npr--2020-11-01--After A Bitter Election, Can Americans Find A Way To Heal Their Divides?

After A Bitter Election , Can Americans Find A Way To Heal Their Divides ?
As the nation careens into the 2020 presidential election amid a damaged economy and a surging pandemic that has infected more than 9 million people and killed more than 230,000 , Americans are facing historic division .
The divides have affected the country in myriad ways — even influencing who we choose to engage with .
In one survey by the Pew Research Center , 47 % of Republicans and 71 % of Democrats said they `` would n't want to date someone who voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 2016 presidential election . ''
This polarization has left many worried that the results of Tuesday 's election will lead to conflict that risks spiraling into violence .
Experts in global conflict are warning that such a scenario is a real possibility .
In cities like Los Angeles , New York and Washington , D.C. , businesses have begun to board up their windows in case of civil unrest .
So how can Americans move past their differences and find a way to heal their divides ?
Over the past four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the center of a series of conversations by NPR 's All Things Considered .
Host Michel Martin spoke with people who 've led truth and reconciliation commissions ; experts who help communities heal from loss and deep division ; violence interrupters who try to break cycles of violence and retaliation ; and those working on peace programs with youth from around the world .
Their experiences were all unique , but they spoke of common themes of truth , difficult conversations , listening and understanding .
Healing is possible , they say , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try .
When Denise Altvater was seven years old , she and her five sisters were taken from their home and placed in foster care while their mother was away shopping .
It would be four years before she saw her again .
`` When they drove us away from the reservation , they drove me away from the only thing I 'd known my whole life , '' Altvater says .
`` And for four years , the foster parents tortured us and the state left us there . ''
Decades later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission , a body convened to address a history in Maine of taking Native American children from their homes and placing them in foster care or adopting them to white families .
Truth commissions most famously worked in Northern Ireland and post-apartheid South Africa to help bring about accountability for past atrocities .
Though little known , similar commissions have been formed in the U.S .
The commission set up in response to what happened to Maine 's native children is one example .
The commission established following the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reverend Nelson Johnson was among those injured during the massacre , when members of the Ku Klux Klan attacked peaceful civil rights marchers with the apparent complicity of local law enforcement .
Five people were killed .
Some 20 years after the massacre , Johnson set out to establish the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission with the Rev .
Mark Sills .
Johnson says that many people thought `` we were responsible for our own deaths , '' but that creating the commission opened the door for change .
At a time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson and Sills say there are clear lessons to be learned from the truth and reconciliation processes they participated in .
`` There is a fact that truth commissions exemplify that can not be denied , and that is it 's difficult to heal trauma without truth telling , '' Sills says .
`` You have to uncover and acknowledge what has been done wrong before you can fully move forward . ''
Altvater says that for her , the most important part of the process was `` having the space where my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and believed in a place where we knew that something was going to happen ...
It was so life changing to tell your story in that type of an atmosphere . ''
Johnson says that the importance lies in teaching people the truth .
`` There is a truth that Native Americans ' land was stolen and they were nearly annihilated as a people , '' he says .
`` It is true that women were devalued and still devalued .
These are truths that are deep and enduring unless , first of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth . ''
In 2012 , after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School , Rich Harwood set out to help the community in Newtown , Conn. heal and rebuild .
Harwood is the president and founder of the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation , a nonprofit dedicated to building community and effecting positive change .
In Newtown , Harwood found there was an overabundance of division about how to move forward from the massacre .
Complicating matters , he says , was a 28-person task force of elected officials from four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ despair into `` a political disaster , for attention , for acrimony , for divisiveness . ''
His job was to work as a mediator and organizer to help everyone come to a solution they could support .
`` When I was asked to go in , it was about whether they should rebuild the school where it is , start on some other site , and what I discovered really quickly was that the challenge is much more profound , '' says Harwood .
`` The challenge is whether or not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to healing and hope . ''
Harwood sees the divisiveness in the U.S. today and says those tensions exist because people are n't feeling understood .
`` We need to understand the human dimensions of this , '' he says .
`` Why do divides exist ?
I think they exist because people feel aggrieved , because they have n't felt seen and heard , because they feel as though their dignity has been stripped from them , that they feel trapped .
And when people feel these things , they hunker down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form smaller and smaller groups that they belong to where they want to fight it out with other groups . ''
He says it 's crucial to `` not simply sit in that pain and sorrow , '' but to start envisioning a different path and how to get there .
That 's what happened in Clark County , Kentucky , he says , when he met two women who went from sitting in their local church and listening about drug addiction , to starting a program to create coaches for people going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been working to reconcile differences within communities for 30 years .
He calls 2020 a uniquely challenging moment , in that the nation is facing four crises simultaneously : a pandemic , economic upheaval , systemic racism and social injustice and a political crisis .
`` There 's no magic wand that we can wave and correct all of the challenges that we face today , '' he says .
`` It 's going to take us taking small steps forward , rebuilding our trust , restoring our belief in ourselves and one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things done together . ''
Tyree Head says he `` grew up rough '' in Chicago .
When he came home from prison , he says he felt that he owed it to the other kids who grew up like he did to `` teach them to try and change the norm and let them know the flip-side to the coin to the life that they live in now . ''
So he attended training at the Metropolitan Peace Academy , which teaches street outreach workers how to help break the cycle of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with people being killed .
Head , who now works as a violence interrupter at the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago , says the program teaches its students that `` hurt people , hurt people . ''
`` There 's a lot of hurt people walking out here in society for whatever reason , '' Head says .
`` So me working with these individuals on a day to day basis , I build a rapport and a bond , so that helps .
And nothing is a facade .
My heart is open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they understand , they relate , because they know I walked the same path they walked .
I 'm now trying to divert the path so it wo n't be identical to mine .
That pays dividends . ''
Troy Harden helped to develop the curriculum for the Metropolitan Peace Academy .
A professor of sociology and the director of the Race and Ethnic Studies Institute at Texas A & M University , he says the success of the program is owed in large part to credible messengers like Head .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incidents actually happen , '' Harden says .
`` And many of the relationships go back a very long time .
People who know him and both his former and current life and have seen the change that he is .
One of our core philosophies is 'be the change that you want to see . '
'' Asked to imagine the country as two people on the street locked in a bitter fight that could escalate to violence , both Head and Harden say there are lessons from the work of violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cycles of mistrust and mutual animosity .
`` Part of it is acknowledging the harm that 's happened and really being able to see that there are different interests that people might have , but they 're also mutual interests that people have , '' says Harden .
`` I would argue that we 're at a turning point in our society where we can begin to recognize the harm that 's been created historically and really begin the process of healing that through realizing that every human being not only has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on this earth . ''
`` Love cures all of that , '' Head says .
The Seeds of Peace summer camp in Maine first brought together Israeli and Palestinian teenagers in 1993 .
Now , the camp and its year-round programs facilitate conversations between young people from all over the world — Israel and the Palestinian territories , India , Afghanistan , Iraq , Bosnia and even the U.S .
The camp brings those young people together for an intense summer of physical activities , talking and listening to create friendships between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deadly conflicts for generations .
Twenty years ago , Spencer Traylor was part of a class of attendees who came to the camp from the U.S. — he was part of a group of teenagers from Maine that was experiencing tension with the arrival of East African immigrants .
He says the program was `` confusing at first , '' because he was just `` a kid from northern Maine '' comparing his struggles to a Palestinian camper `` who 's experienced significant loss because of a conflict . ''
Traylor , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-founder of Next STEP , an alternative high school program , says the experience fundamentally reshaped his view of conflict resolution .
He says there is a pervasive idea in society that if you open up conflict , it 's going to disrupt a community and cause divisions , so it 's best to keep quiet .
Seeds of Peace takes a different approach , encouraging participants to have uncomfortable conversations in order to quell divisions .
`` You have to talk about divisions , '' Traylor says .
`` You have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a functional community .
And you have to create methods and give tools and resources for young people and adults to be able to have those conversations in ways that are productive and constructive and in ways that people can start to see and understand each other rather than try to hide their feelings and thoughts away from each other . ''
Eliza O'Neil , one of the directors of Seeds of Peace , says that one of the biggest takeaways from the program is a `` paradigm shift around navigating conflict .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ right in front of your eyes is extremely painful , '' O'Neil says .
`` But what we 've found is that when we encourage the airing of those conflicts , even if it 's messy , even if it is scary , if the shared purpose is trying to understand and be understood , it can bring people together .
And then I think a key part of it is that no matter how heated or upsetting the session had been that day , everyone shows up the next day .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it 's powerful for people to see that you can have a disagreement and still keep a relationship intact , and that the knowledge that this is possible brings `` a sense of openness and willingness to engage and courage in future conversations with those who disagree with them . ''
Interviews for this series were produced by Janaya Williams and edited by Tinbete Ermyas and William Troop .

After A Bitter Election, Can Americans Find A Way To Heal Their Divides?
Enlarge this image Maren Bruin for NPR Maren Bruin for NPR
As the nation careens into the 2020 presidential election amid a damaged economy and a surging pandemic that has infected more than 9 million people and killed more than 230,000, Americans are facing historic division.
The divides have affected the country in myriad ways — even influencing who we choose to engage with. In one survey by the Pew Research Center, 47% of Republicans and 71% of Democrats said they "wouldn't want to date someone who voted for the candidate of the opposing party in the 2016 presidential election."
This polarization has left many worried that the results of Tuesday's election will lead to conflict that risks spiraling into violence. Experts in global conflict are warning that such a scenario is a real possibility. In cities like Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C., businesses have begun to board up their windows in case of civil unrest.
So how can Americans move past their differences and find a way to heal their divides?
Over the past four weeks, that question has been at the center of a series of conversations by NPR's All Things Considered. Host Michel Martin spoke with people who've led truth and reconciliation commissions; experts who help communities heal from loss and deep division; violence interrupters who try to break cycles of violence and retaliation; and those working on peace programs with youth from around the world.
Their experiences were all unique, but they spoke of common themes of truth, difficult conversations, listening and understanding. Healing is possible, they say, but people have to be willing to try.
Part One: The Truth Seekers 14:07
When Denise Altvater was seven years old, she and her five sisters were taken from their home and placed in foster care while their mother was away shopping. It would be four years before she saw her again.
"When they drove us away from the reservation, they drove me away from the only thing I'd known my whole life," Altvater says. "And for four years, the foster parents tortured us and the state left us there."
Decades later, Altvater co-founded the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a body convened to address a history in Maine of taking Native American children from their homes and placing them in foster care or adopting them to white families.
Truth commissions most famously worked in Northern Ireland and post-apartheid South Africa to help bring about accountability for past atrocities. Though little known, similar commissions have been formed in the U.S. The commission set up in response to what happened to Maine's native children is one example.
The commission established following the Greensboro Massacre of 1979 is another. Reverend Nelson Johnson was among those injured during the massacre, when members of the Ku Klux Klan attacked peaceful civil rights marchers with the apparent complicity of local law enforcement. Five people were killed.
"It's difficult to heal trauma without truth telling ... You have to uncover and acknowledge what has been done wrong before you can fully move forward."
Some 20 years after the massacre, Johnson set out to establish the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission with the Rev. Mark Sills. Johnson says that many people thought "we were responsible for our own deaths," but that creating the commission opened the door for change.
At a time of deep division in America, Altvater, Johnson and Sills say there are clear lessons to be learned from the truth and reconciliation processes they participated in.
"There is a fact that truth commissions exemplify that cannot be denied, and that is it's difficult to heal trauma without truth telling," Sills says. "You have to uncover and acknowledge what has been done wrong before you can fully move forward."
Altvater says that for her, the most important part of the process was "having the space where my voice and others voices could be heard and believed in a place where we knew that something was going to happen ... It was so life changing to tell your story in that type of an atmosphere."
Johnson says that the importance lies in teaching people the truth.
"There is a truth that Native Americans' land was stolen and they were nearly annihilated as a people," he says. "It is true that women were devalued and still devalued. These are truths that are deep and enduring unless, first of all, we acknowledge this depth of truth."
Part Two: Finding Understanding 8:26
In 2012, after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Rich Harwood set out to help the community in Newtown, Conn. heal and rebuild.
Harwood is the president and founder of the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, a nonprofit dedicated to building community and effecting positive change.
In Newtown, Harwood found there was an overabundance of division about how to move forward from the massacre. Complicating matters, he says, was a 28-person task force of elected officials from four governing boards that turned the town's despair into "a political disaster, for attention, for acrimony, for divisiveness."
His job was to work as a mediator and organizer to help everyone come to a solution they could support.
"When I was asked to go in, it was about whether they should rebuild the school where it is, start on some other site, and what I discovered really quickly was that the challenge is much more profound," says Harwood. "The challenge is whether or not the community could pivot from trauma and despair to healing and hope."
"There's no magic wand that we can wave and correct all of the challenges that we face today ... It's going to take us taking small steps forward."
Harwood sees the divisiveness in the U.S. today and says those tensions exist because people aren't feeling understood.
"We need to understand the human dimensions of this," he says. "Why do divides exist? I think they exist because people feel aggrieved, because they haven't felt seen and heard, because they feel as though their dignity has been stripped from them, that they feel trapped. And when people feel these things, they hunker down and protect themselves, build walls and form smaller and smaller groups that they belong to where they want to fight it out with other groups."
He says it's crucial to "not simply sit in that pain and sorrow," but to start envisioning a different path and how to get there. That's what happened in Clark County, Kentucky, he says, when he met two women who went from sitting in their local church and listening about drug addiction, to starting a program to create coaches for people going through the recovery process.
Harwood has been working to reconcile differences within communities for 30 years. He calls 2020 a uniquely challenging moment, in that the nation is facing four crises simultaneously: a pandemic, economic upheaval, systemic racism and social injustice and a political crisis.
"There's no magic wand that we can wave and correct all of the challenges that we face today," he says. "It's going to take us taking small steps forward, rebuilding our trust, restoring our belief in ourselves and one another and knowing that we can get things done together."
Part Three: The Violence Interrupter 10:21
Tyree Head says he "grew up rough" in Chicago. When he came home from prison, he says he felt that he owed it to the other kids who grew up like he did to "teach them to try and change the norm and let them know the flip-side to the coin to the life that they live in now."
So he attended training at the Metropolitan Peace Academy, which teaches street outreach workers how to help break the cycle of street violence and retaliation that can end with people being killed. Head, who now works as a violence interrupter at the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, says the program teaches its students that "hurt people, hurt people."
"There's a lot of hurt people walking out here in society for whatever reason," Head says. "So me working with these individuals on a day to day basis, I build a rapport and a bond, so that helps. And nothing is a facade. My heart is open. The way I come to them, they understand, they relate, because they know I walked the same path they walked. I'm now trying to divert the path so it won't be identical to mine. That pays dividends."
Troy Harden helped to develop the curriculum for the Metropolitan Peace Academy. A professor of sociology and the director of the Race and Ethnic Studies Institute at Texas A&M University, he says the success of the program is owed in large part to credible messengers like Head.
"Every human being not only has a right to exist but has certain rights on this earth."
"Tyree works to establish relationships before the incidents actually happen," Harden says. "And many of the relationships go back a very long time. People who know him and both his former and current life and have seen the change that he is. One of our core philosophies is 'be the change that you want to see.'"
Asked to imagine the country as two people on the street locked in a bitter fight that could escalate to violence, both Head and Harden say there are lessons from the work of violence interrupters that can be used to break cycles of mistrust and mutual animosity.
"Part of it is acknowledging the harm that's happened and really being able to see that there are different interests that people might have, but they're also mutual interests that people have," says Harden. "I would argue that we're at a turning point in our society where we can begin to recognize the harm that's been created historically and really begin the process of healing that through realizing that every human being not only has a right to exist but has certain rights on this earth."
"Love cures all of that," Head says.
Part Four: Shifting Paradigms, Navigating Conflict 9:14
The Seeds of Peace summer camp in Maine first brought together Israeli and Palestinian teenagers in 1993. Now, the camp and its year-round programs facilitate conversations between young people from all over the world — Israel and the Palestinian territories, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and even the U.S.
The camp brings those young people together for an intense summer of physical activities, talking and listening to create friendships between people whose forebears have been locked in deadly conflicts for generations.
Twenty years ago, Spencer Traylor was part of a class of attendees who came to the camp from the U.S. — he was part of a group of teenagers from Maine that was experiencing tension with the arrival of East African immigrants. He says the program was "confusing at first," because he was just "a kid from northern Maine" comparing his struggles to a Palestinian camper "who's experienced significant loss because of a conflict."
Traylor, who is now a history teacher and the co-founder of Next STEP, an alternative high school program, says the experience fundamentally reshaped his view of conflict resolution.
"When we encourage the airing of those conflicts, even if it's messy, even if it is scary, if the shared purpose is trying to understand and be understood, it can bring people together."
He says there is a pervasive idea in society that if you open up conflict, it's going to disrupt a community and cause divisions, so it's best to keep quiet. Seeds of Peace takes a different approach, encouraging participants to have uncomfortable conversations in order to quell divisions.
"You have to talk about divisions," Traylor says. "You have to talk about conflict in order to have a functional community. And you have to create methods and give tools and resources for young people and adults to be able to have those conversations in ways that are productive and constructive and in ways that people can start to see and understand each other rather than try to hide their feelings and thoughts away from each other."
Eliza O'Neil, one of the directors of Seeds of Peace, says that one of the biggest takeaways from the program is a "paradigm shift around navigating conflict."
"Being misunderstood, mischaracterized, right in front of your eyes is extremely painful," O'Neil says. "But what we've found is that when we encourage the airing of those conflicts, even if it's messy, even if it is scary, if the shared purpose is trying to understand and be understood, it can bring people together. And then I think a key part of it is that no matter how heated or upsetting the session had been that day, everyone shows up the next day. They're still friends."
O'Neil says that it's powerful for people to see that you can have a disagreement and still keep a relationship intact, and that the knowledge that this is possible brings "a sense of openness and willingness to engage and courage in future conversations with those who disagree with them."
Interviews for this series were produced by Janaya Williams and edited by Tinbete Ermyas and William Troop.


npr--2020-11-01--93 Million And Counting: Americans Are Shattering Early Voting Records

Americans have cast a record-breaking 93 million early ballots as of Sunday afternoon , putting the 2020 election on track for historic levels of voter turnout .
That 's almost twice as many pre-election votes as were cast in the 2016 election , according to the U.S .
Elections Project , a turnout-tracking database run by University of Florida professor Michael McDonald .
McDonald calculates that nationally , voters have cast nearly 68 % of the total votes counted in the 2016 election .
`` We continue to pile on votes at a record pace .
We 've already passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any prior election in U.S. history , '' McDonald told NPR on Oct. 26 .
`` It 's good news , because we were very much concerned about how it would be possible to conduct an election during a pandemic , '' he said , citing concerns that mail-in ballots would be returned by voters en masse at the conclusion of the early voting period , overwhelming election officials .
`` Instead , what appears to be happening is people are voting earlier and spreading out the workload for election officials . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people would vote in 2020 's general election , which would be a turnout rate of about 65 % — the highest since 1908 .
But he 's going back to the drawing board .
`` I have increasingly been confident that 150 [ million ] is probably a lowball estimate , '' he said .
Hawaii and Texas lead the way Hawaii and Texas have both already surpassed their 2016 vote totals .
On Friday , 484,000 Hawaiians had cast ballots , topping their 2016 totals by over 46,000 votes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been cast as of Friday , over 700,000 more ballots than had been cast in all of 2016 .
( A group of Texas Republicans is seeking to toss 127,000 votes cast at drive-throughs in the state 's Harris County . )
Montana is quickly approaching its 2016 vote totals as well .
As of Sunday , more than 510,000 early votes had been cast .
That 's just roughly 6,000 votes below the total number of votes in the state four years ago .
The swing states of North Carolina , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % or more of their 2016 vote totals .
Some states may see their early voting numbers tick up after `` Souls to the Polls , '' an effort aimed at boosting turnout among Black voters the Sunday before Election Day .
Among states that are reporting data , voters have requested about 91 million mail ballots , according to McDonald , and roughly 59 million have been returned by mail .
As of last week , Democrats held a roughly 2-to-1 advantage in returned mail-in ballots in states with party registration .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ early numbers do n't paint the full picture .
`` Usually the story for a typical election in recent years has been that the early vote is Democratic and the Election Day vote is Republican , '' he said .
`` And it looks as though we 're going to have the same story this year , and we 're going to have to wait to see what happens with that Election Day vote before we can really say what 's going to happen . ''
But 2020 has brought a shift in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early .
`` Typically , when we talk about early voting , we 're talking about Democrats voting in person early and Republicans voting by mail , '' McDonald said .
`` This election , those roles are reversed .
But when you look at the overall electorate , there are many more people voting by mail than in person early in most states . ''
The shift could be at least in part due to President Trump 's consistent false claims that voting by mail leads to widespread fraud , whereas Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urging supporters to vote early , whether in person or by mail .
Strategically , it 's helpful for campaigns to have voters cast their ballots early so they can use campaign resources more efficiently then to target less-motivated voters .
People ages 18 to 29 are turning out to vote early in a big way .
According to data from the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement , or CIRCLE , a research center at Tufts University , the numbers of young people voting early have skyrocketed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Biden and Trump to win , such as Michigan , Florida and North Carolina .
As of Oct. 21 , 257,720 young voters in Florida had voted , according to CIRCLE .
That 's nearly 214,000 more than had voted at that time in 2016 .
In Texas , almost 500,000 18- to 29-year-olds had cast their ballots by Oct. 21 .
However , there is n't data from 2016 with which to compare youth turnout .
Young people could wield significant political power : Millennials and some members of Generation Z @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , roughly the same share of the electorate that baby boomers and older voters ( `` pre-boomers '' ) make up , according to census data analyzed by the Brookings Institution .
For decades , youth voters have showed up to the polls at relatively low rates , a statistic voter education groups have been working to change this year .
As early voting began , the pent-up voting interest showed as long lines formed in states such as Georgia and Texas , with some voters waiting for hours .
Election officials had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face longer lines as some jurisdictions have had to consolidate polling places and adjust logistics to accommodate social distancing during the pandemic .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. , criticized the long lines she experienced while voting last weekend in the Bronx .
`` There is no place in the United States of America where two- , three- , four-hour waits to vote is acceptable and just because it 's happening in a blue state does n't mean it 's not voter suppression , '' she said .
`` If this was happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be national coverage . ''
This story was originally published on Oct. 26 , and has been updated with new data .

93 Million And Counting: Americans Are Shattering Early Voting Records
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sergio Flores/Getty Images Sergio Flores/Getty Images
Updated at 9:40 a.m. ET Monday
Americans have cast a record-breaking 93 million early ballots as of Sunday afternoon, putting the 2020 election on track for historic levels of voter turnout.
That's almost twice as many pre-election votes as were cast in the 2016 election, according to the U.S. Elections Project, a turnout-tracking database run by University of Florida professor Michael McDonald.
McDonald calculates that nationally, voters have cast nearly 68% of the total votes counted in the 2016 election.
"We continue to pile on votes at a record pace. We've already passed any raw number of early votes in any prior election in U.S. history," McDonald told NPR on Oct. 26.
"It's good news, because we were very much concerned about how it would be possible to conduct an election during a pandemic," he said, citing concerns that mail-in ballots would be returned by voters en masse at the conclusion of the early voting period, overwhelming election officials. "Instead, what appears to be happening is people are voting earlier and spreading out the workload for election officials."
In 2019, McDonald predicted that 150 million people would vote in 2020's general election, which would be a turnout rate of about 65% — the highest since 1908.
But he's going back to the drawing board. "I have increasingly been confident that 150 [million] is probably a lowball estimate," he said.
Hawaii and Texas lead the way
Hawaii and Texas have both already surpassed their 2016 vote totals.
On Friday, 484,000 Hawaii voters had cast ballots, topping their 2016 totals by more than 46,000 votes.
In Texas, 9.6 million early votes had been cast as of Friday, over 700,000 more ballots than had been cast in all of 2016. (A group of Texas Republicans is seeking to toss 127,000 votes cast at drive-throughs in Harris County.)
Montana is quickly approaching its 2016 vote totals as well. As of Sunday, more than 510,000 early votes had been cast. That's roughly 6,000 votes below the total number of votes in the state four years ago.
The swing states of North Carolina, Florida and Georgia have also reached 91% or more of their 2016 vote totals.
Some states may see their early voting numbers tick up after "Souls to the Polls," an effort aimed at boosting turnout among Black voters the Sunday before Election Day.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eva Marie Uzcategui/AFP via Getty Images Eva Marie Uzcategui/AFP via Getty Images
Caution in interpreting partisan splits
Among states that are reporting data, voters have requested about 91 million mail ballots, according to McDonald, and roughly 59 million have been returned by mail.
As of last week, Democrats held a roughly 2-to-1 advantage in returned mail-in ballots in states with party registration.
But McDonald is quick to caution that early numbers don't paint the full picture.
"Usually the story for a typical election in recent years has been that the early vote is Democratic and the Election Day vote is Republican," he said. "And it looks as though we're going to have the same story this year, and we're going to have to wait to see what happens with that Election Day vote before we can really say what's going to happen."
But 2020 has brought a shift in the way in which people are voting early.
"Typically, when we talk about early voting, we're talking about Democrats voting in person early and Republicans voting by mail," McDonald said. "This election, those roles are reversed. But when you look at the overall electorate, there are many more people voting by mail than in person early in most states."
The shift could be at least in part due to President Trump's consistent false claims that voting by mail leads to widespread fraud, whereas Joe Biden's campaign has been aggressive in urging supporters to vote early, whether in person or by mail.
Strategically, it's helpful for campaigns to have voters cast their ballots early so they can use campaign resources more efficiently then to target less-motivated voters.
A surge in youth voters
People ages 18 to 29 are turning out to vote early in a big way.
According to data from the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, or CIRCLE, a research center at Tufts University, the numbers of young people voting early have skyrocketed, particularly in states that will be critical for Biden and Trump to win, such as Michigan, Florida and North Carolina.
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As of Oct. 27, 658,200 young voters in Florida had voted, according to CIRCLE. That's over 52% of the total youth vote in the state in 2016.
In Texas, 1 million 18- to 29-year-olds had cast their ballots by Oct. 27, representing 82% of the total youth vote four years ago.
Young people could wield significant political power: Millennials and some members of Generation Z make up 37% of eligible voters, roughly the same share of the electorate that baby boomers and older voters ("pre-boomers") make up, according to census data analyzed by the Brookings Institution.
For decades, youth voters have showed up to the polls at relatively low rates, a statistic voter education groups have been working to change this year.
Long lines remain
As early voting began, the pent-up voting interest showed as long lines formed in states such as Georgia and Texas, with some voters waiting for hours.
Election officials had warned that some in-person voting locations would face longer lines as some jurisdictions have had to consolidate polling places and adjust logistics to accommodate social distancing during the pandemic.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., criticized the long lines she experienced while voting Oct. 25 in the Bronx.
"There is no place in the United States of America where two-, three-, four-hour waits to vote is acceptable and just because it's happening in a blue state doesn't mean it's not voter suppression," she said.
"If this was happening in a swing state, there would be national coverage."
This story was originally published on Oct. 26, and has been updated with new data.


npr--2020-11-01--Trump Speaks Fondly Of Supporters Surrounding Biden Bus In Texas

President Trump is celebrating a caravan of supporters who followed a Biden-Harris campaign bus in Central Texas .
In a Saturday night tweet , the president retweeted a video showing his supporters surrounding the bus , set to Tech N9ne 's `` Red Kingdom . ''
`` I LOVE TEXAS ! ''
Trump said .
The tweet came after a separate video surfaced showing vehicles with Trump 2020 flags boxing in the blue campaign bus as it traveled Interstate 35 from San Antonio to Austin .
In a statement , the Biden campaign said the cars slowed in front of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bus in the middle of the highway , '' the Washington Post reported .
The Friday incident rattled the Biden campaign , which canceled at least one event in the state following the episode .
Campaign staff called 911 , according to the statement , and was given help by law enforcement reaching its destination .
Neither Joe Biden , who had been campaigning in the Midwest , nor his running mate Kamala Harris , campaigning elsewhere in Texas , were on the bus at the time .
Trump discussed the caravan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Did you see the way our people , they were , ya know , protecting this bus ... because they 're nice , '' he said .
`` They had hundreds of cars .
Trump !
Trump !
Trump and the American flag . ''
Trump favorably contrasted his supporters with Biden supporters , who he said lack spirit and enthusiasm .
`` The Trump Train is in hot pursuit , '' wrote one of the participants of the caravan on Twitter , where they posted several updates of the location @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Just a few of our great patriots out there . ''
In another video of the incident posted to social media , a truck in the caravan clips a white car .
`` Rather than engage in productive conversation about the drastically different visions that Joe Biden and Donald Trump have for our country , Trump supporters in Texas today instead decided to put our staff , surrogates , supporters , and others in harm 's way , '' the Biden campaign 's Texas communications director , Tariq Thowfeek , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden addressed the incident and others Sunday in Philadelphia , telling reporters : `` We 've never had anything like this — at least we 've never had a president who thinks it 's a good thing . ''
The Friday incident comes amid a particularly heated contest in Texas , where polls show Biden in striking distance of winning a state that no Democratic nominee has won since 1976 .
Tensions have been running high in the final days leading up to Election Day , as voters on both sides fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president 's words have raised concern over potential voter intimidation .
Katie Naranjo , chair of the Travis County Democratic Party , said the caravan was a clear attempt by Trump 's base to intimidate Biden supporters .
`` They ran into a person 's car , yelling curse words and threats , '' Naranjo said .
`` Do n't let bullies win , vote . ''
`` We just canceled a joint event in Pflugerville '' with the Biden campaign `` due to security reasons , '' Texas House member and former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter .
`` Unfortunately , Pro-Trump Protestors have escalated well beyond safe limits . ''
Republicans have pushed back on allegations of voter intimidation .
`` It is more fake news and propaganda , '' Texas GOP Chairman Allen West said in a statement .
`` Prepare to lose , '' he said , adding : `` stop bothering me . ''

Trump Speaks Fondly Of Supporters Surrounding Biden Bus In Texas
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 7:45 p.m. ET
President Trump is celebrating a caravan of supporters who followed a Biden-Harris campaign bus in Central Texas.
In a Saturday night tweet, the president retweeted a video showing his supporters surrounding the bus, set to Tech N9ne's "Red Kingdom." "I LOVE TEXAS!" Trump said.
The tweet came after a separate video surfaced showing vehicles with Trump 2020 flags boxing in the blue campaign bus as it traveled Interstate 35 from San Antonio to Austin. In a statement, the Biden campaign said the cars slowed in front of it in an attempt to "stop the bus in the middle of the highway," The Washington Post reported.
The Friday incident rattled the Biden campaign, which canceled at least one event in the state following the episode. Campaign staff called 911, according to the statement, and was given help by law enforcement reaching its destination.
Neither Joe Biden, who had been campaigning in the Midwest, nor his running mate Kamala Harris, campaigning elsewhere in Texas, were on the bus at the time.
Trump discussed the caravan at a Michigan campaign event on Sunday.
"Did you see the way our people, they were, ya know, protecting this bus ... because they're nice," he said. "They had hundreds of cars. Trump! Trump! Trump and the American flag."
Trump favorably contrasted his supporters with Biden supporters, who he said lack spirit and enthusiasm.
"The Trump Train is in hot pursuit," wrote one of the participants of the caravan on Twitter, where they posted several updates of the location of the Biden bus throughout the day. "Just a few of our great patriots out there."
In another video of the incident posted to social media, a truck in the caravan clips a white car.
"Rather than engage in productive conversation about the drastically different visions that Joe Biden and Donald Trump have for our country, Trump supporters in Texas today instead decided to put our staff, surrogates, supporters, and others in harm's way," the Biden campaign's Texas communications director, Tariq Thowfeek, said in a statement, The Post reported.
Biden addressed the incident and others Sunday in Philadelphia, telling reporters: "We've never had anything like this — at least we've never had a president who thinks it's a good thing."
The Friday incident comes amid a particularly heated contest in Texas, where polls show Biden in striking distance of winning a state that no Democratic nominee has won since 1976. Tensions have been running high in the final days leading up to Election Day, as voters on both sides fear violence from the opposition, and the president's words have raised concern over potential voter intimidation.
Katie Naranjo, chair of the Travis County Democratic Party, said the caravan was a clear attempt by Trump's base to intimidate Biden supporters. "They ran into a person's car, yelling curse words and threats," Naranjo said. "Don't let bullies win, vote."
"We just canceled a joint event in Pflugerville" with the Biden campaign "due to security reasons," Texas House member and former Austin city councilwoman Sheryl Cole said on Twitter. "Unfortunately, Pro-Trump Protestors have escalated well beyond safe limits."
Republicans have pushed back on allegations of voter intimidation.
"It is more fake news and propaganda," Texas GOP Chairman Allen West said in a statement. "Prepare to lose," he said, adding: "stop bothering me."


npr--2020-11-01--Trump And Biden Make 11th Hour Election Appeals Across Key States

President Trump makes five stops in five different swing states Sunday , while his Democratic rival , Joe Biden , focuses on Pennsylvania just days before Election Day .
Trump 's jam-packed schedule highlights the uphill battle he faces for reelection and the categorically dissimilar style of campaigning he has taken in contrast to Biden .
Trump began his Sunday speaking to supporters in Macomb County , Mich. — a state he captured by just about 10,000 votes in 2016 , but where Biden currently leads in polls — to make a last-ditch appeal to voters as to why he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ characteristically boastful tone , Trump defended his administration 's handling of the coronavirus and touted the nation 's economic success prior to the pandemic .
`` This election is a choice between the Biden depression , '' Trump said , `` or you can have the greatest economic boom in the history of our country . ''
`` The Biden plan is to imprison you in your home , '' Trump added .
His administration has pushed to get people back to work and kids to school with few restrictions , even as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
With 230,000 Americans now dead from the coronavirus , Trump has repeatedly denied responsibility for the virus ' toll , and he continues to hold large , close-contact campaign events in outdoor spaces .
`` Look at what China has done to the world .
And we 're not forgetting it , '' Trump said Sunday in Michigan , in reference to the coronavirus , which first appeared in China .
Researchers at Stanford University have found that Trump 's rallies this summer were likely responsible for some 30,000 confirmed cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these events likely resulted in more than 700 deaths .
Biden has made underscoring the human cost of the pandemic his key pitch to voters while spotlighting what he calls an irresponsible and anti-science handling of the virus by Trump and his administration .
`` It 's almost criminal the way he has handled [ the pandemic ] , '' Biden said during one of two campaign events held in Philadelphia on Sunday .
`` On day one of my presidency , '' he said , `` I 'm going to put in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about for months — masking , social distancing , testing , tracing , a plan for full and fair and free distribution of therapeutics and vaccines , when we get one . ''
Biden has blamed Trump for holding `` super-spreader '' rallies and has opted to hold fewer , smaller campaign events himself — often with supporters remaining in or around their cars for a drive-in event — in order to follow public health guidelines .
At a `` Souls to the Polls '' event , an effort among Black churches to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to combat racial injustice and noted health disparities in the Black community with COVID-19 .
`` Every single day we 're seeing race-based disparities in every aspect of this virus : higher infection rates , lower access to testing , a harder time quarantining safely , lower access to quality treatment when you become infected and tragically , higher mortality rates , '' he said .
Biden will travel to Cleveland on Monday before returning to Pennsylvania to barnstorm the state .
Trump himself held four rallies in Pennsylvania on Saturday .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 but where the president now trails in surveys .
With the election just days away , Biden has also enlisted the help of Democratic favorite Barack Obama , the former president .
He appeared with Biden in Michigan on Saturday , and travels to Georgia and Florida on Monday .
Trump has planned five rallies in four key states on Monday , ending in Michigan .
One Biden campaign event in Texas had to be cancelled over the weekend , after a caravan of Trump supporters swarmed a Biden campaign bus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed to praise his supporters ' actions in a tweet , proclaiming `` I LOVE TEXAS ! ''
alongside what appeared to be a video of the incident .

Trump And Biden Make 11th Hour Election Appeals Across Key States
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Moore/Getty Images John Moore/Getty Images
Updated 4:43 p.m. ET
President Trump makes five stops in five different swing states Sunday, while his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, focuses on Pennsylvania just days before Election Day.
Trump's jam-packed schedule highlights the uphill battle he faces for reelection and the categorically dissimilar style of campaigning he has taken in contrast to Biden.
Trump began his Sunday speaking to supporters in Macomb County, Mich. — a state he captured by just about 10,000 votes in 2016, but where Biden currently leads in polls — to make a last-ditch appeal to voters as to why he deserves to be reelected.
In his characteristically boastful tone, Trump defended his administration's handling of the coronavirus and touted the nation's economic success prior to the pandemic.
"This election is a choice between the Biden depression," Trump said, "or you can have the greatest economic boom in the history of our country."
"The Biden plan is to imprison you in your home," Trump added. His administration has pushed to get people back to work and kids to school with few restrictions, even as the coronavirus has continued to savage the country.
With 230,000 Americans now dead from the coronavirus, Trump has repeatedly denied responsibility for the virus' toll, and he continues to hold large, close-contact campaign events in outdoor spaces.
"Look at what China has done to the world. And we're not forgetting it," Trump said Sunday in Michigan, in reference to the coronavirus, which first appeared in China.
Researchers at Stanford University have found that Trump's rallies this summer were likely responsible for some 30,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Researchers say that these events likely resulted in more than 700 deaths.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Biden has made underscoring the human cost of the pandemic his key pitch to voters while spotlighting what he calls an irresponsible and anti-science handling of the virus by Trump and his administration.
"It's almost criminal the way he has handled [the pandemic]," Biden said during one of two campaign events held in Philadelphia on Sunday.
"On day one of my presidency," he said, "I'm going to put in action a plan I've been talking about for months — masking, social distancing, testing, tracing, a plan for full and fair and free distribution of therapeutics and vaccines, when we get one."
Biden has blamed Trump for holding "super-spreader" rallies and has opted to hold fewer, smaller campaign events himself — often with supporters remaining in or around their cars for a drive-in event — in order to follow public health guidelines.
At a "Souls to the Polls" event, an effort among Black churches to mobilize voters, Biden emphasized his plan to combat racial injustice and noted health disparities in the Black community with COVID-19.
"Every single day we're seeing race-based disparities in every aspect of this virus: higher infection rates, lower access to testing, a harder time quarantining safely, lower access to quality treatment when you become infected and tragically, higher mortality rates," he said.
Biden will travel to Cleveland on Monday before returning to Pennsylvania to barnstorm the state. Trump himself held four rallies in Pennsylvania on Saturday. It's another swing state that Trump carried in 2016 but where the president now trails in surveys.
With the election just days away, Biden has also enlisted the help of Democratic favorite Barack Obama, the former president. He appeared with Biden in Michigan on Saturday, and travels to Georgia and Florida on Monday.
Trump has planned five rallies in four key states on Monday, ending in Michigan.
One Biden campaign event in Texas had to be cancelled over the weekend, after a caravan of Trump supporters swarmed a Biden campaign bus and forced it to stop. Trump seemed to praise his supporters' actions in a tweet, proclaiming "I LOVE TEXAS!" alongside what appeared to be a video of the incident.


npr--2020-11-01--Republicans Seek To Toss Out 127,000 Ballots In Democratic-Leaning Texas County

Republicans Seek To Toss Out 127,000 Ballots In Democratic-Leaning Texas County Republicans in Texas have asked the courts to toss out some 127,000 early ballots cast by voters in Harris County , arguing that the votes — delivered via drive-through in the heavily Democratic area — violate the U.S. Constitution and should be deemed invalid .
The plaintiffs — a conservative activist , a Republican state representative and two GOP candidates — argue that the drive-through options are an illegal extension of curbside voting , which is available at all county voting locations and is designated for people who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris County clerk , Chris Hollins , dismissed the lawsuit as `` baseless '' in an interview with NPR 's Weekend Edition .
`` This is simply an un-American attempt to disenfranchise voters , '' he said , noting that no one knows for whom the ballots were cast and that rejecting them would likely affect thousands of Republicans too .
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Houston , who 's seen as a deeply conservative federal magistrate , is set to rule over the complaint .
The case of the Harris County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning .
Throughout the campaign , Republicans and President Trump have baselessly claimed that various efforts — particularly mail-in voting — intended to accommodate voters amid the coronavirus pandemic pave the way for fraud .
Election security experts have repeatedly said that there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud , though there are active attempts to sow disinformation among the electorate .
Hollins said on Sunday that he expects to win the federal case , but `` in a totally extreme downside scenario , we would need to encourage those 127,000 Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday and cast a provisional ballot to make sure that in any circumstance their vote was counted .
We 're hoping it does n't come to that . ''
Texas has seen record early vote turnout this year .

Republicans Seek To Toss Out 127,000 Ballots In Democratic-Leaning Texas County
Enlarge this image toggle caption Go Nakamura/Getty Images Go Nakamura/Getty Images
Updated at 3:50 p.m. ET
Republicans in Texas have asked the courts to toss out some 127,000 early ballots cast by voters in Harris County, arguing that the votes — delivered via drive-through in the heavily Democratic area — violate the U.S. Constitution and should be deemed invalid.
The plaintiffs — a conservative activist, a Republican state representative and two GOP candidates — argue that the drive-through options are an illegal extension of curbside voting, which is available at all county voting locations and is designated for people who have an illness or disability.
The Democratic Harris County clerk, Chris Hollins, dismissed the lawsuit as "baseless" in an interview with NPR's Weekend Edition.
"This is simply an un-American attempt to disenfranchise voters," he said, noting that no one knows for whom the ballots were cast and that rejecting them would likely affect thousands of Republicans too.
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Houston, who's seen as a deeply conservative federal magistrate, is set to rule over the complaint. The case of the Harris County ballots is set to be heard Monday morning.
The Texas Supreme Court has rejected a similar appeal.
Throughout the campaign, Republicans and President Trump have baselessly claimed that various efforts — particularly mail-in voting — intended to accommodate voters amid the coronavirus pandemic pave the way for fraud.
Election security experts have repeatedly said that there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, though there are active attempts to sow disinformation among the electorate.
Hollins said on Sunday that he expects to win the federal case, but "in a totally extreme downside scenario, we would need to encourage those 127,000 Harris County voters to come back out on Tuesday and cast a provisional ballot to make sure that in any circumstance their vote was counted. We're hoping it doesn't come to that."
Texas has seen record early vote turnout this year.


npr--2020-11-01--A 'Perception Hack': When Public Reaction Exceeds The Actual Hack

A Russian group acquired U.S. voter data in at least a couple of states .
The Iranians reportedly did the same .
President Trump 's campaign website was briefly defaced .
As expected , this election season has brought a series of computer breaches and disinformation efforts coming from other countries .
So how do we sort out the serious threats from mere cyber mischief ?
There 's no easy answer , but at least there 's a catchphrase : a `` perception hack . ''
This describes a relatively small-scale intrusion that probably wo n't cause much actual harm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ psychological impact once it 's uncovered and enters the public bloodstream via government officials , news organizations and social media .
`` We see malicious actors attempt to play on our collective expectation of wide-spread interference to create the perception that they 're more impactful than they in fact are , '' Nathaniel Gleicher , Facebook 's head of security policy , wrote in a blog post .
`` We call it perception hacking — an attempt to weaponize uncertainty to sow distrust and division . ''
In some ways , a perception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign .
Four years ago , the Russians waged a major interference campaign that included hacking Democratic Party emails and creating false social media accounts to exploit political divisions .
Despite the broad scale of the Russian effort , it received only modest attention before the balloting .
This time , the U.S. intelligence community , election officials and the media are all much more attuned to potential election meddling .
The challenge is perspective — how to keep the public informed without provoking an overreaction ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ state election data systems this year , according to U.S. officials and media reports .
At first blush , this sounded ominous and set off alarm bells .
`` In actuality , it was publicly available information that they obtained '' and posed no threat to actual voting or vote counting , said Nina Jankowicz , who studies disinformation at the Wilson Center in Washington and is the author of How to Lose the Information War : Russia , Fake News , and the Future of Conflict .
`` It 's very easy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this sort of operation . ''
The attackers ' intent was not clear .
Normally , a hacker wants to go undetected .
But it 's also possible the hacker wants to get noticed , hoping the revelation will undermine public confidence in the election .
`` Since our cyber defenses have been raised over the past couple of years , we see Russia rattling the handle to our cyber door , '' said Jankowicz .
`` This spreads fear and uncertainty within the American election system .
I think this benefits Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to any sensitive voter information on the other side of that door . ''
To combat potential threats , the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency , which is part of the Department of Homeland Security , was established in 2018 .
The agency has set up a `` rumor control '' page on its web site .
Meanwhile , Bill Evanina , the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center , is one of several officials who have appeared in videos designed to reassure the public .
`` Foreign actors are attempting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters by executing influence operations , '' Evanina says .
`` To be clear , it would be very difficult for adversaries to interfere with or manipulate voting results at scale . ''
In addition , Facebook , Twitter and other social media companies are taking down phony foreign accounts linked to Russia , Iran and other foreign countries .
Thomas Rid , the author of Active Measures : The Secret History of Disinformation and Political Warfare , said the U.S. should be aware of perception hacks carried out by a foreign adversary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinks the greater risk is an overreaction at home .
`` We do it unintentionally to ourselves most of the time , '' said Rid , a professor strategic studies at Johns Hopkins University .
`` And that just means we messed up and we were kidding ourselves . ''
Rid and other analysts say the riskiest period could be right after the election if the vote is close and the counting extends for days .
Any rumor of election fraud or the mishandling of ballots could be easily exploited .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we enter this protracted period of uncertainty , '' Rid said .
`` An adversary could jump in and create more uncertainty by claiming , rightly or wrongly , that there was some meddling . ''
Greg Myre is an NPR national security correspondent .
Follow him @ gregmyre1 .

A 'Perception Hack': When Public Reaction Exceeds The Actual Hack
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jon Elswick/AP Jon Elswick/AP
A Russian group acquired U.S. voter data in at least a couple of states. The Iranians reportedly did the same. President Trump's campaign website was briefly defaced.
As expected, this election season has brought a series of computer breaches and disinformation efforts coming from other countries. So how do we sort out the serious threats from mere cyber mischief?
There's no easy answer, but at least there's a catchphrase: a "perception hack." This describes a relatively small-scale intrusion that probably won't cause much actual harm, yet it may have an outsized psychological impact once it's uncovered and enters the public bloodstream via government officials, news organizations and social media.
"We see malicious actors attempt to play on our collective expectation of wide-spread interference to create the perception that they're more impactful than they in fact are," Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of security policy, wrote in a blog post. "We call it perception hacking — an attempt to weaponize uncertainty to sow distrust and division."
In some ways, a perception hack is the flip side of what happened during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.
Four years ago, the Russians waged a major interference campaign that included hacking Democratic Party emails and creating false social media accounts to exploit political divisions. Despite the broad scale of the Russian effort, it received only modest attention before the balloting.
Increased vigilance
This time, the U.S. intelligence community, election officials and the media are all much more attuned to potential election meddling. The challenge is perspective — how to keep the public informed without provoking an overreaction?
Russian and Iranian groups have broken into state election data systems this year, according to U.S. officials and media reports. At first blush, this sounded ominous and set off alarm bells.
"In actuality, it was publicly available information that they obtained" and posed no threat to actual voting or vote counting, said Nina Jankowicz, who studies disinformation at the Wilson Center in Washington and is the author of How to Lose the Information War: Russia, Fake News, and the Future of Conflict. "It's very easy for people to be led astray by this sort of operation."
The attackers' intent was not clear. Normally, a hacker wants to go undetected. But it's also possible the hacker wants to get noticed, hoping the revelation will undermine public confidence in the election.
"Since our cyber defenses have been raised over the past couple of years, we see Russia rattling the handle to our cyber door," said Jankowicz. "This spreads fear and uncertainty within the American election system. I think this benefits Russia even if they don't gain access to any sensitive voter information on the other side of that door."
Frequent warnings
To combat potential threats, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, was established in 2018. The agency has set up a "rumor control" page on its web site.
Meanwhile, Bill Evanina, the director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, is one of several officials who have appeared in videos designed to reassure the public.
"Foreign actors are attempting to spread disinformation and attempting to sway voters by executing influence operations," Evanina says. "To be clear, it would be very difficult for adversaries to interfere with or manipulate voting results at scale."
In addition, Facebook, Twitter and other social media companies are taking down phony foreign accounts linked to Russia, Iran and other foreign countries.
Thomas Rid, the author of Active Measures: The Secret History of Disinformation and Political Warfare, said the U.S. should be aware of perception hacks carried out by a foreign adversary during the election season.
But he thinks the greater risk is an overreaction at home.
"We do it unintentionally to ourselves most of the time," said Rid, a professor strategic studies at Johns Hopkins University. "And that just means we messed up and we were kidding ourselves."
Rid and other analysts say the riskiest period could be right after the election if the vote is close and the counting extends for days. Any rumor of election fraud or the mishandling of ballots could be easily exploited.
"I think the most dangerous scenario is that if we enter this protracted period of uncertainty," Rid said. "An adversary could jump in and create more uncertainty by claiming, rightly or wrongly, that there was some meddling."
Greg Myre is an NPR national security correspondent. Follow him @gregmyre1.


npr--2020-11-02--Slovakia's Weekend Project: Test The Whole Country For Coronavirus

Slovakia 's Weekend Project : Test The Whole Country For Coronavirus Slovakia undertook a massive effort over the weekend : to test nearly all adults in the country for the coronavirus .
Amid a steep spike in cases , more than 3.6 million Slovaks were tested for the virus , according to Prime Minister Igor Matovic – that 's about two-thirds of the population .
Of those tested , 38,359 tested positive for the virus – 1.06 % .
Antigen tests were used , rather than PCR tests .
Antigen tests give results within minutes , but are less reliable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free , and conducted at some 5,000 testing sites around the country , with assistance from Slovakia 's military .
`` We have made a great leap forward , '' the prime minister , Igor Matovič , told reporters on Monday .
`` But we should not think that because of this 1 % , now all is fine .
It is not , '' he added , according to Agence France-Presse .
`` In reality , up to 2 % of our inhabitants might be infected .
It is not at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country with the highest case numbers were tested the previous weekend — a pilot in which 91 % of those eligible were tested .
In that round of testing , 3.97 % were found positive .
More tests are planned for next weekend , but districts with a positive incidence of less than 0.7 percent will be exempt .
Children under 10 are exempt from the tests .
Those over 65 who spend much of their time at home , as well as other vulnerable groups , are also exempt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ optional – but a strict 10-day quarantine is required for those who choose to not get tested , The Lancet reports .
Anyone who tests positive must go into strict isolation at home or a state quarantine facility for 10 days .
Police officers are doing spot checks during the three-week testing period , and those who have taken the test are given a certificate they can show to police .
Those who are found breaking the quarantine or isolation rules can be fined 1650 euros ( about $ 1,920 ) .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation 's hospitals from becoming overwhelmed .
Another is to avoid a severe lockdown .
Schools have already been ordered to close for a month , amid closings of public venues and restrictions on indoor dining at restaurants .
Matovič said that the government 's scientific advisory team had recommended a three-week lockdown for all , rather than the testing program , but he said a lockdown would cause too much economic pain , according to The Lancet .
Some have been critical of the government 's plan .
Alexandra Brazinova , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Comenius University in Bratislava , worried that false positives or negatives could allow some to spread the virus unknowingly , and stick others at home unnecessarily .
`` This could undermine public trust towards testing and all other pandemic containment measures , '' she told The Lancet .
Mike Tildesley , an infectious disease modeling expert at the University Warwick and a UK government scientific adviser , told CNN that it 's important to remember that a negative result only refers to one point in time .
`` [ J ] ust because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they will necessarily be free from infection a few days later , '' he said .
`` So any mass testing strategy needs to be carried out at regular intervals ( every few days ) in order to be an effective strategy and to allow some lockdown measures to be relaxed . ''
Slovakia 's push comes as cases of the virus are rising steeply in Europe .
The U.K. , France and Germany have all announced renewed lockdown measures .
Slovakia has had almost 60,000 confirmed cases and 219 deaths from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in October .

Slovakia's Weekend Project: Test The Whole Country For Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Zuzana Gogova/Getty Images Zuzana Gogova/Getty Images
Slovakia undertook a massive effort over the weekend: to test nearly all adults in the country for the coronavirus.
Amid a steep spike in cases, more than 3.6 million Slovaks were tested for the virus, according to Prime Minister Igor Matovic – that's about two-thirds of the population.
Of those tested, 38,359 tested positive for the virus – 1.06%.
Antigen tests were used, rather than PCR tests. Antigen tests give results within minutes, but are less reliable than PCR testing. The tests were free, and conducted at some 5,000 testing sites around the country, with assistance from Slovakia's military.
"We have made a great leap forward," the prime minister, Igor Matovič, told reporters on Monday.
"But we should not think that because of this 1%, now all is fine. It is not," he added, according to Agence France-Presse. "In reality, up to 2% of our inhabitants might be infected. It is not at all a good situation."
Two regions of the country with the highest case numbers were tested the previous weekend — a pilot in which 91% of those eligible were tested. In that round of testing, 3.97% were found positive.
More tests are planned for next weekend, but districts with a positive incidence of less than 0.7 percent will be exempt.
Children under 10 are exempt from the tests. Those over 65 who spend much of their time at home, as well as other vulnerable groups, are also exempt.
For all others, the test is optional – but a strict 10-day quarantine is required for those who choose to not get tested, The Lancet reports. Anyone who tests positive must go into strict isolation at home or a state quarantine facility for 10 days. Police officers are doing spot checks during the three-week testing period, and those who have taken the test are given a certificate they can show to police. Those who are found breaking the quarantine or isolation rules can be fined 1650 euros (about $1,920).
One goal of the program is to keep the nation's hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. Another is to avoid a severe lockdown. Schools have already been ordered to close for a month, amid closings of public venues and restrictions on indoor dining at restaurants.
Matovič said that the government's scientific advisory team had recommended a three-week lockdown for all, rather than the testing program, but he said a lockdown would cause too much economic pain, according to The Lancet.
Some have been critical of the government's plan.
Alexandra Brazinova, an epidemiologist at the Medical Faculty of Comenius University in Bratislava, worried that false positives or negatives could allow some to spread the virus unknowingly, and stick others at home unnecessarily.
"This could undermine public trust towards testing and all other pandemic containment measures," she told The Lancet.
Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease modeling expert at the University Warwick and a UK government scientific adviser, told CNN that it's important to remember that a negative result only refers to one point in time.
"[J]ust because someone tests negative it does not mean that they will necessarily be free from infection a few days later," he said. "So any mass testing strategy needs to be carried out at regular intervals (every few days) in order to be an effective strategy and to allow some lockdown measures to be relaxed."
Slovakia's push comes as cases of the virus are rising steeply in Europe. The U.K., France and Germany have all announced renewed lockdown measures.
Slovakia has had almost 60,000 confirmed cases and 219 deaths from COVID-19 – the bulk of which were in October.


npr--2020-11-02--In Puerto Rico, Young Voters Are Trying To Shake Up Traditional Party Politics

In Puerto Rico , Young Voters Are Trying To Shake Up Traditional Party Politics Alondra Llompart was 8 years old when Puerto Rico entered the economic recession from which it is still struggling to emerge .
She 's 22 now , so for most of her life she 's watched the island 's infrastructure crumble and endured an unending string of goodbyes to people leaving the island in search of work .
`` Most of my family , unfortunately — to Florida , or Texas , '' Llompart said .
`` So you 're just kind of trying to hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay , and hope that they never leave .
And it just is really sad . ''
The sources of Puerto Rico 's economic and social troubles are many , but prominent among them , Llompart believes , is a system in which the island 's two main political parties have spent decades fighting over one major issue – whether Puerto Rico should remain a commonwealth territory of the United States , or seek statehood .
`` We have n't become a state in all these decades , '' she said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first before we can do something bigger . ''
When she goes to the polls to vote for a new governor on Tuesday , Llompart said she 'll vote for neither Pedro Pierluisi , the candidate for the pro-statehood New Progressive Party , nor for Carlos Delgado from the pro-commonwealth Popular Democratic Party .
'There is a possibility for change' Though one of those two men is widely expected to win , Llompart is part of a growing tide of young Puerto Ricans eschewing the island 's two dominant parties in favor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those parties have had on power since the U.S. allowed Puerto Ricans to elect their own leaders seven decades ago .
Llompart said she 'll split her ballot .
For governor , she 's supporting the candidate who supports Puerto Rico 's independence from the United States , and for downticket offices she 'll support candidates from a new party , Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana — or Citizens ' Victory Movement — that 's emerging as the first substantial challenge in decades to the island 's two-party system .
Victoria Ciudadana 's gubernatorial candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters by doing something unprecedented in Puerto Rico 's modern political history : deprioritizing the statehood question in favor of a platform focused on rebuilding a Puerto Rico in which young people like Llompart can envision a future for themselves .
`` Everyone sees this open window , this possibility , '' Llompart said .
`` I 'm not sure if whoever I vote for will win or not , but I do know that this election is going to show that there is a possibility for change , because we are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polling indicates that one of the two traditional party candidates will win , the numbers also suggest it could be with support from less than 40 % of the electorate , the smallest vote share ever to propel a Puerto Rican governor to office .
That 's in large part due to growing enthusiasm among young people for the candidates offering a new political vision for the island .
`` This younger generation , we are the children of the crisis , '' said Jonathan Lebrón Ayala , a journalist and co-host of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ podcast about Puerto Rican politics .
The island 's youngest voters have come of age during a recession that has driven an exodus of half-a-million people — largely young adults — to the mainland United States .
The past four years alone have arguably been the most tumultuous in Puerto Rico 's modern history .
It has declared bankruptcy , lost control of its own finances to a federal board appointed to resolve its debt , faced massive cuts to education and pensions , muddled through the recovery from two major hurricanes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pandemic .
`` We 're exhausted , '' Lebrón said .
That exhaustion fueled the anger behind last year 's youthful protest movement that forced the then-governor to resign .
Lebrón said it 's that same energy driving the unprecedented political realignment that appears to be taking hold this year , as more voters demand a move away from the two-party system they believe has prioritized the statehood question while sidelining the needs of everyday Puerto Ricans .
`` We are going to see a major change , '' Lebrón said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe in 2024 , or 2028 , because the numbers in the younger demographic with these two old parties are very , very weak . ''
' A lot of things are falling apart' The magnitude of those future changes will depend on how well the youthful new party trying to disrupt the status-quo performs on Tuesday .
Alexandra Lúgaro , the Citizens ' Victory gubernatorial candidate – is considered a longshot to win , but if candidates from her party earn seats in the legislature or at the municipal level , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stronger showings in future elections .
Making its task more difficult is that many of the voters inclined to support the Citizens Victory Movement feel an allegiance to Puerto Rico 's traditional pro-independence party , which is fielding its own candidate , Juan Dalmau .
Both parties ' candidates are polling around 10 to 12 % , and have similar policy priorities , though the pro-independence party has historically made the island 's independence from the United States a central tenet of its platform .
The new Citizens ' Victory Movement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ island 's colonial relationship to be resolved eventually , but not as an immediate priority .
Tuesday 's election will also include a non-binding referendum asking Puerto Ricans whether they support statehood , and two additional minor candidates for the governorship .
On the question of which of the alternative candidates he 'll support , Omar DeLeón is one of the young Puerto Ricans who feels torn .
He and his family have always supported independence , and he is a fan of the pro-independence candidate this year .
But he said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ island have long demonized the island 's independence movement , turning many Puerto Ricans against it .
DeLeón believes Victoria Ciudadana has a better chance of siphoning support away from the traditional pro- and anti-statehood parties that he feels have driven Puerto Rico 's economy into the ground .
`` A lot of things are falling apart , and it 's visible everywhere , '' he said .
`` Nothing works . ''
DeLeón , a 23-year-old chemistry student at the University of Puerto Rico , said he did not vote during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his choices .
But the last four years of tumult , and the rise of a new political party , have changed his mind this year .
`` There are more options , so that 's kind of my motivation , '' he said .
`` There might be a chance to change things . ''

In Puerto Rico, Young Voters Are Trying To Shake Up Traditional Party Politics
Enlarge this image toggle caption Carlos Giusti/AP Carlos Giusti/AP
Alondra Llompart was 8 years old when Puerto Rico entered the economic recession from which it is still struggling to emerge. She's 22 now, so for most of her life she's watched the island's infrastructure crumble and endured an unending string of goodbyes to people leaving the island in search of work.
"Most of my family, unfortunately — to Florida, or Texas," Llompart said. "So you're just kind of trying to hold on to the few people that do stay, and hope that they never leave. And it just is really sad."
The sources of Puerto Rico's economic and social troubles are many, but prominent among them, Llompart believes, is a system in which the island's two main political parties have spent decades fighting over one major issue – whether Puerto Rico should remain a commonwealth territory of the United States, or seek statehood.
"We haven't become a state in all these decades," she said. "We have to solve our own problems first before we can do something bigger."
When she goes to the polls to vote for a new governor on Tuesday, Llompart said she'll vote for neither Pedro Pierluisi, the candidate for the pro-statehood New Progressive Party, nor for Carlos Delgado from the pro-commonwealth Popular Democratic Party.
'There is a possibility for change'
Though one of those two men is widely expected to win, Llompart is part of a growing tide of young Puerto Ricans eschewing the island's two dominant parties in favor of alternative candidates trying to loosen the grip those parties have had on power since the U.S. allowed Puerto Ricans to elect their own leaders seven decades ago.
Llompart said she'll split her ballot. For governor, she's supporting the candidate who supports Puerto Rico's independence from the United States, and for downticket offices she'll support candidates from a new party, Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana — or Citizens' Victory Movement — that's emerging as the first substantial challenge in decades to the island's two-party system.
Victoria Ciudadana's gubernatorial candidate, Alexandra Lúgaro, has appealed to voters by doing something unprecedented in Puerto Rico's modern political history: deprioritizing the statehood question in favor of a platform focused on rebuilding a Puerto Rico in which young people like Llompart can envision a future for themselves.
"Everyone sees this open window, this possibility," Llompart said. "I'm not sure if whoever I vote for will win or not, but I do know that this election is going to show that there is a possibility for change, because we are in a moment of crisis."
Though polling indicates that one of the two traditional party candidates will win, the numbers also suggest it could be with support from less than 40% of the electorate, the smallest vote share ever to propel a Puerto Rican governor to office. That's in large part due to growing enthusiasm among young people for the candidates offering a new political vision for the island.
"This younger generation, we are the children of the crisis," said Jonathan Lebrón Ayala, a journalist and co-host of Puestos pa'l Problema, a podcast about Puerto Rican politics.
The island's youngest voters have come of age during a recession that has driven an exodus of half-a-million people — largely young adults — to the mainland United States. The past four years alone have arguably been the most tumultuous in Puerto Rico's modern history. It has declared bankruptcy, lost control of its own finances to a federal board appointed to resolve its debt, faced massive cuts to education and pensions, muddled through the recovery from two major hurricanes, faced earthquakes, corruption scandals, and a pandemic.
"We're exhausted," Lebrón said. That exhaustion fueled the anger behind last year's youthful protest movement that forced the then-governor to resign. Lebrón said it's that same energy driving the unprecedented political realignment that appears to be taking hold this year, as more voters demand a move away from the two-party system they believe has prioritized the statehood question while sidelining the needs of everyday Puerto Ricans.
"We are going to see a major change," Lebrón said. "Not in this election, but maybe in 2024, or 2028, because the numbers in the younger demographic with these two old parties are very, very weak."
'A lot of things are falling apart'
The magnitude of those future changes will depend on how well the youthful new party trying to disrupt the status-quo performs on Tuesday. Alexandra Lúgaro, the Citizens' Victory gubernatorial candidate – is considered a longshot to win, but if candidates from her party earn seats in the legislature or at the municipal level, it could build momentum that carries the party to stronger showings in future elections.
Making its task more difficult is that many of the voters inclined to support the Citizens Victory Movement feel an allegiance to Puerto Rico's traditional pro-independence party, which is fielding its own candidate, Juan Dalmau. Both parties' candidates are polling around 10 to 12%, and have similar policy priorities, though the pro-independence party has historically made the island's independence from the United States a central tenet of its platform. The new Citizens' Victory Movement, on the other hand, wants the island's colonial relationship to be resolved eventually, but not as an immediate priority.
Tuesday's election will also include a non-binding referendum asking Puerto Ricans whether they support statehood, and two additional minor candidates for the governorship.
On the question of which of the alternative candidates he'll support, Omar DeLeón is one of the young Puerto Ricans who feels torn. He and his family have always supported independence, and he is a fan of the pro-independence candidate this year.
But he said he also recognizes that conservative forces on the island have long demonized the island's independence movement, turning many Puerto Ricans against it. DeLeón believes Victoria Ciudadana has a better chance of siphoning support away from the traditional pro- and anti-statehood parties that he feels have driven Puerto Rico's economy into the ground.
"A lot of things are falling apart, and it's visible everywhere," he said. "Nothing works."
DeLeón, a 23-year-old chemistry student at the University of Puerto Rico, said he did not vote during the 2016 election because he was frustrated with his choices. But the last four years of tumult, and the rise of a new political party, have changed his mind this year.
"There are more options, so that's kind of my motivation," he said. "There might be a chance to change things."


npr--2020-11-02--Nevada Judge Blocks Republican Lawsuit That Sought To Halt Mail-In Ballot Count

A Nevada judge has rejected a lawsuit by President Trump 's reelection campaign and state Republican officials seeking to halt mail-in ballot counting in Clark County .
The county , home to Las Vegas , is by far the state 's most populous .
About 70 % of Nevada 's voters live in the county , which is `` heavily Democratic , '' CNN reports .
In the lawsuit , Trump 's campaign and the Nevada GOP alleged that they could not observe all aspects of the ballot-counting process closely enough , and wanted to install cameras to record the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James Wilson denied their request , ruling that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing to bring the case and had failed to provide evidence of `` debasement or dilution of a citizen 's vote . ''
The ruling was released on Monday , just a day before Election Day .
Wilson wrote that there was no evidence of improper vote counting .
`` There is no evidence that any vote that should lawfully be counted has or will not be counted .
There is no evidence that any vote that lawfully should not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is no evidence that any election worker did anything outside of the law , policy , or procedures , '' he stated .
The lawsuit requested the court mandate that Clark County Registrar of Voters Joseph Gloria stop using Agilis , an electronic ballot-sorting system .
But the plaintiffs failed to show any error or flaw in the Agilis results or any other reason for such a mandate , Wilson wrote .
The judge also pointed to state legislation passed in August that specifically authorizes county officials to process and count ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was filed on Oct. 23 , just 11 days before the general election .
`` The president 's deliberate attempts to undermine Nevada 's elections have failed yet again , '' Ford said in a statement .
`` Today 's ruling makes clear that there is a proper procedure to observe an election that even the president must follow , and it 's most certainly a victory for the constitutional rights of all Nevadans . ''
`` There is only one 'result , ' and that comes after every lawful vote is counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , keep counting , Clark . ''
Nevada 's Republican Party did not immediately respond to NPR 's request for comment .
State GOP chair Michael McDonald told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the party may file an expedited appeal to the state Supreme Court .
The lawsuit had also asked for an immediate halt to counting and verification of mail ballots , but Wilson rejected that request shortly after the suit was filed last month .
Nevada Deputy Solicitor General Gregory Zunino argued in opening statements last week that the lawsuit was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County is a blue county , and this is a numbers game .
And quite frankly they would like to exclude as many ballots in Clark County as they can .
They want a high rejection rate , '' Zunino said , according to the Review-Journal .
`` They are not challenging the process in Elko County or Humboldt County or Carson City because those are red counties . ''
Nevada 's Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske , a Republican , told legislators earlier this year that there were no cases of fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June , which was conducted almost entirely by mail .

Nevada Judge Blocks Republican Lawsuit That Sought To Halt Mail-In Ballot Count
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Locher/AP John Locher/AP
A Nevada judge has rejected a lawsuit by President Trump's reelection campaign and state Republican officials seeking to halt mail-in ballot counting in Clark County.
The county, home to Las Vegas, is by far the state's most populous. About 70% of Nevada's voters live in the county, which is "heavily Democratic," CNN reports.
In the lawsuit, Trump's campaign and the Nevada GOP alleged that they could not observe all aspects of the ballot-counting process closely enough, and wanted to install cameras to record the process.
Carson City District Court Judge James Wilson denied their request, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing to bring the case and had failed to provide evidence of "debasement or dilution of a citizen's vote."
The ruling was released on Monday, just a day before Election Day.
Wilson wrote that there was no evidence of improper vote counting.
"There is no evidence that any vote that should lawfully be counted has or will not be counted. There is no evidence that any vote that lawfully should not be counted has or will be counted. There is no evidence that any election worker did anything outside of the law, policy, or procedures," he stated.
The lawsuit requested the court mandate that Clark County Registrar of Voters Joseph Gloria stop using Agilis, an electronic ballot-sorting system. But the plaintiffs failed to show any error or flaw in the Agilis results or any other reason for such a mandate, Wilson wrote.
The judge also pointed to state legislation passed in August that specifically authorizes county officials to process and count ballots by electronic means.
The GOP lawsuit was filed on Oct. 23, just 11 days before the general election.
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford cheered Monday's ruling.
"The president's deliberate attempts to undermine Nevada's elections have failed yet again," Ford said in a statement. "Today's ruling makes clear that there is a proper procedure to observe an election that even the president must follow, and it's most certainly a victory for the constitutional rights of all Nevadans."
"There is only one 'result,' and that comes after every lawful vote is counted," Ford tweeted. "So, keep counting, Clark."
Nevada's Republican Party did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment. State GOP chair Michael McDonald told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the party may file an expedited appeal to the state Supreme Court.
The lawsuit had also asked for an immediate halt to counting and verification of mail ballots, but Wilson rejected that request shortly after the suit was filed last month.
Nevada Deputy Solicitor General Gregory Zunino argued in opening statements last week that the lawsuit was clearly partisan in nature.
"Clark County is a blue county, and this is a numbers game. And quite frankly they would like to exclude as many ballots in Clark County as they can. They want a high rejection rate," Zunino said, according to the Review-Journal. "They are not challenging the process in Elko County or Humboldt County or Carson City because those are red counties."
Nevada's Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, a Republican, told legislators earlier this year that there were no cases of fraud during the state's primary election in June, which was conducted almost entirely by mail.