of the Marshall plan and Nato. In 2008, in the midst of the financial crisis, Barack Obama’s election had a historic feel. The world desperately needed something better than George W Bush.
But Obama also exemplifies another reason that we care. On a good day, the US claims to stand for something more than just itself. And that ambition is infectious. The election of a black man in a nation that once rested so heavily on slavery was a transcendent symbol of hope. It was that promise that brought tens of thousands of young Germans to the streets of Berlin in July 2008 to cheer Obama, even before he was elected.
In living memory, the other president who sparked that kind of enthusiasm was JFK. His election set the tone for the 1960s. It was a sign that it was time for the men of the Edwardian age – the likes of Harold Macmillan, Charles de Gaulle, Konrad Adenauer – to move on. A younger generation, led by figures such as Willy Brandt and Harold Wilson, was waiting in the wings.
Short of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez being elected, it is hard to imagine any American president causing a similar stir today. The US gerontocracy resembles the later, decrepit phase of the Soviet Union. The late supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in office at the age of 87. Nancy Pelosi is 80. At 74, Trump is a spring chicken. Hillary Clinton, 73, would have been the first woman president, but she was the establishment personified and on female leadership the US is far behind the global curve. Bernie Sanders, 79, is an American original, but as such it was never easy to see him firing truly global enthusiasm.
In 2020 we aren’t looking to the US for thrills. The overwhelming sensation is not of excitement but dread. All we ask is reassurance that America’s democracy is not entirely broken. Electing a normal human being, even if it is grandfatherly Joe Biden, who will turn 78 on 20 November, would be a step in the right direction.
But it is time to be honest with ourselves. The forces that Trump represents are not new. Wilson was a racist to the core. After Abraham Lincoln, the South would not vote Republican for a century. The Jim Crow South was the domestic political base that made FDR and Harry Truman into world leaders. McCarthyism was oppressive even by the standards of cold-war Europe. Even Trump at his crudest is echoed by the taped diatribes of Richard Nixon’s foul-mouthed prejudice.
As far as the health of US political institutions is concerned, what more warning did we need than the shambles of Bush-Gore in 2000, decided by a judicial branch packed with Republican-appointed judges? The chief problem today, the degeneration of the Republican party, has been decades in the making. In retrospect Sarah Palin’s nomination as John McCain’s running mate in 2008 appears less a bad joke than an ominous harbinger. In 2016 Trump was one of the less eccentric options on the Republican menu.
Since then we have witnessed a bonfire of constitutional propriety. This reached its height in June 2020 over the question of whether the army would be deployed to the streets of Washington DC. Anxious soundings were taken about the political allegiances of US military leaders. It is a relief to know that they tend to be less pro-Trump than the rank and file. But their reluctance to accept Trump’s orders is hardly reassuring as far as the integrity of the command chain is concerned.
America’s electoral machinery is very fragile and at risk of legal challenge. Every level of the state machine is dominated by partisan politicisation. Next week we may see polling booths flanked by gauntlets of armed militia, responding to Trump’s call to “stand back and stand by”. We have reached a point where NGOs such as the International Crisis Group and the Carter Center, which normally monitor elections in fragile democracies around the world, are focusing their attention on the United States. Turning the apparatus of electoral liberal certification on the US itself no doubt marks a historic crisis. But we should also recognise that the counterpart to Trump’s horror show is a liberal theatre of outrage.
Bingeing on a cocktail of Weimar noir and American gothic has been habit-forming. If Biden and the Democrats win, the first thing we will need to do is to sober up. Life without a daily jolt of fight-or-flight will be an adjustment, which comes with its own risks. Beware the new high of Biden’s promise to Make America Normal Again. After all, it was eight years of a very normal Obama presidency that set the stage for Trump’s victory. The essential question that comes after the 2020 election is this: can American politics change? If not, the world of the 21st century will be condemned to witness an increasingly morbid and dangerous spectacle.


theguardian--2020-11-01--'Blue shift': why votes counted after election day skew to the Democrats

Americans are voting by mail in record numbers – and that could extend the counting process several days if not weeks .
But Donald Trump says the winner should be decided quicker – on election day .
“ It would be very , very proper and very nice if a winner were declared on November 3 , instead of counting ballots for two weeks , which is totally inappropriate and I don ’ t believe that that ’ s by our laws , ” he told reporters on Tuesday .
But not only is it completely legal for votes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s also normal .
In 1968 , for example , the New York Times published the state-by-state results one day after the election .
In most states there were a significant number of ballots still to be counted .
When election officials finished counting ballots , the results shifted from the day-after report .
For example , in Alabama the final results showed Democrat Hubert Humphrey did several percentage points better than initially thought .
This isn ’ t rocket science : It takes time to count votes – and as votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And in the past few decades , it ’ s been increasingly common for votes to take more than a few days to count .
Election scholars Edward Foley and Charles Stewart measured this by looking at elections over several decades .
They took the New York Times results two days after an election , and compared those to the final results .
They call these “ overtime ” votes .
They also found that the votes that are counted last tend to skew toward Democrats , which they called the “ blue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A record-number of mail-in ballots this year could amplify that shift .
Trump has said mail-in voting is rigged , that the votes counted later are “ inappropriate ” and that he can only lose the election if it ’ s rigged .
But there are legitimate reasons for the blue shift phenomenon , and they were in operation far before Trump took office .
1 .
Mail ballots : Even before the pandemic , more and more people were voting by mail .
But the partisan breakdown of those mail ballots only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Things will be drastically different in 2020 .
A record number of people have already voted by mail , and in the battleground states – like Pennsylvania – it ’ s Democrats who are requesting and returning ballots at a far higher rate than Republicans .
Mail ballots often take longer to count because they need to be “ processed ” – which basically means figuring out whether the ballot should count .
This involves manual processes like checking whether the signature on the ballot matches the one on file .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when mail ballots can start being processed .
In key swing states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin , election officials can ’ t process ballots until election day .
That means we can expect a large number of overtime votes in those states – and that the vote in these potentially decisive states could shift toward Democrats .
2 .
Provisional ballots : Voters who run into problems at the polls can still cast a provisional ballot .
For example , some voters are told they ’ re not on the voter roll – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter roll isn ’ t up-to-date , or they made a mistake on their registration form .
These ballots are put in a separate pile and after election day the issues are sorted out and either counted or not .
This takes time , which is why they ’ re often not part of the initial count .
Foley and Stewart speculate that this is because voters who skew Democrat , such as young voters and voters of color , tend to be more mobile .
So if they moved to an area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they may not be on the older voter rolls used by poll workers .
In addition , Republicans have passed several measures , such as voter ID laws , to make it harder for people of color to vote , which may force them to cast a provisional ballot .
3 .
Urban counties take longer to report results : Urban counties tend to favor Democrats and they have more people .
In turn , it can take longer to count all the votes .
It ’ s understandable why , to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though Democrats are casting votes after the buzzer .
In reality , they are votes that are cast legally and on time – but they just happen to be counted later .

Sign up for the Guardian’s Fight to Vote newsletter
Americans are voting by mail in record numbers – and that could extend the counting process several days if not weeks. But Donald Trump says the winner should be decided quicker – on election day.
“It would be very, very proper and very nice if a winner were declared on November 3, instead of counting ballots for two weeks, which is totally inappropriate and I don’t believe that that’s by our laws,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
But not only is it completely legal for votes to be counted after election day – it’s also normal. In 1968, for example, the New York Times published the state-by-state results one day after the election. In most states there were a significant number of ballots still to be counted.
State-by-state results in the New York Times the day after the 1968 election.
When election officials finished counting ballots, the results shifted from the day-after report. For example, in Alabama the final results showed Democrat Hubert Humphrey did several percentage points better than initially thought.
This isn’t rocket science: It takes time to count votes – and as votes are counted, the results change.
And in the past few decades, it’s been increasingly common for votes to take more than a few days to count. Election scholars Edward Foley and Charles Stewart measured this by looking at elections over several decades. They took the New York Times results two days after an election, and compared those to the final results. They call these “overtime” votes.
They also found that the votes that are counted last tend to skew toward Democrats, which they called the “blue shift”, coining the term.
A record-number of mail-in ballots this year could amplify that shift.
Trump has said mail-in voting is rigged, that the votes counted later are “inappropriate” and that he can only lose the election if it’s rigged.
But there are legitimate reasons for the blue shift phenomenon, and they were in operation far before Trump took office.
1. Mail ballots: Even before the pandemic, more and more people were voting by mail. But the partisan breakdown of those mail ballots only slightly tilted in the Democrats’ favor:
Things will be drastically different in 2020. A record number of people have already voted by mail, and in the battleground states – like Pennsylvania – it’s Democrats who are requesting and returning ballots at a far higher rate than Republicans.
Mail ballots often take longer to count because they need to be “processed” – which basically means figuring out whether the ballot should count. This involves manual processes like checking whether the signature on the ballot matches the one on file. However, each state has different laws on when mail ballots can start being processed.
In key swing states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, election officials can’t process ballots until election day. That means we can expect a large number of overtime votes in those states – and that the vote in these potentially decisive states could shift toward Democrats.
2. Provisional ballots: Voters who run into problems at the polls can still cast a provisional ballot. For example, some voters are told they’re not on the voter roll – perhaps because they registered recently and the voter roll isn’t up-to-date, or they made a mistake on their registration form.
These ballots are put in a separate pile and after election day the issues are sorted out and either counted or not. This takes time, which is why they’re often not part of the initial count.
And provisional ballots tend to skew Democrat:
Foley and Stewart speculate that this is because voters who skew Democrat, such as young voters and voters of color, tend to be more mobile. So if they moved to an area and register shortly before an election, they may not be on the older voter rolls used by poll workers.
In addition, Republicans have passed several measures, such as voter ID laws, to make it harder for people of color to vote, which may force them to cast a provisional ballot.
3. Urban counties take longer to report results: Urban counties tend to favor Democrats and they have more people. In turn, it can take longer to count all the votes.
It’s understandable why, to the casual observer, it may look as though Democrats are casting votes after the buzzer. In reality, they are votes that are cast legally and on time – but they just happen to be counted later.


theguardian--2020-11-03--US election 2020: Obama accuses Trump of 'lying every single day' at Florida rally for Biden – live

Joe Biden is still favored to win Tuesday ’ s presidential election , according to the final opinion polls , but a tightening race in several key states offers Donald Trump rising hopes of a pathway back to the White House and brings the election down to the wire .
The Democratic candidate holds a significant lead in national polling , at anywhere between four and 10 percentage points , according to a cluster of polls released on Monday .
The poll aggregator fivethirtyeight.com shows Biden with an 8.4-point advantage overall , while Real Clear Politics reflects a lead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performing better in some of the battleground states he must win to secure a second term .
In Florida , the largest of the handful of crucial swing states , Biden leads by just 1.7 points , according to an average of leading polls .
A final poll from Reuters/Ipsos on Monday afternoon also had Biden very narrowly leading Trump in Florida and in a dead heat in North Carolina and Arizona .
On a national level it gave Biden an outright majority among all likely voters : 52 % to 44 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida , which he won over Hillary Clinton by only 1.2 points in 2016 , and its 29 electoral college votes if he is to stand any chance of reaching the winning figure of 270 .
Florida also offers Biden the cleanest and quickest path to victory .
Early votes in the state will be tallied through the day on Tuesday , meaning a declaration is possible before midnight if the race is not too close .
If Biden loses Florida , attention will turn to Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin , three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Democratic hands four years ago .

Maanvi Singh (now), Lauren Aratani, Martin Belam and Tom McCarthy (earlier)

3 Nov 2020 05.58 GMT Election eve recap Across the US, state governors have asked national guard to prepare for deployment in case of unrest and protests surrounding the election. More than 3,600 troops have been activated, the Military Times reports. In the capital, federal officials are preparing a “non scalable” fence around the White House and authorities have advised businesses to sign up for crime alerts.
More than 3,600 troops have been activated, the Military Times reports. In the capital, federal officials are preparing a “non scalable” fence around the White House and authorities have advised businesses to sign up for crime alerts. Deborah Birx , a top White House coronavirus adviser, said the US is “entering the most concerning and most deadly phase of this pandemic” in an internal report shared with top US officials, the Washington Post reported. Trump has continued to downplay the pandemic even as the country reports more than 9.2m cases and more than 231,000 deaths.
, Trump has continued to downplay the pandemic even as the country reports more than 9.2m cases and more than 231,000 deaths. Both presidential campaigns honed in on the pivotal swing state of Pennsylvania on the eve of election day. The president held a rally near Scranton, while Joe Biden spoke at a canvass launch in Beaver county and held a rally in Pittsburgh. Kamala Harris spoke at a rally in Philadelphia. Both campaigns view Pennsylvania as the most likely tipping-point state in the presidential race, and recent polls have shown Biden leading there by an average of about 5 points.
The president held a rally near Scranton, while Joe Biden spoke at a canvass launch in Beaver county and held a rally in Pittsburgh. spoke at a rally in Philadelphia. Both campaigns view Pennsylvania as the most likely tipping-point state in the presidential race, and recent polls have shown Biden leading there by an average of about 5 points. A federal judge rejected a Republican bid to toss out 127,000 ballots cast at drive-through polling stations in Harris county, Texas. But after Republicans appealed to block drive-thru voting on election day late Monday night, county clerk Chris Hollins has closed all but one drive-thru voting location there.
But after Republicans appealed to block drive-thru voting on election day late Monday night, county clerk Chris Hollins has closed all but one drive-thru voting location there. Trump again defended his supporters who swarmed a Biden campaign bus on a Texas highway, as the FBI announced it was investigating the Friday incident. “They did nothing wrong,” Trump said in a tweet. “But the ANTIFA Anarchists, Rioters and Looters, who have caused so much harm and destruction in Democrat run cities, are being seriously looked at!”
as the FBI announced it was investigating the Friday incident. “They did nothing wrong,” Trump said in a tweet. “But the ANTIFA Anarchists, Rioters and Looters, who have caused so much harm and destruction in Democrat run cities, are being seriously looked at!” Biden criticized Trump for suggesting he would fire Dr Anthony Fauci during a rally in Florida last night. “I’ve got a better idea,” Biden said at a campaign event in Cleveland, Ohio, earlier today. “Elect me and I’m going to hire Dr Fauci. And we’re going to fire Donald Trump.”
during a rally in Florida last night. “I’ve got a better idea,” Biden said at a campaign event in Cleveland, Ohio, earlier today. “Elect me and I’m going to hire Dr Fauci. And we’re going to fire Donald Trump.” Barack Obama campaigned for Biden in Atlanta, Georgia, as polls show a close presidential race in the traditionally conservative state that Trump won by 5 points in 2016. “I’ve got one word for you, Atlanta: tomorrow,” Obama said.
as polls show a close presidential race in the traditionally conservative state that Trump won by 5 points in 2016. “I’ve got one word for you, Atlanta: tomorrow,” Obama said. In his final of five rallies before election day, Trump spoke in Grand Rapids, Michigan – where he was stationed on election eve four years ago. While the Biden campaign’s closing argument is that the former vice president will pull America out of the coronavirus crisis, Trump has pushed out a law-and-order message and spead baseless claims of cheating and election fraud.
While the Biden campaign’s closing argument is that the former vice president will pull America out of the coronavirus crisis, Trump has pushed out a law-and-order message and spead baseless claims of cheating and election fraud. A record-breaking 98m Americans have already voted. The total voter turnout this year could be the highest in a century. We’re closing this liveblog – but my colleague Tom McCarthy will continue bringing you more live election updates. Follow along here: US election day 2020: voters stream to the polls to elect the next president – live updates Read more
3 Nov 2020 05.44 GMT Another quick Harris County voting update: The 5th circuit has denied Republicans’ appeal to block drive-thru voting. BREAKING: 5th Circ denies GOP bid to block Election Day drive-thru voting in Harris County—but given the uncertainty the litigation created, Harris Co clerk announced earlier tonight that he preemptively shut down all but one drive-thru site pic.twitter.com/zYylrXyyLC — John Kruzel (@johnkruzel) November 3, 2020
3 Nov 2020 05.18 GMT It’s officially election day in the US as Trump takes the stage at his rally in Michigan. Donald Trump arrives with Mike Pence for a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Photograph: Carlos Osorio/AP “We are going to have another beautiful victory tomorrow,” the president said as he kicked off his speech in Grand Rapids. This is the president’s 5th rally over the past day. Four years ago, Trump spoke in Grand Rapids at around the same time – taking the stage at half-past midnight on election day. Addressing his adult children, he said: “No matter what happens tomorrow, I’m very proud of you all. But if you don’t win, I’ll never speak to you again.”
The Guardian’s Lois Beckett is covering the event: Almost midnight, Trump’s final rally before Election Day, Grand Rapids pic.twitter.com/rrFL0xcENf — Lois Beckett (@loisbeckett) November 3, 2020 A 30-year-old woman at this Michigan Trump rally just told me her libertarian husband offered her a boob job if she would vote for Jo Jorgensen instead of Trump but she said no, she had to vote Trump
Anyway, it’s after midnight and here we all are — Lois Beckett (@loisbeckett) November 3, 2020
Updated at 06.13 GMT
3 Nov 2020 05.07 GMT Why votes counted after election day skew to the Democrats Alvin Chang reports:
Americans are voting by mail in record numbers – and that could extend the counting process several days if not weeks. But Donald Trump says the winner should be decided quicker – on election day. “It would be very, very proper and very nice if a winner were declared on November 3, instead of counting ballots for two weeks, which is totally inappropriate and I don’t believe that that’s by our laws,” he told reporters on Tuesday. But not only is it completely legal for votes to be counted after election day – it’s also normal. In 1968, for example, the New York Times published the state-by-state results one day after the election. In most states there were a significant number of ballots still to be counted.FacebookTwitterPinterestState-by-state results in the New York Times the day after the 1968 election. When election officials finished counting ballots, the results shifted from the day-after report. For example, in Alabama the final results showed Democrat Hubert Humphrey did several percentage points better than initially thought. This isn’t rocket science: It takes time to count votes – and as votes are counted, the results change. And in the past few decades, it’s been increasingly common for votes to take more than a few days to count. Election scholars Edward Foley and Charles Stewart measured this by looking at elections over several decades. They took the New York Times results two days after an election, and compared those to the final results. They call these “overtime” votes. They also found that the votes that are counted last tend to skew toward Democrats, which they called the “blue shift”, coining the term.
A record-number of mail-in ballots this year could amplify that shift. Why? 1. Mail ballots: Even before the pandemic, more and more people were voting by mail. But the partisan breakdown of those mail ballots only slightly tilted in the Democrats’ favor. 2. Provisional ballots: Voters who run into problems at the polls can still cast a provisional ballot. These ballots are put in a separate pile and after election day the issues are sorted out and either counted or not. This takes time, which is why they’re often not part of the initial count. And provisional ballots tend to skew Democrat: 3. Urban counties take longer to report results: Urban counties tend to favor Democrats and they have more people. In turn, it can take longer to count all the votes. Read more: 'Blue shift': why votes counted after election day skew to the Democrats Read more
3 Nov 2020 04.51 GMT As Republicans appeal drive-thru voting in Harris county, Texas, the county clerk Chris Hollins has closed all but one drive-thru voting location there. “In order to allow for drive-thru voting on Election Day while ensuring that all votes will be counted, the only drive-thru voting center on Election Day will be at Toyota Center,” he said – as that location fits the judge’s definition of a “building” suitable for voting. In order to allow for drive-thru voting on Election Day while ensuring that all votes will be counted, the only drive-thru voting center on Election Day will be at Toyota Center. 4/ — Chris Hollins (@CGHollins) November 3, 2020
Updated at 04.51 GMT
3 Nov 2020 04.28 GMT After a federal judge’s decision earlier to reject Republicans’ bid to toss out 127,000 ballots cast at drive-through polling stations in Harris county, Texas, the GOP has appealed. Republicans had accused Democratic Harris county clerk Chris Hollins of acting illegally when he allowed drive-through voting as a safer alternative during the coronavirus pandemic. The appeal from Republicans tonight seeks to block drive-thru voting tomorrow – on election day – rather than throw out the votes of those who have already voted that way. 🚨BREAKING: Texas Republicans appeal Harris County voting case to 5th Circuit. BUT--They are only seeking to block it for tomorrow (E-Day) no mention of past voting during early vote period.https://t.co/ugntk4x2F9 — Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) November 3, 2020
3 Nov 2020 04.19 GMT Tom McCarthy A record-shattering 98 million people have already voted ahead of election day on 3 November, meaning the 2020 presidential election pitting Joe Biden against Donald Trump will be the first in history in which more people vote in advance of election day than on it. That could make for some election night irregularities: results may come in more quickly than usual in some places while being egregiously delayed in others. A terrible new coronavirus wave could also slow voting, and counting. And Trump has spent weeks riling up supporters with false accusations of voter fraud and ballot burglary. Unforeseeable actions on election day by Trump or his surrogates could disrupt the process. US elections officials and media organizations that usually call races on election night say there is a good chance that the winner of the election will not be clear by midnight on Tuesday. That would not be unusual – the count has gone past midnight in three of the last five elections, in 2000, 2004 and 2016. On the other hand, we might have a result in the presidential race by the end of the night if either candidate achieves decisive wins in key states. And the data from the huge early voter turnout could provide important insights on how the election is unfolding. Here’s a rough guide to how the night could play out: US election 2020 guide: what time results are expected – and what to watch for Read more
3 Nov 2020 04.01 GMT Barack Obama – in a closing appeal to voters to elect his former vice president Joe Biden – is showing off the pandemic “playbook” they left for the Trump administration: Our administration literally left this White House a playbook that would have shown them how to respond before COVID-19 reached our shores. Joe and I revisited it recently. Take a look — and then vote for a leader who will get this virus under control. pic.twitter.com/IMukUCdgl8 — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 3, 2020 As Donald Trump downplays the pandemic, Biden has made it the central issue in his campaign, presenting him as the candidate that can pull Americans out of the crisis. The Obama-Biden administration left the Trump administration a 69-page National Security Council guidebook on “coordinating a complex US government response to a high-consequence emerging disease threat anywhere in the world”. The document listed “novel coronaviruses” among the types of infectious diseases to look out for.
Updated at 04.10 GMT


theguardian--2020-11-03--US election 2020: what kind of president would Joe Biden be? – podcast

If Joe Biden is elected president this week , it will be the culmination of a career in politics that has seen successes as well as controversies .
Journalist and biographer Evan Osnos examines what his past can tell us about the kind of president he could become When Joe Biden entered the US Senate as a 29-year-old it was the start of a political career he hoped would lead him to the White House .
Now on election day 2020 , he stands on the cusp of his dream .
With two failed bids behind him , this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the basis of one principle above all else : his task is to rid America of the leadership of Donald Trump .
New Yorker journalist Evan Osnos , author of a new Biden biography tells Anushka Asthana that for a Democrat who has been in the centre of the party for decades , including as Barack Obama ’ s vice-president , he is now running on one of the most radical platforms his party has ever stood on .
Biden ’ s is a career that has had its fair share of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of students as a way to integrate schools .
He also backed the now notorious 1994 crime bill that many believe paved the way to mass incarceration of black Americans .
But Osnos also describes his pioneering work on legislation around violence against women and his current plans to expand healthcare and environmental protections .
If Joe Biden wins this election , one thing is clear : he will prove starkly different from his opponent , Donald Trump .

Presented by Anushka Asthana with Evan Osnos; produced by Rose de Larrabeiti and Axel Kacoutié; executive producers Phil Maynard and Nicole Jackson

If Joe Biden is elected president this week, it will be the culmination of a career in politics that has seen successes as well as controversies. Journalist and biographer Evan Osnos examines what his past can tell us about the kind of president he could become
When Joe Biden entered the US Senate as a 29-year-old it was the start of a political career he hoped would lead him to the White House. Now on election day 2020, he stands on the cusp of his dream. With two failed bids behind him, this year as the Democratic nominee he has worked on the basis of one principle above all else: his task is to rid America of the leadership of Donald Trump.
New Yorker journalist Evan Osnos, author of a new Biden biography tells Anushka Asthana that for a Democrat who has been in the centre of the party for decades, including as Barack Obama’s vice-president, he is now running on one of the most radical platforms his party has ever stood on.
Biden’s is a career that has had its fair share of controversies: he opposed federally mandated bussing of students as a way to integrate schools. He also backed the now notorious 1994 crime bill that many believe paved the way to mass incarceration of black Americans. But Osnos also describes his pioneering work on legislation around violence against women and his current plans to expand healthcare and environmental protections. If Joe Biden wins this election, one thing is clear: he will prove starkly different from his opponent, Donald Trump.


theguardian--2020-11-03--US braces for historic election amid fears democracy is in danger

Americans are bracing for an election day unlike any in US history , overshadowed by a direct threat from Donald Trump of “ violence on the streets ” if the vote count is not cut short , stoking fears that democracy itself is at stake when the polls close on Tuesday night .
The president ’ s incendiary tweet , which was quickly labelled by Twitter as potentially misleading , was fired off amid a febrile atmosphere on the last night of his campaign , with reports of mobs of his supporters driving around the streets in flag-waving motorcades seeking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in major cities boarded up windows .
Trump stepped up his demand for the vote count in the battleground state of Pennsylvania to end on election night , before most of the state ’ s postal ballots have been counted , and he railed against the supreme court , which had turned down a Republican lawsuit seeking to cut off the count .
“ The Supreme Court decision on voting in Pennsylvania is a VERY dangerous one .
It will allow rampant and unchecked cheating and will undermine our entire systems of laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the streets .
Something must be done !
” the president said .
There is no evidence there is a greater risk of fraud in postal ballots , which is how Trump , his family and top officials have routinely voted .
Within minutes Twitter labelled the tweet with a message saying : “ Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process.
” The labelling prevented Trump ’ s message from being retweeted or liked .
The dark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a campaign that was in many ways unprecedented .
It is the first election in which the incumbent president has said he would try to stop the vote count if early returns on election night show him to be ahead , and has openly encouraged acts of intimidation by his supporters .
It also set a record for early voting .
More than 94 million Americans had already cast their ballots by Monday , in the midst of a pandemic .
It was equivalent to 70 % of the 2016 turnout even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a high “ non-scalable ” fence , last seen during the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer , was being erected around the White House .
In anticipation of unrest , businesses in Washington and major city centres across the country boarded up their windows .
The DC business district advised residents to “ take precautions such as securing outdoor furniture and signage that can be used as a projectile ” .
George Washington University advised its students to prepare for election day “ as you normally would for a hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevented them from leaving their residences .
Students were encouraged to “ pick foods that have a long shelf life ” , “ stock up on over the counter medications ” and “ be aware of your physical surroundings ” from Tuesday on .
Meanwhile , states across the US were preparing for potential unrest , with governors asking the national guard to prepare for deployment in case of unrest and protests surrounding the election .
More than 3,600 troops have been activated , the Military Times reports .
A poll by USA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of four voters were worried about possible violence , with only a quarter of the electorate “ very confident ” there would be a peaceful transfer of power if the Democratic challenger , Joe Biden , won the election .
Delivering his closing message on the last day of the campaign , Biden repeated his campaign message that the election was a “ battle for the soul of the nation ” .
“ The character of America is literally on the ballot , ” he said at a drive-in rally in Cleveland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to take back our democracy.
” On an election-eve stop in Wisconsin , minutes after posting his tweet about street violence , Trump claimed it was the left that was threatening riots if it did not get its way .
“ We strongly condemn political violence , and we condemn it strongly , ” Trump told a rally in Kenosha , the scene of the police shooting of a Black resident , Jacob Blake , in August , and consequent street protests , at which a white 17-year-old , Kyle Rittenhouse shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appearances , Trump has sought to portray his opponent ’ s future response to the coronavirus pandemic as a dystopian lockdown that would stifle economic and social life .
“ The Biden plan will turn America into a prison state locking you down , while letting the far-left rioters roam free to loot and burn , ” he told a rally in Iowa .
The air of apprehension has been deepened by repeated threats from Trump that he would seek to portray all votes not counted by election night as illegitimate .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our lawyers ” as soon as voting closes .
Biden supporters scrambled Monday to rally swing-state voters to drop off ballots , visit precincts in person and ensure their votes were counted .
“ Do not put ballots in the mail .
Hand-deliver your mail ballot to your county election office , satellite election office or other designated drop box or drop-off location , ” Pennsylvania ’ s top election official , Kathy Boockvar , the Democratic secretary of state , said on Monday .
“ Do it today .
Do not wait.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sometimes weeks after a US election , but the result is usually called by news agencies based on projections from incomplete counts .
That is less likely to be possible this time because of the heavy early and postal voting .
It is also normal for there to be multiple legal challenges , but there are fears this year that Republicans will also seek to shut down the vote count physically through the intimidation of polling officials – as they did in Florida in 2000 , the last time an election was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump endorsed mob tactics by his supporters over the weekend by hailing the actions of loyalists in Texas who boxed in a Biden campaign bus on the highway with their own flag-bedecked cars , forcing the bus to slow down suddenly and causing a collision between a Trump supporter ’ s car and a Biden official ’ s vehicle .
Two Biden rallies were called off in the menacing atmosphere .
The FBI said it was investigating the incident , but Trump hailed the loyalist Texas group as “ patriots ” and tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong ” , advising the FBI to scrutinise leftwing groups instead .
His endorsement was echoed at a Florida rally in the early hours of Monday by the Republican senator Marco Rubio , who told a crowd : “ We love what they did.
” The top ranks of the party have remained staunchly loyal to the president .
The election has come amid a record upsurge in coronavirus cases , particularly in battleground states .
Over the past week , 36 % of tests in Iowa have been positive .
The corresponding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % .
The campaign ended with Biden maintaining a solid and reasonably consistent lead nationwide but with narrower margins in key battleground states .
According to the poll aggregator fivethirtyeight.com , Biden ’ s margin in Florida is two percentage points and with his lead in Pennsylvania – widely considered a must-win for the challenger – was just under five points .
Trump has used his last campaign rallies to air an array of grievances , about polling numbers , the press and social media .
He complained that the trending topics on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on him instead of the “ scandals ” and “ affairs ” of his opponents , and he expressed his frustration that his efforts to turn the business activities of Biden ’ s son , Hunter , into a major campaign issue , had failed to resonate .
“ You can ’ t have a scandal if nobody writes about it , ” Trump said .
Twitter issued a statement on Monday saying it would label as disinformation any claims about the outcome of the election “ before it is authoritatively called ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the election process or with the implementation of election results , such as through violent action , will be subject to removal , ” the statement said .
The power of disinformation was on display over the weekend with the mass circulation of a doctored video which falsely made it look as though Biden thought he was in Minnesota when addressing a rally in Florida , echoing a Trump campaign theme that the Democrat ’ s age impaired his mental faculties .
Twitter removed the video on Sunday night , but by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 1m times .
Maanvi Singh and the Associated Press contributed reporting

Sign up for the Guardian’s Fight to Vote newsletter
Americans are bracing for an election day unlike any in US history, overshadowed by a direct threat from Donald Trump of “violence on the streets” if the vote count is not cut short, stoking fears that democracy itself is at stake when the polls close on Tuesday night.
The president’s incendiary tweet, which was quickly labelled by Twitter as potentially misleading, was fired off amid a febrile atmosphere on the last night of his campaign, with reports of mobs of his supporters driving around the streets in flag-waving motorcades seeking to intimidate opponents, while business districts in major cities boarded up windows.
Trump stepped up his demand for the vote count in the battleground state of Pennsylvania to end on election night, before most of the state’s postal ballots have been counted, and he railed against the supreme court, which had turned down a Republican lawsuit seeking to cut off the count.
“The Supreme Court decision on voting in Pennsylvania is a VERY dangerous one. It will allow rampant and unchecked cheating and will undermine our entire systems of laws. It will also induce violence in the streets. Something must be done!” the president said.
There is no evidence there is a greater risk of fraud in postal ballots, which is how Trump, his family and top officials have routinely voted.
Within minutes Twitter labelled the tweet with a message saying: “Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process.” The labelling prevented Trump’s message from being retweeted or liked.
Trump, however, repeated his attacks on the supreme court at a rally later on Monday night, accusing it of making a “very, very dangerous” political decision adding: “You’re going to have a population that’s going to be very, very angry.”
The dark warnings from the president marked the conclusion of a campaign that was in many ways unprecedented.
It is the first election in which the incumbent president has said he would try to stop the vote count if early returns on election night show him to be ahead, and has openly encouraged acts of intimidation by his supporters.
It also set a record for early voting. More than 94 million Americans had already cast their ballots by Monday, in the midst of a pandemic. It was equivalent to 70% of the 2016 turnout even before election day dawned.
On Monday, a high “non-scalable” fence, last seen during the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer, was being erected around the White House. In anticipation of unrest, businesses in Washington and major city centres across the country boarded up their windows. The DC business district advised residents to “take precautions such as securing outdoor furniture and signage that can be used as a projectile”.
George Washington University advised its students to prepare for election day “as you normally would for a hurricane or a snowstorm” in case unrest prevented them from leaving their residences. Students were encouraged to “pick foods that have a long shelf life”, “stock up on over the counter medications” and “be aware of your physical surroundings” from Tuesday on.
Meanwhile, states across the US were preparing for potential unrest, with governors asking the national guard to prepare for deployment in case of unrest and protests surrounding the election. More than 3,600 troops have been activated, the Military Times reports.
A poll by USA Today and Suffolk University found that three out of four voters were worried about possible violence, with only a quarter of the electorate “very confident” there would be a peaceful transfer of power if the Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, won the election.
Delivering his closing message on the last day of the campaign, Biden repeated his campaign message that the election was a “battle for the soul of the nation”.
“The character of America is literally on the ballot,” he said at a drive-in rally in Cleveland, Ohio. “It’s time to take back our democracy.”
Lady Gaga performs at a drive-in campaign rally for Joe Biden in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
The campaign drew on some star power in Pennsylvania with Lady Gaga, John Legend and Common performing at rallies.
Kamala Harris, the vice-presidential nominee, delivered her closing pitch to a packed drive-in rally at Citizens Bank Park, urging the many who gathered in frigid temperatures to cast their ballots in the critical city.
“We all know from the time the polls open tomorrow morning until they close, every minute counts. So we can’t let up because it ain’t over till it’s over. And everything is at stake,” she said.
On an election-eve stop in Wisconsin, minutes after posting his tweet about street violence, Trump claimed it was the left that was threatening riots if it did not get its way.
“We strongly condemn political violence, and we condemn it strongly,” Trump told a rally in Kenosha, the scene of the police shooting of a Black resident, Jacob Blake, in August, and consequent street protests, at which a white 17-year-old, Kyle Rittenhouse shot two protesters.
On his final campaign appearances, Trump has sought to portray his opponent’s future response to the coronavirus pandemic as a dystopian lockdown that would stifle economic and social life.
“The Biden plan will turn America into a prison state locking you down, while letting the far-left rioters roam free to loot and burn,” he told a rally in Iowa.
The air of apprehension has been deepened by repeated threats from Trump that he would seek to portray all votes not counted by election night as illegitimate. He said “we are going in with our lawyers” as soon as voting closes.
06:07 Which swing states could decide the US election? – video explainer
Biden supporters scrambled on Monday to rally swing-state voters to drop off ballots, visit precincts in person and ensure their votes were counted.
“Do not put ballots in the mail. Hand-deliver your mail ballot to your county election office, satellite election office or other designated drop box or drop-off location,” Pennsylvania’s top election official, Kathy Boockvar, the Democratic secretary of state, said on Monday. “Do it today. Do not wait.”
Vote-counting routinely continues for days and sometimes weeks after a US election, but the result is usually called by news agencies based on projections from incomplete counts. That is less likely to be possible this time because of the heavy early and postal voting.
It is also normal for there to be multiple legal challenges, but there are fears this year that Republicans will also seek to shut down the vote count physically through the intimidation of polling officials – as they did in Florida in 2000, the last time an election was not decided until weeks after the vote.
Trump endorsed mob tactics by his supporters over the weekend by hailing the actions of loyalists in Texas who boxed in a Biden campaign bus on the highway with their own flag-bedecked cars, forcing the bus to slow down suddenly and causing a collision between a Trump supporter’s car and a Biden official’s vehicle. Two Biden rallies were called off in the menacing atmosphere.
Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Monday. Photograph: Karl DeBlaker/AP
The FBI said it was investigating the incident, but Trump hailed the loyalist Texas group as “patriots” and tweeted on Monday that “they did nothing wrong”, advising the FBI to scrutinise leftwing groups instead.
His endorsement was echoed at a Florida rally in the early hours of Monday by the Republican senator Marco Rubio, who told a crowd: “We love what they did.” The top ranks of the party have remained staunchly loyal to the president.
The election has come amid a record upsurge in coronavirus cases, particularly in battleground states. Over the past week, 36% of tests in Iowa have been positive. The corresponding figure in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin was 14%.
The campaign ended with Biden maintaining a solid and reasonably consistent lead nationwide but with narrower margins in key battleground states. According to the poll aggregator fivethirtyeight.com, Biden’s margin in Florida is two percentage points and with his lead in Pennsylvania – widely considered a must-win for the challenger – was just under five points.
Trump has used his last campaign rallies to air an array of grievances, about polling numbers, the press and social media. He complained that the trending topics on Twitter were “boring”, focusing on him instead of the “scandals” and “affairs” of his opponents, and he expressed his frustration that his efforts to turn the business activities of Biden’s son, Hunter, into a major campaign issue, had failed to resonate.
“You can’t have a scandal if nobody writes about it,” Trump said.
Twitter issued a statement on Monday saying it would label as disinformation any claims about the outcome of the election “before it is authoritatively called”.
“Tweets meant to incite interference with the election process or with the implementation of election results, such as through violent action, will be subject to removal,” the statement said.
The power of disinformation was on display over the weekend with the mass circulation of a doctored video which falsely made it look as though Biden thought he was in Minnesota when addressing a rally in Florida, echoing a Trump campaign theme that the Democrat’s age impaired his mental faculties. Twitter removed the video on Sunday night, but by then it had already been viewed more than 1m times.
Maanvi Singh, Sam Levine and the Associated Press contributed reporting


theguardian--2020-11-03--Latest election polls show Biden ahead but race tightening in key states

Joe Biden is still favoured to win Tuesday ’ s presidential election , according to the final opinion polls , but a tightening race in several key states offers Donald Trump rising hopes of a pathway back to the White House and brings the election down to the wire .
The Democratic candidate holds a significant lead in national polling , at anywhere between four and 10 percentage points , according to a cluster of polls released on Monday .
The poll aggregator fivethirtyeight.com shows Biden with an 8.4-point advantage overall , while Real Clear Politics reflects a lead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performing better in some of the battleground states he must win to secure a second term .
In Florida , the largest of the handful of crucial swing states , Biden leads by just 1.7 points , according to an average of leading polls .
A final poll from Reuters/Ipsos on Monday afternoon also had Biden very narrowly leading Trump in Florida and in a dead heat in North Carolina and Arizona .
On a national level it gave Biden an outright majority among all likely voters : 52 % to 44 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida , which he won over Hillary Clinton by only 1.2 points in 2016 , and its 29 electoral college votes if he is to stand any chance of reaching the winning figure of 270 .
Florida also offers Biden the cleanest and quickest path to victory .
Early votes in the state will be tallied through the day on Tuesday , meaning a declaration is possible before midnight if the race is not too close .
If Biden loses Florida , attention will turn to Pennsylvania , Michigan and Wisconsin , three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Democratic hands four years ago .
In Pennsylvania , which offers 20 electoral votes , Biden holds an average 2.5-point advantage , according to Real Clear Politics .
In Michigan , with 16 votes , his lead is 4.8 points , and in Wisconsin , which has 10 votes , it is 6.6 points .
Victory in all three , plus the retention of states won by Clinton in 2016 , would see Biden elected as the 46th president .
However , margins of error built into opinion polling mean such races @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats are also wary as polls released just before the 2016 election showed Clinton with a similar national advantage over Trump .
She won the popular vote by more than 3m ballots , but defeat in several battleground states handed the White House to Trump .
On Monday , Trump and Biden spent the final day of campaigning in such vital states .
Biden headed to Pennsylvania for a rally after a stopover in Ohio , where polls show he trails Trump by a sliver .
Barack Obama rallied for Biden in Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running mate , was also in Pennsylvania , underlining the state ’ s importance .
Trump was barnstorming four states in his final push for victory .
After a midnight rally in Miami , Florida , on Sunday , the president headed for North Carolina , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin and two appearances in Michigan .

Joe Biden is still favoured to win Tuesday’s presidential election, according to the final opinion polls, but a tightening race in several key states offers Donald Trump rising hopes of a pathway back to the White House and brings the election down to the wire.
The Democratic candidate holds a significant lead in national polling, at anywhere between four and 10 percentage points, according to a cluster of polls released on Monday. The poll aggregator fivethirtyeight.com shows Biden with an 8.4-point advantage overall, while Real Clear Politics reflects a lead of 6.7.
But the Republican president is performing better in some of the battleground states he must win to secure a second term.
In Florida, the largest of the handful of crucial swing states, Biden leads by just 1.7 points, according to an average of leading polls.
A final poll from Reuters/Ipsos on Monday afternoon also had Biden very narrowly leading Trump in Florida and in a dead heat in North Carolina and Arizona.
On a national level it gave Biden an outright majority among all likely voters: 52% to 44%.
Analysts agree that Trump must retain Florida, which he won over Hillary Clinton by only 1.2 points in 2016, and its 29 electoral college votes if he is to stand any chance of reaching the winning figure of 270.
Florida also offers Biden the cleanest and quickest path to victory. Early votes in the state will be tallied through the day on Tuesday, meaning a declaration is possible before midnight if the race is not too close.
If Biden loses Florida, attention will turn to Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, three so-called blue wall states that Trump prised from Democratic hands four years ago.
06:07 Which swing states could decide the US election? – video explainer
In Pennsylvania, which offers 20 electoral votes, Biden holds an average 2.5-point advantage, according to Real Clear Politics. In Michigan, with 16 votes, his lead is 4.8 points, and in Wisconsin, which has 10 votes, it is 6.6 points. Victory in all three, plus the retention of states won by Clinton in 2016, would see Biden elected as the 46th president. However, margins of error built into opinion polling mean such races are probably tighter than they appear.
Democrats are also wary as polls released just before the 2016 election showed Clinton with a similar national advantage over Trump. She won the popular vote by more than 3m ballots, but defeat in several battleground states handed the White House to Trump.
On Monday, Trump and Biden spent the final day of campaigning in such vital states. Biden headed to Pennsylvania for a rally after a stopover in Ohio, where polls show he trails Trump by a sliver. Barack Obama rallied for Biden in Florida. Kamala Harris, Biden’s running mate, was also in Pennsylvania, underlining the state’s importance.
Trump was barnstorming four states in his final push for victory. After a midnight rally in Miami, Florida, on Sunday, the president headed for North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and two appearances in Michigan.


theguardian--2020-11-02--Judge orders US Postal Service to take 'extraordinary measures' to deliver ballots on time

A federal judge ordered the US Postal Service on Sunday to take “ extraordinary measures ” to ensure mail ballots arrive on time .
USPS is seeing a severe dip in on-time delivery rates leading up to the 3 November presidential election , according to the data from the agency .
Some of the largest mail delays are in battleground states where late ballots could make the difference in which candidate wins the state – and possibly the election .
The judge ’ s ruling involves USPS using its express mail service to deliver ballots within one to two days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that require that ballots be received by election day .
On-time rates during the week of 17 October – when about 20 million Americans were sending in their mail-in ballots – fell to the lowest they had been all year .
Only 81 % of first-class mail was delivered on time .
The mail delays have been especially notable in some key swing states .
In the central Pennsylvania mailing district , where Philadelphia is located , on-time rates fell to 66 % after being at about 90 % just months earlier .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 750,000 votes , but Trump made up the deficit with big wins in the more rural counties to win Pennsylvania by just 44,000 votes .
In the Detroit mailing district , on-time rates for first-class mail fell to 63 % .
It was above 90 % at the beginning of the year .
Detroit and the surrounding suburbs are where Democrats accrued most of their margin in 2016 , when Trump won the state by less than 11,000 votes .
In both states , a record number of people have already voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of thousands of ballots that were requested but have yet to be returned .
A mail delay could make the difference between whether a ballot is counted .
For example , in Pennsylvania mail ballots must arrive by 6 November at 5pm .
The postal service has come under scrutiny after Donald Trump ’ s ally Louis DeJoy was appointed postmaster general in May .
DeJoy implemented cost-cutting changes to make the postal service more efficient , but that caused on-time rates to plummet .
After complaints that USPS was purposely slowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-election , Dejoy said he would suspend the changes until after the election .
Soon thereafter , on-time rates rebounded – but they are now dropping again .

Sign up for the Guardian’s Fight to Vote newsletter
A federal judge ordered the US Postal Service on Sunday to take “extraordinary measures” to ensure mail ballots arrive on time.
USPS is seeing a severe dip in on-time delivery rates leading up to the 3 November presidential election, according to the data from the agency. Some of the largest mail delays are in battleground states where late ballots could make the difference in which candidate wins the state – and possibly the election.
The judge’s ruling involves USPS using its express mail service to deliver ballots within one to two days, which will be crucial in states that require that ballots be received by election day.
On-time rates during the week of 17 October – when about 20 million Americans were sending in their mail-in ballots – fell to the lowest they had been all year. Only 81% of first-class mail was delivered on time.
The mail delays have been especially notable in some key swing states. In the central Pennsylvania mailing district, where Philadelphia is located, on-time rates fell to 66% after being at about 90% just months earlier.
In 2016, Democrats won Philadelphia by nearly 750,000 votes, but Trump made up the deficit with big wins in the more rural counties to win Pennsylvania by just 44,000 votes.
In the Detroit mailing district, on-time rates for first-class mail fell to 63%. It was above 90% at the beginning of the year. Detroit and the surrounding suburbs are where Democrats accrued most of their margin in 2016, when Trump won the state by less than 11,000 votes.
In both states, a record number of people have already voted by mail. But there are still hundreds of thousands of ballots that were requested but have yet to be returned.
A mail delay could make the difference between whether a ballot is counted. For example, in Pennsylvania mail ballots must arrive by 6 November at 5pm.
The postal service has come under scrutiny after Donald Trump’s ally Louis DeJoy was appointed postmaster general in May. DeJoy implemented cost-cutting changes to make the postal service more efficient, but that caused on-time rates to plummet.
After complaints that USPS was purposely slowing down mail to help Trump’s re-election, Dejoy said he would suspend the changes until after the election. Soon thereafter, on-time rates rebounded – but they are now dropping again.


theguardian--2020-11-02--‘Non-scalable’ fence to be erected around White House before election

Federal authorities were expected to re-erect a “ non-scalable ” fence around the White House on Monday , a day before a presidential election many fear may lead to mass protest , civil unrest and even armed insurrection .
Amid speculation that the election result will not be immediately known and signs Republicans will either declare victory early or mount legal challenges if Donald Trump appears to have lost , multiple news outlets reported the White House plan , citing anonymous sources .
“ The White House on lockdown , ” the NBC News White House correspondent , Geoff Bennett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ A federal law enforcement source tells NBC that beginning tomorrow , crews will build a ‘ non-scalable ’ fence to secure the [ White House ] complex , Ellipse and Lafayette Square .
Two hundred and fifty national guardsmen have been put on standby , reporting to metro police officials.
” The barricade will form a square perimeter around the White House , on 15th Street , Constitution Avenue , 17th Street and H street .
Fencing was put up during the summer , amid national protests against police brutality and systemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Minneapolis police of George Floyd , an African American man .
According to CNN , the new “ unscalable ” barricade is the same type of fence .
In the summer , amid protests near the White House at which federal agents confronted and assaulted mostly peaceful demonstrators , it was reported that Trump was taken to a protective bunker under the executive mansion .
Trump insisted the visit was brief and for inspection purposes .
The summer protests also saw confrontations between law enforcement and protesters , and widespread looting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election looms , stores in New York , Washington and elsewhere have been boarding up windows in case of trouble .
Law enforcement agencies are preparing to deploy .
Patrick Burke , executive director of the Washington DC Police Foundation , recently told CNN : “ If there ’ s no winner , you will see significant deployments of officers at all levels across the capital.
” In New York , the police commissioner , Dermot Shea , sent a memo to department members in mid-October , indicating that the majority of officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and be ready to deploy , including officers not normally in uniform , including detectives .
The department said it expected protests could become larger and more frequent into early 2021 , NBC New York reported .
The NYPD has told businesses in midtown Manhattan to ramp up security in the event of mass protests , according to the Wall Street Journal .
There and elsewhere in New York City , such as the SoHo shopping district downtown , windows were smashed and stores were looted this summer .
Curbed noted that other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saw businesses boarding up windows as a protective measure .

Martin Pengelly in New York and Victoria Bekiempis

Sign up for the Guardian’s First Thing newsletter.
Federal authorities were expected to re-erect a “non-scalable” fence around the White House on Monday, a day before a presidential election many fear may lead to mass protest, civil unrest and even armed insurrection.
Amid speculation that the election result will not be immediately known and signs Republicans will either declare victory early or mount legal challenges if Donald Trump appears to have lost, multiple news outlets reported the White House plan, citing anonymous sources.
“The White House on lockdown,” the NBC News White House correspondent, Geoff Bennett, wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
“A federal law enforcement source tells NBC that beginning tomorrow, crews will build a ‘non-scalable’ fence to secure the [White House] complex, Ellipse and Lafayette Square. Two hundred and fifty national guardsmen have been put on standby, reporting to metro police officials.”
The barricade will form a square perimeter around the White House, on 15th Street, Constitution Avenue, 17th Street and H street.
Fencing was put up during the summer, amid national protests against police brutality and systemic racism in the aftermath of the killing by Minneapolis police of George Floyd, an African American man. According to CNN, the new “unscalable” barricade is the same type of fence.
In the summer, amid protests near the White House at which federal agents confronted and assaulted mostly peaceful demonstrators, it was reported that Trump was taken to a protective bunker under the executive mansion. Trump insisted the visit was brief and for inspection purposes.
The summer protests also saw confrontations between law enforcement and protesters, and widespread looting, in other major cities. As the election looms, stores in New York, Washington and elsewhere have been boarding up windows in case of trouble.
Across the capital, people were bracing for unrest regardless of the election result. Business owners boarded up windows, while George Washington University warned students and staff to stock up on at least one week’s worth of “food, supplies and medicine”.
Law enforcement agencies are preparing to deploy. Patrick Burke, executive director of the Washington DC Police Foundation, recently told CNN: “If there’s no winner, you will see significant deployments of officers at all levels across the capital.”
The Daily Beast also reported that more than 100 personnel from the justice department’s Bureau of Prisons are prepared to mobilize in case of unrest.
In New York, the police commissioner, Dermot Shea, sent a memo to department members in mid-October, indicating that the majority of officers must report to duty in uniform – and be ready to deploy, including officers not normally in uniform, including detectives. The department said it expected protests could become larger and more frequent into early 2021, NBC New York reported.
The NYPD has told businesses in midtown Manhattan to ramp up security in the event of mass protests, according to the Wall Street Journal. There and elsewhere in New York City, such as the SoHo shopping district downtown, windows were smashed and stores were looted this summer.
Curbed noted that other cities, including San Francisco and Washington, saw businesses boarding up windows as a protective measure.
State governors, including in Massachusetts, Arizona and Oregon, have asked the national guard to prepare for deployment in case of unrest and protests surrounding the election. More than 3,600 troops have been activated, the Military Times reports.