usatoday--2020-10-27--Trump-led conservatives accuse Big Tech of election interference, escalate bias charges ahead of Sen

Republicans will escalate charges of anti-conservative bias against social media companies a little less than a week before Election Day when they haul the leaders of the nations ’ top internet companies before a Senate committee to question how these powerful online platforms decide what content is allowed and what ’ s not .
Facebook ’ s Mark Zuckerberg , Twitter ’ s Jack Dorsey and Google ’ s Sundar Pichai are scheduled to answer growing criticism from the right over the moderation of prominent conservatives ' posts , including President Trump , before the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are explosive allegations by conservatives that Facebook and Twitter interfered in the 2020 election by throttling a New York Post article earlier this month that alleged ties between the Democratic presidential nominee and his son Hunter ’ s business dealings with Ukraine .
Tech companies deny any partisanship , saying their policies strike a balance between allowing users to freely express themselves and keeping hate , abuse and misinformation off their platforms .
Trump vs. Big Tech : Everything you need to know about Section 230 and why everyone hates it GOP takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorizes subpoenas for Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg Conservatives have complained for years that social media companies systematically silence the political speech of right-leaning users despite consistent evidence that conservative voices and viewpoints dominate the conversation on these platforms .
President Trump has made social media censorship a regular talking point of his re-election campaign , drawing on anecdotal examples and sparring with Facebook and Twitter over fact-checking labels added to his posts about COVID and mail-in voting .
With the presidential election days away , social media companies are on high alert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tip the election .
Facebook says it limited the spread of the New York Post article while waiting for it to be fact-checked .
Twitter blocked users from tweeting out the link to the article and from sending it in private messages .
Dorsey later said Twitter was wrong to block the article .
Sen. Roger Wicker ( R-Miss . )
, the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee , told Fox News last week he 's outraged by Twitter ’ s handling of the New York Post article but will also demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after example of anti-conservative , anti-Republican bias.
” '' These are among the most powerful people in the country , '' he said .
`` Under the current law , they get a free pass '' to censor anything `` they find objectionable , '' Wicker said .
`` In my view we should not leave it up to big tech what is objectionable and what is n't . ''
And that ’ s the subject of Wednesday ’ s hearing .
Wicker and other lawmakers are threatening to narrow the protections of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which shields internet companies from liability for much of the content users post on their platforms and grants wide latitude in what content they remove .
“ This is going to be time for members of congress to express how upset they are at big tech companies .
I don ’ t even know how much about this is going to be about Section 230 , ” said Jeff Kosseff , an assistant professor of cybersecurity law in the United States Naval Academy ’ s Cyber Science Department and author of “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On this question , there is rare bipartisan agreement .
Critics across the political spectrum say Section 230 gives tech companies too much power with too little accountability .
The political right says companies remove too much content while the political left contends they don ’ t remove enough when it comes to election interference , hate speech and harassment , extremism and misinformation on social media .
'We approach our work without political bias' Big Tech is pushing back .
In prepared testimony for Wednesday 's hearing , Zuckerberg called Section 230 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook 's billions of users to freely express themselves and allows Facebook to keep users safe from harmful content .
`` Without Section 230 , platforms could potentially be held liable for everything people say , '' Zuckerberg plans to testify .
`` Platforms likely would censor more content to avoid legal risk . ''
But he also said Facebook would work with lawmakers to reform the law .
The growing debate about Section 230 “ shows that people of all political persuasions are unhappy with the status quo , '' he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies are taking responsibility for combating harmful content – especially illegal activity – on their platforms .
They want to know that when platforms remove content , they are doing so fairly and transparently .
And they want to make sure that platforms are held accountable , ” Zuckerberg ’ s testimony reads .
Google 's Pichai urged lawmakers to be cautious .
`` Since our founding , we have been deeply committed to the freedom of expression .
We also feel a responsibility to protect people who use our products from harmful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we do that , '' his prepared testimony reads .
`` Let me be clear : We approach our work without political bias , full stop . ''
In his prepared testimony , Dorsey warns that `` eroding Section 230 could collapse how we communicate on the internet . ''
He added : `` As you consider next steps , we urge your thoughtfulness and restraint when it comes to broad regulatory solutions to address content moderation issues . ''
Trump spars with Facebook and Twitter : Anti-conservative bias charges leveled over Hunter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Ted Cruz threatens to regulate Facebook , Google and Twitter over charges of anti-conservative bias Kosseff says Section 230 was conceived as a “ market-based law '' meaning `` the market determines what level of moderation people want.
” “ If a platform is doing too much moderation , then people probably are n't going to want to go there .
If a platform is doing too little , people also won ’ t want to go there because it ’ s a cesspool , '' he said .
A number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice Department has asked Congress to adopt a new law that would hold Facebook , Google and Twitter legally accountable for how they moderate content .
Trump has also asked the Federal Communications Commission to rewrite Section 230 .
Kosseff says it will be difficult for Congress to reach consensus on how to alter Section 230 , Kosseff says .
“ You have two competing views as to what platforms should be doing , ” he said .
“ It ’ s hard to imagine what would satisfy everyone who is upset with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrap the statute is going to get Silicon Valley ’ s attention , Kosseff says .
“ Section 230 is a pretty powerful lever , ” Kosseff said .
“ If you say to a company that depends on Section 230 that you are going to take this way unless they do x , y or z , they are probably going to probably do x , y or z.
” The Commerce Committee is n't the only one planning on putting tech executives on the hot seat .
Zuckerberg and Dorsey have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judiciary Committee on Nov. 17 .
“ The hearing will focus on the platforms ’ censorship and suppression of New York Post articles and provide a valuable opportunity to review the companies ’ handling of the 2020 election , ” the committee said .
“ Nobody gets to wear the golden halo forever , ” said Dan Schnur , who teaches political communications at UC Berkeley and at University of Southern California .
“ Silicon Valley was the cool kid on the block for almost 20 years .
Now they are trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an environment that doesn ’ t like them nearly as much they used to .
”

Trump-led conservatives accuse Big Tech of election interference, escalate bias charges ahead of Senate showdown
Show Caption Hide Caption Joe Biden defends son Hunter Biden during final presidential debate Joe Biden said "not one single, solitary thing was out of line" with his and his son Hunter Biden's dealings with Ukraine. USA TODAY
Republicans will escalate charges of anti-conservative bias against social media companies a little less than a week before Election Day when they haul the leaders of the nations’ top internet companies before a Senate committee to question how these powerful online platforms decide what content is allowed and what’s not.
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter’s Jack Dorsey and Google’s Sundar Pichai are scheduled to answer growing criticism from the right over the moderation of prominent conservatives' posts, including President Trump, before the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday.
Fueling tensions ahead of the hearing are explosive allegations by conservatives that Facebook and Twitter interfered in the 2020 election by throttling a New York Post article earlier this month that alleged ties between the Democratic presidential nominee and his son Hunter’s business dealings with Ukraine.
Tech companies deny any partisanship, saying their policies strike a balance between allowing users to freely express themselves and keeping hate, abuse and misinformation off their platforms.
Trump vs. Big Tech: Everything you need to know about Section 230 and why everyone hates it
GOP takes on Big Tech: Senate Judiciary Committee authorizes subpoenas for Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg
Conservatives have complained for years that social media companies systematically silence the political speech of right-leaning users despite consistent evidence that conservative voices and viewpoints dominate the conversation on these platforms.
President Trump has made social media censorship a regular talking point of his re-election campaign, drawing on anecdotal examples and sparring with Facebook and Twitter over fact-checking labels added to his posts about COVID and mail-in voting.
With the presidential election days away, social media companies are on high alert for misinformation that could sway voters or tip the election.
Facebook says it limited the spread of the New York Post article while waiting for it to be fact-checked. Twitter blocked users from tweeting out the link to the article and from sending it in private messages. Dorsey later said Twitter was wrong to block the article.
GOP: Big Tech has 'free pass' to censor
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, told Fox News last week he's outraged by Twitter’s handling of the New York Post article but will also demand that Dorsey explain "example after example after example of anti-conservative, anti-Republican bias.”
"These are among the most powerful people in the country," he said. "Under the current law, they get a free pass" to censor anything "they find objectionable," Wicker said.
"In my view we should not leave it up to big tech what is objectionable and what isn't."
And that’s the subject of Wednesday’s hearing. Wicker and other lawmakers are threatening to narrow the protections of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act which shields internet companies from liability for much of the content users post on their platforms and grants wide latitude in what content they remove.
“This is going to be time for members of congress to express how upset they are at big tech companies. I don’t even know how much about this is going to be about Section 230,” said Jeff Kosseff, an assistant professor of cybersecurity law in the United States Naval Academy’s Cyber Science Department and author of “The Twenty-Six Words That Created the Internet.”
“Does Section 230’s Sweeping Immunity Enable Big Tech Bad Behavior?” is the hearing’s title.
On this question, there is rare bipartisan agreement. Critics across the political spectrum say Section 230 gives tech companies too much power with too little accountability.
The political right says companies remove too much content while the political left contends they don’t remove enough when it comes to election interference, hate speech and harassment, extremism and misinformation on social media.
'We approach our work without political bias'
Big Tech is pushing back. In prepared testimony for Wednesday's hearing, Zuckerberg called Section 230 a "foundational law" that allows Facebook's billions of users to freely express themselves and allows Facebook to keep users safe from harmful content.
"Without Section 230, platforms could potentially be held liable for everything people say," Zuckerberg plans to testify. "Platforms likely would censor more content to avoid legal risk."
But he also said Facebook would work with lawmakers to reform the law. The growing debate about Section 230 “shows that people of all political persuasions are unhappy with the status quo," he said.
“People want to know that companies are taking responsibility for combating harmful content – especially illegal activity – on their platforms. They want to know that when platforms remove content, they are doing so fairly and transparently. And they want to make sure that platforms are held accountable,” Zuckerberg’s testimony reads.
Google's Pichai urged lawmakers to be cautious. "Since our founding, we have been deeply committed to the freedom of expression. We also feel a responsibility to protect people who use our products from harmful content and to be transparent about how we do that," his prepared testimony reads. "Let me be clear: We approach our work without political bias, full stop."
In his prepared testimony, Dorsey warns that "eroding Section 230 could collapse how we communicate on the internet." He added: "As you consider next steps, we urge your thoughtfulness and restraint when it comes to broad regulatory solutions to address content moderation issues."
Trump spars with Facebook and Twitter: Anti-conservative bias charges leveled over Hunter Biden article
Regulation of big tech threatened: Ted Cruz threatens to regulate Facebook, Google and Twitter over charges of anti-conservative bias
Kosseff says Section 230 was conceived as a “market-based law" meaning "the market determines what level of moderation people want.”
“If a platform is doing too much moderation, then people probably aren't going to want to go there. If a platform is doing too little, people also won’t want to go there because it’s a cesspool," he said.
Congress, FCC threaten to reform Section 230
A number of bills are circulating in Congress and the Justice Department has asked Congress to adopt a new law that would hold Facebook, Google and Twitter legally accountable for how they moderate content. Trump has also asked the Federal Communications Commission to rewrite Section 230.
Kosseff says it will be difficult for Congress to reach consensus on how to alter Section 230, Kosseff says.
“You have two competing views as to what platforms should be doing,” he said. “It’s hard to imagine what would satisfy everyone who is upset with the tech companies.”
Any threat to scrap the statute is going to get Silicon Valley’s attention, Kosseff says.
“Section 230 is a pretty powerful lever,” Kosseff said. “If you say to a company that depends on Section 230 that you are going to take this way unless they do x, y or z, they are probably going to probably do x, y or z.”
The Commerce Committee isn't the only one planning on putting tech executives on the hot seat. Zuckerberg and Dorsey have been summoned to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Nov. 17.
“The hearing will focus on the platforms’ censorship and suppression of New York Post articles and provide a valuable opportunity to review the companies’ handling of the 2020 election,” the committee said.
“Nobody gets to wear the golden halo forever,” said Dan Schnur, who teaches political communications at UC Berkeley and at University of Southern California. “Silicon Valley was the cool kid on the block for almost 20 years. Now they are trying to figure out how to make their way in an environment that doesn’t like them nearly as much they used to.”


usatoday--2020-10-28--Election 2020 live updates: Trump campaign website hacked

Former Vice President Joe Biden campaigned in Georgia on Tuesday , quoting President Franklin D. Roosevelet at a stop in Warm Springs : '' ‘ Today … we must cultivate the science of human relationships — the ability of all peoples , of all kinds , to live together and work together in the same world at peace , ’ ” Biden said .
“ To live together and work together .
That ’ s how I see America .
That ’ s how I see the presidency , and that ’ s how I see the future.
” Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama , accused President Donald Trump of whining at an Orlando , Florida , rally .
Florida and Georgia are just a few of the battleground areas the two sides are fighting for with exactly one week until Election Day Nov. 3 .
Trump has been on a Rust Belt swing as of late , with a focus on Pennsylvania , where Biden also visited yesterday .
Trump campaigns in Michigan and Wisconsin today before heading to Nebraska .
Sen. Kamala Harris campaigns in Reno , Nevada , and Las Vegas Tuesday while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina and North Carolina .
• Trump 's promises : Trump made promises to his supporters on manufacturing jobs , immigration and judicial appointments .
We took a look at whether the president delivered on 10 topics .
• The quest for 270 : Here 's how the Biden and Trump campaigns can achieve the Electoral College votes to claim victory .
• Bernie Sanders : Trump is invoking Sen. Bernie Sanders at his rallies in an effort to drive a wedge through the Democratic party .
• Amy Coney Barrett : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Supreme Court .
Meet the four other women who preceded her .
• SCOTUS : America 's newest Supreme Court justice , Amy Coney Barrett , has the potential to influence American democracy from the get-go .
Here 's what 's on her plate .
• Melania Trump : First lady Melania Trump makes her first major campaign appearance Tuesday at an event in Atglen , Pennsylvania .
📊 What the polls are saying : USA TODAY 's average of averages showed Trump gained on Biden in nine of the 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though Biden still leads in 10 of those states .
📆 Seven days until Election Day , 85 days until Inauguration Day , 66 days left in 2020 .
🗳 Voting : See USA TODAY 's Voter Guide for information on registering to vote , when your state begins voting and what the candidates think about the issues .
We will update this article throughout the day .
You can follow all of USA TODAY 's politics reporters on Twitter or subscribe to our daily On Politics newsletter .
President Donald Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week before the election – an aide to the president 's reelection confirmed .
“ Earlier this evening , the Trump campaign website was defaced and we are working with law enforcement authorities to investigate the source of the attack , ” Trump spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in statement .
Screen grabs of Trump ’ s site posted on social media showed a page that said the website had been “ seized ” and that it was “ time to allow the world to know the truth.
” The website was restored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The campaign said there was no exposure to sensitive data .
Trump claims the law requires a 'winner ' on Election Day , which is not true As part of his political war against mail-in voting , President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday the law requires naming a `` winner '' on Election Night , and forbids states from counting ballots for days and weeks afterward , but that is simply not the case .
`` It would be very , very proper and very nice if a winner were declared on November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two weeks , which is totally inappropriate and I do n't believe that that 's by our laws , '' Trump told reporters as he left the White House on a Midwest campaign trip .
In fact , the law allows states to count ballots for weeks and gives them a little more than a month to do so .
WHEN WILL WE KNOW ?
A look at possible scenarios for president And states do not declare winners on Election Night ; media organizations do so based on projections of votes cast while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indeed take days or weeks to complete .
The reasons include overseas ballots , military voting , and mail-in voting – and many states are expecting more mail-in votes this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
There 's also the prospect of recounts , as happened in Florida in the 2000 presidential election .
There is also the possibility that one candidate could be `` ahead '' on Election Night , but fall behind and lose the state in the days after that after ballots legally submitted are counted .
The law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't have to report official results until the Electoral College meets in December , and that is 41 days after Election Day .
So if the media does n't call a state or an election right away , `` that 's not because of some nefarious plot , '' tweeted Steve Vladeck , a law professor at the University of Texas .
Responding to a Trump tweet that states `` must have final total on November 3 , '' Vladeck said : `` It 's simply because the results are sufficiently close in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is n't yet clear who won – and wo n't be until those states finish counting all legal ballots . ''
Obama to Trump : 'You should n't brag that some of our greatest adversaries want you in office' Former President Barack Obama rallied voters again in Florida with an acid mixture of criticism and ridicule of Trump .
`` Our current president , he whines that '60 Minutes ' is too tough , ” Obama said of Trump ’ s interview that was broadcast Sunday .
“ You think he 's gon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinks Lesley Stahl is a bully.
” Obama ’ s appearance in Orlando for Biden followed campaign visits Saturday to Miami and Wednesday to Philadelphia .
Florida is a swing state that Trump won in 2016 , and the corridor along Interstate 4 between Orlando and Tampa is the most fought-over part of the state .
OBAMA BLASTS TRUMP : Trump only out to benefit himself , Obama says in Philly Obama made many of the same points criticizing Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting economic collapse .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as when Trump complains about the amount of news coverage about the number of deaths and cases of COVID-19 .
`` He 's jealous of COVID 's media coverage ! ''
Obama said .
`` If he had been focused on COVID from the beginning , cases would not be reaching new record highs.
” Obama , the first Black president , also ridiculed Trump ’ s comment in the Thursday debate that he was the best president for Blacks since Abraham Lincoln , which drew boos from the crowd in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` His son-in-law says Black folks have to want to be successful , '' Obama said of comments Monday on `` Fox & Friends '' by Jared Kushner , a senior White House aide and Trump ’ s son-in-law .
`` That 's the problem .
Who are these folks ?
What history books do they read ?
Who do they talk to ? ''
Obama said leaders of China , North Korea and Russia want Trump to remain in office .
“ We know because you 've been giving them whatever you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to win , ” Obama said .
“ That 's not a good thing .
You should n't brag that some of our greatest adversaries want you in office , '' he said .
`` Why are you bragging about that ?
It does n't make any sense . ''
Trump aimed to appeal to three Midwestern states he carried in 2016 but now risks losing in this year 's uphill contest with Biden .
Trump held rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin on Tuesday , he then travels to Omaha , Neb.
, @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 to earn a single electoral vote .
The Omaha event also figures to draw television coverage just across the border in western Iowa , another state Trump carried that now features a close race with Biden .
Speaking in rain-soaked Lansing , the state capital of Michigan , Trump predicted that a `` red wave '' would wash over Michigan and other states .
`` You have to get out there and vote , '' Trump told backers at one point .
A week out from Election Day , and with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast , the Trump campaign is engaged in a state-by-state slog designed to make up ground and capture the 270 electoral votes necessary for re-election .
Biden and supporters said Trump is losing in the Midwest and elsewhere because of his policies , particularly his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic .
As for places like Michigan and Wisconsin , Democratic National Committee spokesman Daniel Wessel said that `` Trump failed to bring back factories , boost job growth , or deliver the manufacturing renaissance he promised , even before the pandemic hit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 promises to Michigan ?
`` Now , '' he added , `` millions are still out of work , the economic recovery is slowing , and coronavirus cases and deaths are once again surging across the Midwest .
Voters know Trump has failed them . ''
A group of former U.S. attorneys appointed by Republican presidents are endorsing Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden , citing what they described as politicization of the Justice Department under President Donald Trump .
`` The president has clearly conveyed that he expects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve his personal and political interests in the handling of certain cases – such as the investigations into foreign election interference and the prosecution of his political associates – and has taken action against those who have stood up for the interests of justice , '' according to a statement from 20 U.S. attorneys who were appointed by Republican presidents , including George W. Bush , George H.W .
Bush , Ronald Reagan , Gerald Ford , Richard Nixon and Dwight Eisenhower .
A federal judge Tuesday blocked the Justice Department 's effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump brought by E. Jean Carroll , who claimed the president disparaged her when he denied her claim that Trump raped her in the mid-1990s .
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan rejected the government 's central argument that Trump was acting in his official duties as president last year when he denied magazine writer Carroll 's allegation that he had raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in New York City .
The Justice Department 's intervention was seen as an effort to shield the president from the potentially damaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-election campaign .
The judge 's ruling effectively keeps Carroll 's claim alive .
President Donald Trump held a hasty swearing-in ceremony Monday night following the Senate 's confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett .
Trump rushed back from the campaign trail in Pennsylvania for a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in the midst of a global pandemic .
The event took place near the Rose Garden , where a month earlier the federal appeals court judge from Indiana was introduced in a crowded setting that contributed to the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House and in the Senate .
Associate Justice Clarence Thomas , the longest-serving member of the current court , delivered the constitutional oath of office .
Most of the assembled guests wore masks .
On Tuesday , Chief Justice John Roberts completes the process by delivering the judicial oath to the court 's newest member .

Election 2020 live updates: Trump campaign website hacked
Show Caption Hide Caption Obama: Trump turned the White House into a 'hot zone' Former President Barack Obama mocked President Donald Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic, saying Trump "turned the White House into a hot zone." (Oct. 27) AP
Former Vice President Joe Biden campaigned in Georgia on Tuesday, quoting President Franklin D. Roosevelet at a stop in Warm Springs:
"‘Today … we must cultivate the science of human relationships — the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together and work together in the same world at peace,’” Biden said. “To live together and work together. That’s how I see America. That’s how I see the presidency, and that’s how I see the future.”
Meanwhile, his former boss, President Barack Obama, accused President Donald Trump of whining at an Orlando, Florida, rally.
Florida and Georgia are just a few of the battleground areas the two sides are fighting for with exactly one week until Election Day Nov. 3. Trump has been on a Rust Belt swing as of late, with a focus on Pennsylvania, where Biden also visited yesterday. Trump campaigns in Michigan and Wisconsin today before heading to Nebraska.
Sen. Kamala Harris campaigns in Reno, Nevada, and Las Vegas Tuesday while Vice President Mike Pence gives speeches in South Carolina and North Carolina.
☕ The latest:
📊 What the polls are saying: USA TODAY's average of averages showed Trump gained on Biden in nine of the 12 battleground states over the past week, though Biden still leads in 10 of those states.
📆 Seven days until Election Day, 85 days until Inauguration Day, 66 days left in 2020.
🗳 Voting: See USA TODAY's Voter Guide for information on registering to vote, when your state begins voting and what the candidates think about the issues.
We will update this article throughout the day. You can follow all of USA TODAY's politics reporters on Twitter or subscribe to our daily On Politics newsletter.
Trump campaign website hacked
President Donald Trump’s campaign website was hacked Tuesday – a week before the election – an aide to the president's reelection confirmed.
“Earlier this evening, the Trump campaign website was defaced and we are working with law enforcement authorities to investigate the source of the attack,” Trump spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in statement.
Screen grabs of Trump’s site posted on social media showed a page that said the website had been “seized” and that it was “time to allow the world to know the truth.” The website was restored shortly after the attack, Murtaugh said.
The campaign said there was no exposure to sensitive data.
— John Fritze
As part of his political war against mail-in voting, President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday the law requires naming a "winner" on Election Night, and forbids states from counting ballots for days and weeks afterward, but that is simply not the case.
"It would be very, very proper and very nice if a winner were declared on November 3rd, instead of counting ballots for two weeks, which is totally inappropriate and I don't believe that that's by our laws," Trump told reporters as he left the White House on a Midwest campaign trip.
In fact, the law allows states to count ballots for weeks and gives them a little more than a month to do so.
WHEN WILL WE KNOW? A look at possible scenarios for president
And states do not declare winners on Election Night; media organizations do so based on projections of votes cast while states tabulate ballots in processes that could indeed take days or weeks to complete.
The reasons include overseas ballots, military voting, and mail-in voting – and many states are expecting more mail-in votes this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There's also the prospect of recounts, as happened in Florida in the 2000 presidential election.
There is also the possibility that one candidate could be "ahead" on Election Night, but fall behind and lose the state in the days after that after ballots legally submitted are counted.
The law provides for all this; states don't have to report official results until the Electoral College meets in December, and that is 41 days after Election Day.
So if the media doesn't call a state or an election right away, "that's not because of some nefarious plot," tweeted Steve Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas.
Responding to a Trump tweet that states "must have final total on November 3," Vladeck said: "It's simply because the results are sufficiently close in the right number of states that it isn't yet clear who won – and won't be until those states finish counting all legal ballots."
–David Jackson
Former President Barack Obama rallied voters again in Florida with an acid mixture of criticism and ridicule of Trump.
"Our current president, he whines that '60 Minutes' is too tough,” Obama said of Trump’s interview that was broadcast Sunday. “You think he's gonna stand up to dictators? He thinks Lesley Stahl is a bully.”
Obama’s appearance in Orlando for Biden followed campaign visits Saturday to Miami and Wednesday to Philadelphia. Florida is a swing state that Trump won in 2016, and the corridor along Interstate 4 between Orlando and Tampa is the most fought-over part of the state.
OBAMA BLASTS TRUMP: Trump only out to benefit himself, Obama says in Philly
Obama made many of the same points criticizing Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting economic collapse. But his sharpest commentary landed as humor, such as when Trump complains about the amount of news coverage about the number of deaths and cases of COVID-19.
"He's jealous of COVID's media coverage!" Obama said. "If he had been focused on COVID from the beginning, cases would not be reaching new record highs.”
Obama, the first Black president, also ridiculed Trump’s comment in the Thursday debate that he was the best president for Blacks since Abraham Lincoln, which drew boos from the crowd in 273 cars for the drive-in event.
"His son-in-law says Black folks have to want to be successful," Obama said of comments Monday on "Fox & Friends" by Jared Kushner, a senior White House aide and Trump’s son-in-law. "That's the problem. Who are these folks? What history books do they read? Who do they talk to?"
Jared Kushner criticized for comments on Black Americans When asked about Trump's policies for Black Americans, Jared Kushner said, "He can't want them to be successful more than they want to be successful." USA TODAY
Obama said leaders of China, North Korea and Russia want Trump to remain in office.
“We know because you've been giving them whatever you want. Of course they want you to win,” Obama said. “That's not a good thing. You shouldn't brag that some of our greatest adversaries want you in office," he said. "Why are you bragging about that? It doesn't make any sense."
--Bart Jansen
Trump aimed to appeal to three Midwestern states he carried in 2016 but now risks losing in this year's uphill contest with Biden.
Trump held rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin on Tuesday, he then travels to Omaha, Neb., to address a congressional district he won in 2016 to earn a single electoral vote. The Omaha event also figures to draw television coverage just across the border in western Iowa, another state Trump carried that now features a close race with Biden.
Wisconsin is swinging between pandemic, politics The must-win swing state of Wisconsin finds itself at the crossroads of the coronavirus pandemic and politics ahead of the 2020 presidential election. (Oct. 27) AP
Speaking in rain-soaked Lansing, the state capital of Michigan, Trump predicted that a "red wave" would wash over Michigan and other states.
"You have to get out there and vote," Trump told backers at one point.
A week out from Election Day, and with more than 60 million early votes already cast, the Trump campaign is engaged in a state-by-state slog designed to make up ground and capture the 270 electoral votes necessary for re-election.
Biden and supporters said Trump is losing in the Midwest and elsewhere because of his policies, particularly his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As for places like Michigan and Wisconsin, Democratic National Committee spokesman Daniel Wessel said that "Trump failed to bring back factories, boost job growth, or deliver the manufacturing renaissance he promised, even before the pandemic hit."
TRUMP: Did he deliver on 2016 promises to Michigan?
"Now," he added, "millions are still out of work, the economic recovery is slowing, and coronavirus cases and deaths are once again surging across the Midwest. Voters know Trump has failed them."
– David Jackson
A group of former U.S. attorneys appointed by Republican presidents are endorsing Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, citing what they described as politicization of the Justice Department under President Donald Trump.
"The president has clearly conveyed that he expects his Justice Department appointees and prosecutors to serve his personal and political interests in the handling of certain cases – such as the investigations into foreign election interference and the prosecution of his political associates – and has taken action against those who have stood up for the interests of justice," according to a statement from 20 U.S. attorneys who were appointed by Republican presidents, including George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon and Dwight Eisenhower.
– Kristine Phillips
A federal judge Tuesday blocked the Justice Department's effort to intervene in a defamation case against President Donald Trump brought by E. Jean Carroll, who claimed the president disparaged her when he denied her claim that Trump raped her in the mid-1990s.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan rejected the government's central argument that Trump was acting in his official duties as president last year when he denied magazine writer Carroll's allegation that he had raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in New York City.
The Justice Department's intervention was seen as an effort to shield the president from the potentially damaging legal action in the midst of a re-election campaign. The judge's ruling effectively keeps Carroll's claim alive.
Nineteen women, including Carroll, have accused Trump of non-consensual sexual contact.
– Kevin Johnson
Amy Coney Barrett confirmed to U.S. Supreme Court ahead of election Amy Coney Barrett was President Donald Trump's third Supreme Court nominee, following Associate Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch. USA TODAY, Wochit
President Donald Trump held a hasty swearing-in ceremony Monday night following the Senate's confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett.
Trump rushed back from the campaign trail in Pennsylvania for a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in the midst of a global pandemic.
The event took place near the Rose Garden, where a month earlier the federal appeals court judge from Indiana was introduced in a crowded setting that contributed to the spread of COVID-19, both at the White House and in the Senate.
Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, the longest-serving member of the current court, delivered the constitutional oath of office. Most of the assembled guests wore masks.
On Tuesday, Chief Justice John Roberts completes the process by delivering the judicial oath to the court's newest member.
– Richard Wolf and David Jackson


usatoday--2020-10-27--Wisconsin-Nebraska is in jeopardy. Badgers' coronavirus positivity rate close to forcing a shutdown

MADISON , Wis. – Wisconsin ’ s Big Ten game Saturday at Nebraska is in danger of being canceled , according to a person with knowledge of the Big Ten schedule .
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation .
The Journal Sentinel , part of the USA TODAY Network , has reported that quarterbacks Graham Mertz and Chase Wolf have tested positive for coronavirus .
But according to another person with knowledge of the situation who spoke to the Journal Sentinel , Wisconsin 's test positivity rate is close to the threshold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regular practice and competition for a minimum of seven days and then reassess the situation .
If the game is not played , it would be considered a no-contest rather than a forfeit .
Following are the Big Ten protocols that determine whether practices and games can be held .
Team positivity rate ( number of positive tests divided by total number of tests administered ) : Population positivity rate ( number of positive individuals divided by total population at risk ) : Decisions to alter or halt practice and competition will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Green/Orange : Team continues with normal practice and competition .
Orange/Orange and Orange/Red : Team must proceed with caution and enhance COVID-19 prevention ( alter practice and meeting schedule , consider viability of continuing with scheduled competition ) .
Red/Red : Team must stop regular practice and competition for a minimum of seven days and reassess metrics until improved .

Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wisconsin-Nebraska is in jeopardy. Badgers' coronavirus positivity rate close to forcing a shutdown
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin’s Big Ten game Saturday at Nebraska is in danger of being canceled, according to a person with knowledge of the Big Ten schedule.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.
The Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, has reported that quarterbacks Graham Mertz and Chase Wolf have tested positive for coronavirus.
But according to another person with knowledge of the situation who spoke to the Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin's test positivity rate is close to the threshold that would force the team to stop regular practice and competition for a minimum of seven days and then reassess the situation.
If the game is not played, it would be considered a no-contest rather than a forfeit.
Following are the Big Ten protocols that determine whether practices and games can be held.
Team positivity rate (number of positive tests divided by total number of tests administered):
Green 0-2%
Orange 2-5%
Red >5%
Population positivity rate (number of positive individuals divided by total population at risk):
Green 0-3.5%
Orange 3.5-7.5%
Red >7.5%
Decisions to alter or halt practice and competition will be based on the following scenarios:
Green/Green and Green/Orange: Team continues with normal practice and competition.
Orange/Orange and Orange/Red: Team must proceed with caution and enhance COVID-19 prevention (alter practice and meeting schedule, consider viability of continuing with scheduled competition).
Red/Red: Team must stop regular practice and competition for a minimum of seven days and reassess metrics until improved.


usatoday--2020-10-26--1 to 2 feet of snow helped contain Colorado's largest-ever wildfires, but it may not be enough

1 to 2 feet of snow helped contain Colorado 's largest-ever wildfires , but it may not be enough A @ @ @ @ @ Peak and East Troublesome fires might not be a knockout punch that state needs .

Snowstorm helps douse Colorado's record wildfires, for now
A snowstorm near Colorado's Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires might not be a knockout punch that state needs.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-10-27--4 safe ways to hand out candy on Halloween

4 safe ways to hand out candy on Halloween With the pandemic still going on , here are creative and @ @ @ @ @ candy during Halloween .

COVID-19: Halloween safety tips for trick-or-treating
With the pandemic still going on, here are creative and safe ways to hand out candy during Halloween.
ProblemSolved, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-10-28--Voting 2020 live updates: Trump urges Biden voters to 'spoil' ballot and vote for him; charges of vo

Voters relying on the post office to deliver their ballots should drop them in the mail today as a `` common-sense measure '' to ensure they arrive in time to be counted , the Postal Service says .
Most states require ballots to be received by Election Day , some earlier .
`` Our general recommendation is that , as a common-sense measure , you mail your completed ballot before Election Day , and at least one week prior to your state ’ s deadline , '' the Postal Service said in a statement .
Mail ballots have gained a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , with many voters anxious about to going to the polls in-person .
( Follow Tuesday 's COVID-19 news here . )
Some context : The Postal Service and its leader , Louis DeJoy , fueled controversy after ordering that some mail sorting machines be dismantled and deactivated .
Overtime was barred , and carriers and trucks were required to start routes at certain times , regardless of whether the mail was ready .
A lawsuit temporarily blocked the new operational changes that were criticized as causing delayed mail delivery .
News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ballots have been rolling in for more than a week , and with so much attention on absentee voting options , election supervisors said they expect potentially 60 % of the state 's registered voters to have cast ballots before Nov. 3 .
More news to keep in mind : We 're seven days away from Election Day .
USA TODAY is keeping track of what 's happening as voters around the country cast ballots .
Keep refreshing this page for updates .
Here are the latest : • President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden to change their votes in favor of four more Trump years .
But can voters do that ?
Some states , including Michigan and Wisconsin , do allow voters to `` spoil '' their ballots and vote anew in some cases .
• Two men facing voter intimidation charges in Michigan have been indicted in Ohio for a voter-suppression scheme .
• Clerks have asked Wisconsin 's high court to issue an order that would allow them to ensure votes are counted despite a misprint on tens of thousands of ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court upheld current voting law , a win for the GOP .
• If you encounter intimidation at the polls on Election Day , here 's what to do .
Looking for a long read ?
Americans worried about Election Day violence and chaos are buying guns and toilet paper .
Check it out here .
Votes are rolling in : Numbers compiled by the U.S .
Elections Project website show at least 64.7 million people have already cast their ballots .
In other numbers , the Guardian and ProPublica report 22 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had their mail-in ballots accepted .
USA TODAY 's politics team has the latest updates from the campaign trail here .
Can they do that ?
Trump urges Biden voters to change their votes President Donald Trump , sensing a momentum swing in his favor , on Tuesday lobbied early voters who backed Democratic challenger Joe Biden to change their votes in favor of four more Trump years .
Some states , including swing state Wisconsin , do allow voters to `` spoil '' their ballots and vote anew in some cases .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately after the second debate is CAN I CHANGE MY VOTE ?
, '' Trump tweeted .
`` This refers changing it to me .
The answer in most states is YES .
Go do it .
Most important Election of your life ! ''
In Wisconsin , `` absentee voters can request to spoil their absentee ballot and have another ballot issued as long as the appropriate deadline to request the new absentee ballot has not passed . ''
That deadline has not passed .
In Michigan , another close state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' their vote until 5 pm .
on the Friday before Election Day .
Pair accused of voter intimidation in Michigan now indicted in Ohio Two men accused of voter intimidation against minorities in Michigan have been indicted on felony charges of telecommunications fraud and bribery in Ohio .
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley said John `` Jack '' Burkman , 54 , of Arlington , Virginia , and Jacob Wohl , 22 , of Los Angeles were indicted for an alleged robocalling scheme meant to intimidate voters in minority neighborhoods into not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more than 67,000 calls were made in August targeting areas of Michigan , Ohio and Pennsylvania -- three battleground states .
`` The calls purported to advise the people on the other end of the call that they ought to be very careful about asking for an absentee ballot because bill collectors were going to mine that information and come after them , '' Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said .
Report warns five states are at high risk of activity by armed groups Five states are at high risk for activity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election Day , according to a new report .
The analysis by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project ( ACLED ) and MilitiaWatch identified the states as Pennsylvania , Georgia , Michigan , Wisconsin and Oregon .
All but Oregon are regarded as tightly contested in the presidential race .
“ Militia groups and other armed non-state actors pose a serious threat to the safety and security of American voters , ” the report said .
“ Throughout the summer and leading up to the general election , these groups have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from intervening in protests to organizing kidnapping plots targeting elected officials.
” What state has the most barriers to voting ?
It might be Mississippi .
The opposition to Black voters in Mississippi has changed since the 1960s , but it has n't ended , some experts say .
There are no poll taxes anymore , no tests on the state constitution .
But voters face obstacles such as state-mandated ID laws that mostly affect poor and minority communities and the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of former prisoners .
Voters face a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a study in the Election Law Journal in 2018 , the most difficult state in which to vote .
And despite having the largest percentage of Black people of any state , a Black person has n't been elected to statewide office in 130 years .
`` Sometimes I think we beat ourselves , '' said Kim Houston , a Black woman who leads the Meridian City Council .
`` There 's this mindset that ( voting ) does n't matter , that nothing is going to change , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Read more here .
Ohio has had 11 days of more than 2,000 new cases of coronavirus in the last two weeks , but officials say the surge will not get in the way of the election in the battleground state , which has plenty of workers ready to staff polling sites .
Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Ohio recruited more than 140,000 poll workers and trained at least 50,000 to deploy to precincts on Election Day next Tuesday .
The state has been preparing for its pandemic presidential election since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mike DeWine and then-state health director Dr. Amy Acton to delay the March 17 primary election at the last minute .
`` There have been some folks wondering , 'Will election day happen as scheduled ? '
Of course it will , '' LaRose said .
`` Election Day is unchangeable ... it has been unchanged since 1843 . ''
The 64 million-plus votes already cast represent 37 % more than all pre-election votes cast for the 2016 election , according to University of Florida Professor Michael McDonald 's U.S .
Elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost half of the 139 million total votes cast four years ago .
All this , McDonald says , is good news .
Concerns about the ability to conduct an election during a pandemic appear somewhat allayed .
Not only are people voting , but they are voting over a longer period of time , thereby `` spreading out the workload '' election officials face , McDonald says .
`` Yes , there have been problems , and in many places lines are intolerably long , '' McDonald says .
`` But people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunities for them to do so by Election Day .
Americans ’ resilience and support for their democracy is very heartening in these trying times . ''
In the Sunshine State , Republicans are counting on a surge during in-person early voting and on Election Day to overcome the advantage in mail ballots notched by Democrats so far .
A week ago , Florida Democrats had cast 481,892 more votes than Republicans .
By Sunday morning , aided by in-person early voting , the lead had dropped by 119,043 votes , to 363,849 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to vote on Election Day .
Florida is among the states whose electoral college votes ( 29 ) are crucial .
To win Florida , Trump will need a solid showing with absentee voters .
In August , he backtracked on railing against mail-voting there , which he has done continually without any evidence of fraud , calling Florida an exception .
The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld Wisconsin 's voting laws , rejecting an effort to require counting any absentee ballots postmarked on or before Election Day even if they do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The court 's 5-3 ruling Monday means that absentee ballots will be counted only if they are in the hands of municipal clerks by the time polls close on Nov. 3 .
The justices determined the courts should n't decide the state 's election rules .
Democrats , their allies and some nonpartisan groups in the battleground state had argued the state law requiring absentee ballots be returned by Election Day should be loosened because of the pandemic and a slowing of mail service .
Technically , you ’ re not supposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ idiot.
” The use of the term to describe the mentally infirm has been considered derogatory for decades .
But Article V , Section 6 of the state constitution says that “ No idiot , or insane persons , shall be entitled to the privileges of an elector.
” The 170-year-old terminology was not meant for the more-common use of “ idiot ” in social media and other discourse today .
Ohio lawyer Mark Weaver said he knows of no litigation to block a particular mentally infirm person from voting .
Nor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the more modern use of the word – a foolish person – Weaver said .
“ If idiots in Ohio are not allowed to vote , all of us on Twitter would be banned , '' he said .
Indiana voters can not petition county judges to allow polling places to extend voting past 6 p.m. should problems emerge on Election Day , a federal appeals court has ruled .
A law passed by the GOP-led Legislature last year gives county election officials the sole power to make those requests .
A three-judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Appeals ruled the law does not infringe on Indiana residents ' right to vote .
The ruling also said the lower court executed poor judgment in its original ruling in September against the election law because the court acted too close to the Nov. 3 elections .
“ Just like voters had many months since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic ensued in this country this March to adjust to the election rules , the plaintiff had more than a year to challenge these amendments , ” wrote the judges , referring to voting rights group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to review misprint on thousands of ballots Election clerks asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Monday to issue an order that will allow them to make sure all votes are counted despite a misprint on tens of thousands of ballots in northeastern Wisconsin .
About 24,600 ballots in Outagamie and Calumet counties have a misprinted `` timing mark '' along their edges .
Electronic tabulators use those marks to read the ballots , and they ca n't count the ones with the errors on them .
State law does n't provide a clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the clerks are asking the justices to help them figure out what to do .
State law requires defective ballots to be remade by clerks so they can be fed into machines .
Remaking the ballots would be time-consuming , and clerks fear they will miss a deadline that requires them to tally votes by 4 p.m. on the day after the election .
A 26-year-old man has been accused of stealing a bulldozer from a Florida construction site , driving it into a neighborhood and knocking down campaign signs for Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and homeowners .
The man took the bulldozer in Haines City , Florida , on Saturday and repeatedly destroyed Biden signs in full view of people who live in the neighborhood , witnesses said .
James Blight was charged with grand theft auto and trespassing , according to the Haines City Police Department .
Former Vice Mayor Adam Burgess lives in the central Florida neighborhood , which he said is predominantly Black .
He called it a hate crime .
Election problems : What to know This cheat sheet from Columbia Journalism Review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election 2020 .
Voting problems are n't failures .
They happen every year and , as CJR notes , hiccups such as voting machines not working or polling places opening late do n't mean anything is `` rigged . ''
• Some problems , however , are significant .
CJR recommends the media scrutinize areas that have a history of voter suppression or obstructing minority voters , calling out Georgia as a place to monitor .
• Do n't expect a winner on Election Night .
This year is different because mail-in ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Previously , that number was 3 % -5 % .
It will take a while to tally .
• Seriously , expect to wait .
State vote certification deadlines differ and do n't have to be reported to the federal level until Dec. 8 .
Additionally , the Electoral College doesn ’ t meet until Dec. 14 .
Nearly 24,000 lawyers are volunteering to help voters across the country navigate changes in what has become an unprecedented election cycle .
Organizers of Election Protection , a national coalition of civil rights and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of volunteers has quadrupled since the 2016 presidential election and the 2018 midterm elections .
They ’ re bracing for even more calls as Election Day nears and in the days and weeks following .
The Election Protection hotline ( 866-OUR-VOTE ) is available all year , but calls have ramped up in recent weeks as millions started casting ballots early in some states .
The hotline has received more than 100,000 calls since July , averaging about 7,000 a day , organizers said .
At this point in 2016 , the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that year .
Headlines from elsewhere and resources on voting • From ProPublica : Their Electionland project goes deep on issues that can affect eligible voters ' ability to cast a ballot .
• From Pew/Stateline : The Barriers to the Ballot Box project takes on how changes to polling places impact communities .
• Ballotopedia : Resources and guides to not just the election , but also voting .
• Associated Press : More voting headlines that should be on your radar .
☑How to make sure your mail-in ballot is counted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Voter Guide has everything you need on registering to vote , when your state begins voting and what the candidates think about the issues .
📧For updates to your inbox , subscribe to our daily On Politics newsletter .

John Bacon, Cara Richardson and Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY

Voting 2020 live updates: Trump urges Biden voters to 'spoil' ballot and vote for him; charges of voter suppression scheme in Ohio, Michigan
Show Caption Hide Caption For early voting, voting locations or registration lookup, we can help Interested in early voting? Voting locations? Find out if you're registered to vote and happenings in your state at vote.usatoday.com USA TODAY
Voters relying on the post office to deliver their ballots should drop them in the mail today as a "common-sense measure" to ensure they arrive in time to be counted, the Postal Service says.
Most states require ballots to be received by Election Day, some earlier.
>> More live updates: Wednesday's updates on voting across the US
"Our general recommendation is that, as a common-sense measure, you mail your completed ballot before Election Day, and at least one week prior to your state’s deadline," the Postal Service said in a statement. Mail ballots have gained a high profile this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, with many voters anxious about to going to the polls in-person. (Follow Tuesday's COVID-19 news here.)
Some context: The Postal Service and its leader, Louis DeJoy, fueled controversy after ordering that some mail sorting machines be dismantled and deactivated. Overtime was barred, and carriers and trucks were required to start routes at certain times, regardless of whether the mail was ready. A lawsuit temporarily blocked the new operational changes that were criticized as causing delayed mail delivery.
News from one swing state: In Florida, ballots have been rolling in for more than a week, and with so much attention on absentee voting options, election supervisors said they expect potentially 60% of the state's registered voters to have cast ballots before Nov. 3.
More news to keep in mind: We're seven days away from Election Day. USA TODAY is keeping track of what's happening as voters around the country cast ballots. Keep refreshing this page for updates. Here are the latest:
President Donald Trump lobbied early voters who backed Democratic challenger Joe Biden to change their votes in favor of four more Trump years. But can voters do that? Some states, including Michigan and Wisconsin, do allow voters to "spoil" their ballots and vote anew in some cases.
Two men facing voter intimidation charges in Michigan have been indicted in Ohio for a voter-suppression scheme.
Clerks have asked Wisconsin's high court to issue an order that would allow them to ensure votes are counted despite a misprint on tens of thousands of ballots. Also in Wisconsin: The Supreme Court upheld current voting law, a win for the GOP.
Know your voting rights: If you encounter intimidation at the polls on Election Day, here's what to do.
Looking for a long read? Americans worried about Election Day violence and chaos are buying guns and toilet paper. Check it out here.
Votes are rolling in: Numbers compiled by the U.S. Elections Project website show at least 64.7 million people have already cast their ballots. In other numbers, the Guardian and ProPublica report 22% of registered voters in swing states have had their mail-in ballots accepted. USA TODAY's politics team has the latest updates from the campaign trail here.
Why voter suppression in the US has increased since 2013 Civil rights experts point to long wait times to vote as a sign of growing voter suppression in the U.S. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
President Donald Trump, sensing a momentum swing in his favor, on Tuesday lobbied early voters who backed Democratic challenger Joe Biden to change their votes in favor of four more Trump years. Some states, including swing state Wisconsin, do allow voters to "spoil" their ballots and vote anew in some cases.
"Strongly Trending (Google) since immediately after the second debate is CAN I CHANGE MY VOTE?," Trump tweeted. "This refers changing it to me. The answer in most states is YES. Go do it. Most important Election of your life!"
In Wisconsin, "absentee voters can request to spoil their absentee ballot and have another ballot issued as long as the appropriate deadline to request the new absentee ballot has not passed." That deadline has not passed. In Michigan, another close state, the law allows voters to "spoil" their vote until 5 pm. on the Friday before Election Day.
Two men accused of voter intimidation against minorities in Michigan have been indicted on felony charges of telecommunications fraud and bribery in Ohio.
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley said John "Jack'' Burkman, 54, of Arlington, Virginia, and Jacob Wohl, 22, of Los Angeles were indicted for an alleged robocalling scheme meant to intimidate voters in minority neighborhoods into not voting.
As part of the plot, more than 67,000 calls were made in August targeting areas of Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania -- three battleground states.
"The calls purported to advise the people on the other end of the call that they ought to be very careful about asking for an absentee ballot because bill collectors were going to mine that information and come after them,'' Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said.
-- Rick Rouan, The Columbus Dispatch
Report warns five states are at high risk of activity by armed groups
Five states are at high risk for activity by armed groups of self-styled militias around Election Day, according to a new report.
The analysis by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) and MilitiaWatch identified the states as Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin and Oregon. All but Oregon are regarded as tightly contested in the presidential race.
“Militia groups and other armed non-state actors pose a serious threat to the safety and security of American voters,” the report said. “Throughout the summer and leading up to the general election, these groups have become more assertive, with activities ranging from intervening in protests to organizing kidnapping plots targeting elected officials.”
-- J.D. Prose, Beaver County Times
The opposition to Black voters in Mississippi has changed since the 1960s, but it hasn't ended, some experts say. There are no poll taxes anymore, no tests on the state constitution. But voters face obstacles such as state-mandated ID laws that mostly affect poor and minority communities and the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of former prisoners.
Voters face a series of government-created barriers that make it, according to a study in the Election Law Journal in 2018, the most difficult state in which to vote. And despite having the largest percentage of Black people of any state, a Black person hasn't been elected to statewide office in 130 years.
"Sometimes I think we beat ourselves," said Kim Houston, a Black woman who leads the Meridian City Council. "There's this mindset that (voting) doesn't matter, that nothing is going to change, that the election system is rigged." Read more here.
Elections 2020: Mail-in voting could decide next president Many states are planning on drastically different elections this year and mail-in ballots could be a big game changer. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Ohio has had 11 days of more than 2,000 new cases of coronavirus in the last two weeks, but officials say the surge will not get in the way of the election in the battleground state, which has plenty of workers ready to staff polling sites.
Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Ohio recruited more than 140,000 poll workers and trained at least 50,000 to deploy to precincts on Election Day next Tuesday. The state has been preparing for its pandemic presidential election since the spring, when the virus led Gov. Mike DeWine and then-state health director Dr. Amy Acton to delay the March 17 primary election at the last minute.
"There have been some folks wondering, 'Will election day happen as scheduled?' Of course it will,'' LaRose said. "Election Day is unchangeable ... it has been unchanged since 1843."
-- Max Filby, The Columbus Dispatch
The 64 million-plus votes already cast represent 37% more than all pre-election votes cast for the 2016 election, according to University of Florida Professor Michael McDonald's U.S. Elections Project.
The current vote total is almost half of the 139 million total votes cast four years ago. All this, McDonald says, is good news. Concerns about the ability to conduct an election during a pandemic appear somewhat allayed. Not only are people voting, but they are voting over a longer period of time, thereby "spreading out the workload" election officials face, McDonald says.
"Yes, there have been problems, and in many places lines are intolerably long," McDonald says. "But people are voting. And there are more opportunities for them to do so by Election Day. Americans’ resilience and support for their democracy is very heartening in these trying times."
In the Sunshine State, Republicans are counting on a surge during in-person early voting and on Election Day to overcome the advantage in mail ballots notched by Democrats so far. A week ago, Florida Democrats had cast 481,892 more votes than Republicans. By Sunday morning, aided by in-person early voting, the lead had dropped by 119,043 votes, to 363,849.
Nationwide, most Republican voters are expected to vote on Election Day. Florida is among the states whose electoral college votes (29) are crucial. To win Florida, Trump will need a solid showing with absentee voters. In August, he backtracked on railing against mail-voting there, which he has done continually without any evidence of fraud, calling Florida an exception.
– Zac Anderson, Sarasota Herald-Tribune; Ledyard King, USA TODAY
The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld Wisconsin's voting laws, rejecting an effort to require counting any absentee ballots postmarked on or before Election Day even if they don't reach election officials on time. The court's 5-3 ruling Monday means that absentee ballots will be counted only if they are in the hands of municipal clerks by the time polls close on Nov. 3. The justices determined the courts shouldn't decide the state's election rules.
Democrats, their allies and some nonpartisan groups in the battleground state had argued the state law requiring absentee ballots be returned by Election Day should be loosened because of the pandemic and a slowing of mail service.
– Patrick Marley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Technically, you’re not supposed to vote in Ohio if you are an “idiot.” The use of the term to describe the mentally infirm has been considered derogatory for decades. But Article V, Section 6 of the state constitution says that “No idiot, or insane persons, shall be entitled to the privileges of an elector.”
The 170-year-old terminology was not meant for the more-common use of “idiot” in social media and other discourse today. Ohio lawyer Mark Weaver said he knows of no litigation to block a particular mentally infirm person from voting. Nor has the law been tapped based on the more modern use of the word – a foolish person – Weaver said.
“If idiots in Ohio are not allowed to vote, all of us on Twitter would be banned," he said.
– Marc Kovac, The Columbus Dispatch
Indiana voters cannot petition county judges to allow polling places to extend voting past 6 p.m. should problems emerge on Election Day, a federal appeals court has ruled. A law passed by the GOP-led Legislature last year gives county election officials the sole power to make those requests.
A three-judge panel on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the law does not infringe on Indiana residents' right to vote. The ruling also said the lower court executed poor judgment in its original ruling in September against the election law because the court acted too close to the Nov. 3 elections.
“Just like voters had many months since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic ensued in this country this March to adjust to the election rules, the plaintiff had more than a year to challenge these amendments,” wrote the judges, referring to voting rights group Common Cause Indiana.
– Johnny Magdaleno, Indianapolis Star
Election clerks asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Monday to issue an order that will allow them to make sure all votes are counted despite a misprint on tens of thousands of ballots in northeastern Wisconsin.
About 24,600 ballots in Outagamie and Calumet counties have a misprinted "timing mark" along their edges. Electronic tabulators use those marks to read the ballots, and they can't count the ones with the errors on them.
State law doesn't provide a clear way to address the problem, and the clerks are asking the justices to help them figure out what to do. State law requires defective ballots to be remade by clerks so they can be fed into machines. Remaking the ballots would be time-consuming, and clerks fear they will miss a deadline that requires them to tally votes by 4 p.m. on the day after the election.
– Patrick Marley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A 26-year-old man has been accused of stealing a bulldozer from a Florida construction site, driving it into a neighborhood and knocking down campaign signs for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, according to authorities and homeowners.
The man took the bulldozer in Haines City, Florida, on Saturday and repeatedly destroyed Biden signs in full view of people who live in the neighborhood, witnesses said. James Blight was charged with grand theft auto and trespassing, according to the Haines City Police Department.
Former Vice Mayor Adam Burgess lives in the central Florida neighborhood, which he said is predominantly Black. He called it a hate crime.
This cheat sheet from Columbia Journalism Review offers tips for media organizations reporting on Election 2020.
Voting problems aren't failures. They happen every year and, as CJR notes, hiccups such as voting machines not working or polling places opening late don't mean anything is "rigged."
Some problems, however, are significant. CJR recommends the media scrutinize areas that have a history of voter suppression or obstructing minority voters, calling out Georgia as a place to monitor.
CJR recommends the media scrutinize areas that have a history of voter suppression or obstructing minority voters, calling out Georgia as a place to monitor. Don't expect a winner on Election Night . This year is different because mail-in ballots could be as high as 30%. Previously, that number was 3%-5%. It will take a while to tally.
. This year is different because mail-in ballots could be as high as 30%. Previously, that number was 3%-5%. It will take a while to tally. Seriously, expect to wait. State vote certification deadlines differ and don't have to be reported to the federal level until Dec. 8. Additionally, the Electoral College doesn’t meet until Dec. 14.
Nearly 24,000 lawyers are volunteering to help voters across the country navigate changes in what has become an unprecedented election cycle. Organizers of Election Protection, a national coalition of civil rights and voting rights groups, said the number of volunteers has quadrupled since the 2016 presidential election and the 2018 midterm elections. They’re bracing for even more calls as Election Day nears and in the days and weeks following.
The Election Protection hotline (866-OUR-VOTE) is available all year, but calls have ramped up in recent weeks as millions started casting ballots early in some states. The hotline has received more than 100,000 calls since July, averaging about 7,000 a day, organizers said. At this point in 2016, the group had fielded 21,000 calls since January of that year.
– Deborah Barfield Berry
From ProPublica: Their Electionland project goes deep on issues that can affect eligible voters' ability to cast a ballot.
Their Electionland project goes deep on issues that can affect eligible voters' ability to cast a ballot. From Pew/Stateline: The Barriers to the Ballot Box project takes on how changes to polling places impact communities.
The Barriers to the Ballot Box project takes on how changes to polling places impact communities. Ballotopedia : Resources and guides to not just the election, but also voting.
: Resources and guides to not just the election, but also voting. Associated Press: More voting headlines that should be on your radar.
☑How to make sure your mail-in ballot is counted and not discarded.
🗳 USA TODAY's Voter Guide has everything you need on registering to vote, when your state begins voting and what the candidates think about the issues.
📧For updates to your inbox, subscribe to our daily On Politics newsletter.
Contributing: Associated Press


usatoday--2020-10-27--Winnable but not yet won: Why Joe Biden and Mike Pence are both headed to Iowa this week

DES MOINES – Republican Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden will campaign in Iowa this week , underscoring how competitive the state has become in the closing days of the 2020 presidential race .
Pence will hold a `` Make America Great Again '' rally at the Des Moines International Airport Thursday afternoon , roughly two weeks after President Donald Trump held a similar rally there .
Biden will travel to Iowa Friday , though further details were not yet available .
According to his campaign , he plans to discuss `` bringing Americans together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and win the battle for the soul of the nation . ''
It will be his first in-person trip to Iowa during the general election .
He last campaigned here ahead of Iowa 's Democratic caucuses in February .
The pair of visits , as well as Trump 's rally earlier this month , indicate that both campaigns see the state as winnable but not yet won .
A September Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll showed both candidates polling neck and neck at 47 % to 47 % .
A Real Clear Politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by less than 1 percentage point : 47.2 % to 46.4 % .
At his October rally , Trump said he was `` concerned '' about polling that showed him with a relatively small lead in the state .
“ Nobody 's going to do for Iowa what I did for Iowa , '' he said .
The Trump event drew several thousand attendees , prompting concern from public health experts who worried it could act as a `` superspreader '' event for the coronavirus .
Pence is unlikely to draw as large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , some have questioned whether Pence should be maintaining his travel schedule after several of his aides , including his chief of staff , tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend .
Pence 's latest Iowa rally , on Thursday , is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. , and doors will open at 11:30 a.m .
The visit will be sandwiched between stops in Wisconsin , on Wednesday , and an evening visit to Nevada on Thursday .
The Biden campaign has not yet said how his event would be structured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally .
He said that visit was an effort to `` distract '' from the toll the pandemic has taken on Iowans .
Coronavirus case numbers in Iowa continue to climb .
At 10 a.m. Monday , the state was reporting 116,452 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 1,636 COVID-19-related deaths .
The state is seeing record hospitalization numbers related to the virus .
Though Biden has not appeared in Iowa in person since this year 's caucuses , he and his running mate , U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris , have recorded remarks for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats .
The campaign has also dispatched Biden 's wife , Jill Biden , and Harris ' husband , Doug Emhoff , here on its behalf .
As of Monday , 751,386 Iowans have voted early — choosing either to mail an absentee ballot , drop one in a secure dropbox or vote early in person at a county election office .
With a week still to go before Election Day , that substantially outpaces the 653,438 early votes that were cast in the entire 2016 general election .
• Here 's what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , plus info about the candidates , their stances , fact checks • Early voting has begun .
Here 's what you need to know about absentee ballots and voting early in Iowa • The weirdest Iowa election year ever winds to a close with competitive races , massive unknowns Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register .
Reach her at bpfann @ dmreg.com or 515-284-8244 .
Follow her on Twitter at @ brianneDMR .

Brianne Pfannenstiel, Des Moines Register

Winnable but not yet won: Why Joe Biden and Mike Pence are both headed to Iowa this week
Show Caption Hide Caption For early voting, voting locations or registration lookup, we can help Interested in early voting? Voting locations? Find out if you're registered to vote and happenings in your state at vote.usatoday.com USA TODAY
DES MOINES – Republican Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden will campaign in Iowa this week, underscoring how competitive the state has become in the closing days of the 2020 presidential race.
Pence will hold a "Make America Great Again" rally at the Des Moines International Airport Thursday afternoon, roughly two weeks after President Donald Trump held a similar rally there.
Biden will travel to Iowa Friday, though further details were not yet available. According to his campaign, he plans to discuss "bringing Americans together to address the crises facing the country and win the battle for the soul of the nation." It will be his first in-person trip to Iowa during the general election. He last campaigned here ahead of Iowa's Democratic caucuses in February.
The pair of visits, as well as Trump's rally earlier this month, indicate that both campaigns see the state as winnable but not yet won.
A September Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll showed both candidates polling neck and neck at 47% to 47%. A Real Clear Politics rolling average of polls shows Biden leading by less than 1 percentage point: 47.2% to 46.4%.
At his October rally, Trump said he was "concerned" about polling that showed him with a relatively small lead in the state.
“Nobody's going to do for Iowa what I did for Iowa," he said.
Electoral College vs. the popular vote, explained President Trump and President George W. Bush won the electoral vote during the election, but not the popular vote. How does the electoral college work? Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Coronavirus looms
The Trump event drew several thousand attendees, prompting concern from public health experts who worried it could act as a "superspreader" event for the coronavirus.
Pence is unlikely to draw as large a crowd as the president did. However, some have questioned whether Pence should be maintaining his travel schedule after several of his aides, including his chief of staff, tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend.
Pence's latest Iowa rally, on Thursday, is set to begin at 1:30 p.m., and doors will open at 11:30 a.m. The visit will be sandwiched between stops in Wisconsin, on Wednesday, and an evening visit to Nevada on Thursday.
The Biden campaign has not yet said how his event would be structured, though he criticized Trump's October rally. He said that visit was an effort to "distract" from the toll the pandemic has taken on Iowans.
Coronavirus case numbers in Iowa continue to climb. At 10 a.m. Monday, the state was reporting 116,452 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 1,636 COVID-19-related deaths. The state is seeing record hospitalization numbers related to the virus.
Though Biden has not appeared in Iowa in person since this year's caucuses, he and his running mate, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, have recorded remarks for several virtual events and fundraisers for Iowa Democrats. The campaign has also dispatched Biden's wife, Jill Biden, and Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, here on its behalf.
As of Monday, 751,386 Iowans have voted early — choosing either to mail an absentee ballot, drop one in a secure dropbox or vote early in person at a county election office. With a week still to go before Election Day, that substantially outpaces the 653,438 early votes that were cast in the entire 2016 general election.
More:
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.


usatoday--2020-10-27--Here's what motivates Asian American voters, the fastest growing electorate in the country

Here 's what motivates Asian American voters , the fastest growing electorate in the country Asian Americans are the fastest @ @ @ @ @ .
USA TODAY 's States of America discusses what motivates them in elections .

Asian American voters: Policies that motivate the growing electorate
Asian Americans are the fastest growing electorate in the country. USA TODAY's States of America discusses what motivates them in elections.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-10-27--Michigan voters: 1 million absentee ballots not yet returned as Election Day nears

DETROIT – With only 7 days left in this election , approximately 1 Michigan million voters who have requested absentee ballots have yet to successfully return them .
That does n't mean these voters wo n't return them .
There 's still plenty of time to fill out and cast an absentee ballot .
But if you 're someone with a completed absentee ballot in hand , the office of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is encouraging you to take that ballot directly to your clerk or put it in the appropriate drop box .
The office is recommending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only those ballots received by 8 p.m. on Election Day will be counted .
`` It 's too close , and there 's no reason to have that uncertainty over them , '' said Benson spokesman Jake Rollow .
More : Early voting in Michigan : Answering your most frequently asked questions More : The Michiganders ' guide to voting in the 2020 election As of Tuesday , more than 3.1 million Michigan voters have requested absentee ballots .
About 2.1 million have returned them , Rollow said .
This year , Benson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be cast using absentee ballots .
With voter turnout expected to be above 5 million people , that means approximately 2 million people may head to the polls on Nov. 3 .
“ Citizens who already have an absentee ballot should sign the back of the envelope and hand-deliver it to their city or township clerk ’ s office or ballot drop box as soon as possible .
Voters who haven ’ t yet received their ballot should go to their clerk ’ s office to request it in person .
They can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and submit it all in one trip , '' Benson said in a news release .
Voters who requested an absentee ballot may still vote in person , as long as they follow the correct procedure , Rollow said .
That requires notifying your clerk you do not intend to cast your absentee ballot , or bringing your non-completed ballot with you to your precinct and surrendering it on Election Day .
More : Michigan absentee voters : It 's too late to mail your ballot .
Drop it off .
More : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure your ballot counts There is still time to request an absentee ballot , but you 'll need to act quickly.. You must apply for that absentee ballot in person .
If you choose to cast an absentee ballot , make sure you sign the outside of the envelope .
If you have an absentee ballot and you are trying to return it on Election Day , do not take the ballot to your polling place .
Take it directly to your local clerk .
Other tips for voters weighing their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already , can I change my vote ?
• Yep !
You 'll need to spoil your ballot .
The process involves going to your clerk 's office and providing a written declaration that you want to essentially void the absentee ballot you already cast .
• Once you 've done this , you can request and cast a new absentee ballot , or vote in person on Election Day .
• If you want to do this , get it done sooner rather than later .
You ca n't spoil a ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already received it .
• What if I still have my absentee ballot , I have n't filled it out , and I want to vote in person on Election Day ?
• You 're still in luck .
Rollow suggests bringing that ballot with you to the polls .
You 'll surrender that ballot at the precinct , then cast your ballot in person .
• You can always take your incomplete ( or completed ! )
ballot back to the clerk 's office ahead of Nov. 3 as well .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has n't arrived yet .
Now what ?
• It never hurts to call your clerk .
If you just applied yesterday or the day before , Rollow says you can still wait a day or two .
But if you applied last week or earlier and still do not have your ballot , call your clerk or go to the office .
• Either way , whenever you get your ballot , take it back to your clerk 's office in person !
Avoid putting it in the mail .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Has the clerk received it ?
• If the website or clerk says your ballot is not yet received , be prepared to vote in person on Election Day .
• Even if you sent in an absentee ballot , you can go to your precinct on Election Day .
Your clerk will know you 've already requested an absentee ballot .
The precinct worker should either tell you the clerk has received your absentee ballot , or issue you a provisional ballot .
Only one vote will count .
• I want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What should I know ?
• Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m .
If you are in line at a polling place before 8 p.m. but not at a voting booth by the time polls officially close , stay in line !
You 're allowed to vote as long as you are in line by 8 p.m. • Bring a form of photo identification .
If you do n't have one though , you 're still allowed to vote .
You 'll just need to sign an affidavit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask .
Although it 's not required , health experts urge voters to wear a mask any time they enter an enclosed space where they will be around other people .
Contact Dave Boucher at dboucher @ freepress.com or 313-938-4591 .
Follow him on Twitter @ Dave_Boucher1.

Michigan voters: 1 million absentee ballots not yet returned as Election Day nears
Show Caption Hide Caption How to vote by absentee ballot in Michigan: Step by step Want to vote by mail due to COVID-19, but not sure how to go about it? We explain how to vote absentee in Michigan leading into the election. Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press
DETROIT – With only 7 days left in this election, approximately 1 Michigan million voters who have requested absentee ballots have yet to successfully return them.
That doesn't mean these voters won't return them. There's still plenty of time to fill out and cast an absentee ballot.
But if you're someone with a completed absentee ballot in hand, the office of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is encouraging you to take that ballot directly to your clerk or put it in the appropriate drop box.
The office is recommending avoiding the mail — in Michigan, only those ballots received by 8 p.m. on Election Day will be counted.
"It's too close, and there's no reason to have that uncertainty over them," said Benson spokesman Jake Rollow.
More: Early voting in Michigan: Answering your most frequently asked questions
More: The Michiganders' guide to voting in the 2020 election
Elections 2020: Mail-in voting could decide next president Many states are planning on drastically different elections this year and mail-in ballots could be a big game changer. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
As of Tuesday, more than 3.1 million Michigan voters have requested absentee ballots. About 2.1 million have returned them, Rollow said.
This year, Benson expects possibly two-thirds of all votes to be cast using absentee ballots. With voter turnout expected to be above 5 million people, that means approximately 2 million people may head to the polls on Nov. 3.
“Citizens who already have an absentee ballot should sign the back of the envelope and hand-deliver it to their city or township clerk’s office or ballot drop box as soon as possible. Voters who haven’t yet received their ballot should go to their clerk’s office to request it in person. They can fill it out, sign the envelope and submit it all in one trip," Benson said in a news release.
Voters who requested an absentee ballot may still vote in person, as long as they follow the correct procedure, Rollow said. That requires notifying your clerk you do not intend to cast your absentee ballot, or bringing your non-completed ballot with you to your precinct and surrendering it on Election Day.
More: Michigan absentee voters: It's too late to mail your ballot. Drop it off.
More: Michigan voters: Avoid these 3 mistakes to make sure your ballot counts
There is still time to request an absentee ballot, but you'll need to act quickly.. You must apply for that absentee ballot in person.
If you choose to cast an absentee ballot, make sure you sign the outside of the envelope. If you have an absentee ballot and you are trying to return it on Election Day, do not take the ballot to your polling place. Take it directly to your local clerk.
Other tips for voters weighing their options:
If I've voted already, can I change my vote? Yep! You'll need to spoil your ballot. The process involves going to your clerk's office and providing a written declaration that you want to essentially void the absentee ballot you already cast. Once you've done this, you can request and cast a new absentee ballot, or vote in person on Election Day. If you want to do this, get it done sooner rather than later. You can't spoil a ballot on Election Day if the clerk has already received it.
What if I still have my absentee ballot, I haven't filled it out, and I want to vote in person on Election Day? You're still in luck. Rollow suggests bringing that ballot with you to the polls. You'll surrender that ballot at the precinct, then cast your ballot in person. You can always take your incomplete (or completed!) ballot back to the clerk's office ahead of Nov. 3 as well.
I've requested an absentee ballot but it hasn't arrived yet. Now what? It never hurts to call your clerk. If you just applied yesterday or the day before, Rollow says you can still wait a day or two. But if you applied last week or earlier and still do not have your ballot, call your clerk or go to the office. Either way, whenever you get your ballot, take it back to your clerk's office in person! Avoid putting it in the mail.
I've mailed my absentee ballot. Has the clerk received it? Check michigan.gov/vote or call your clerk. If the website or clerk says your ballot is not yet received, be prepared to vote in person on Election Day. Even if you sent in an absentee ballot, you can go to your precinct on Election Day. Your clerk will know you've already requested an absentee ballot. The precinct worker should either tell you the clerk has received your absentee ballot, or issue you a provisional ballot. Only one vote will count.
I want to vote in person on Election Day. What should I know? Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. If you are in line at a polling place before 8 p.m. but not at a voting booth by the time polls officially close, stay in line! You're allowed to vote as long as you are in line by 8 p.m. Bring a form of photo identification. If you don't have one though, you're still allowed to vote. You'll just need to sign an affidavit affirming your identity. Wear a mask. Although it's not required, health experts urge voters to wear a mask any time they enter an enclosed space where they will be around other people.
Contact Dave Boucher at dboucher@freepress.com or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.


usatoday--2020-10-27--One week until Election Day. Here's what you need to know

We 're now exactly one week away from Election Day .
More than 62 million people had already voted early as of Monday , either in-person or by mail , and the figure could reach more than 85 million before Election Day .
Overall turnout might surpass 150 million .
Early voting begins for registered voters in Massachusetts and Washington , D.C. For prospective voters in Connecticut , today is the last day to register to vote by mail and online .
However , you can still register to vote in-person on Election Day .
Not sure if you 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at vote.usatoday.com .
It takes less than two minutes .
On the campaign trail Joe Biden 's campaign heads south on Tuesday , with the former vice president stumping in Georgia as his former boss , President Barack Obama , encourages Floridians to vote at an Orlando rally .
President Donald Trump campaigns in Michigan and Wisconsin today before heading to Nebraska .
Trump and Republicans completed their sprint to get Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court before Election Day .
Trump rushed back from the campaign trail in Pennsylvania Monday night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice presidential candidates Sen. Kamala Harris campaigns in Reno , Nevada , and Las Vegas Tuesday while Vice President Mike Pence gives speeches in South Carolina and North Carolina .
Voters relying on the post office to deliver their ballots should drop them in the mail today as a `` common-sense measure '' to ensure they arrive in time to be counted , the U.S .
Postal Service says .
`` Our general recommendation is that , as a common-sense measure , you mail your completed ballot before Election Day , and at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s deadline , '' the Postal Service said in a statement .
USA TODAY is keeping track of what 's happening as voters around the country cast ballots .
Here 's the latest news : • Clerks have asked Wisconsin 's high court to issue an order that would allow them to ensure votes are counted despite a misprint on tens of thousands of ballots .
• Also in Wisconsin : The Supreme Court upheld current voting law , a win for the GOP .
• A Florida man is accused of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signs in yards in a predominantly Black neighborhood .
What else you need to know • Donald Trump made many promises in 2016 and early in his term .
Which has he kept and what is he still working on ?
• Here 's when we might know the next president and how each candidate could claim victory • Know your voting rights : If you encounter intimidation at the polls on Election Day , here 's what to do .
Want us to text you election updates ?
USA TODAY launched election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the important updates this historic election year wraps up .
Sign up here !
Or you can stay up to date with easy-to-digest political stories delivered straight to your inbox .
Sign up for our OnPolitics newsletter .

One week until Election Day. Here's what you need to know
Show Caption Hide Caption Biden doesn't want events to be 'super-spreaders' Joe Biden told supporters in Pennsylvania on Saturday that he misses up-close campaigning but doesn't want events to become "super-spreaders."(Oct. 24) AP
We're now exactly one week away from Election Day.
More than 62 million people had already voted early as of Monday, either in-person or by mail, and the figure could reach more than 85 million before Election Day. Overall turnout might surpass 150 million.
Early voting begins for registered voters in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. For prospective voters in Connecticut, today is the last day to register to vote by mail and online. However, you can still register to vote in-person on Election Day.
Not sure if you're registered to vote? Check your status at vote.usatoday.com. It takes less than two minutes.
Today in #Election2020:
• There are 7 days until Election Day
• Washington, D.C. and Massachusetts start early voting
• It's the last day to register to vote by mail and online in Connecticut. But you can register to vote in person on Election Day. pic.twitter.com/31mg8cO0VQ — USA TODAY Politics (@usatodayDC) October 27, 2020
On the campaign trail
Joe Biden's campaign heads south on Tuesday, with the former vice president stumping in Georgia as his former boss, President Barack Obama, encourages Floridians to vote at an Orlando rally.
President Donald Trump campaigns in Michigan and Wisconsin today before heading to Nebraska.
Trump and Republicans completed their sprint to get Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court before Election Day. Trump rushed back from the campaign trail in Pennsylvania Monday night, following the Senate's confirmation.
Vice presidential candidates Sen. Kamala Harris campaigns in Reno, Nevada, and Las Vegas Tuesday while Vice President Mike Pence gives speeches in South Carolina and North Carolina.
Voting updates
Voters relying on the post office to deliver their ballots should drop them in the mail today as a "common-sense measure" to ensure they arrive in time to be counted, the U.S. Postal Service says.
"Our general recommendation is that, as a common-sense measure, you mail your completed ballot before Election Day, and at least one week prior to your state’s deadline," the Postal Service said in a statement.
USA TODAY is keeping track of what's happening as voters around the country cast ballots. Here's the latest news:
Clerks have asked Wisconsin's high court to issue an order that would allow them to ensure votes are counted despite a misprint on tens of thousands of ballots.
Also in Wisconsin: The Supreme Court upheld current voting law, a win for the GOP.
A Florida man is accused of stealing a bulldozer to run over Biden-Harris signs in yards in a predominantly Black neighborhood.
What else you need to know
Want us to text you election updates?
USA TODAY launched election texting, where we'll give you all the important updates this historic election year wraps up. Sign up here! Or you can stay up to date with easy-to-digest political stories delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for our OnPolitics newsletter.


usatoday--2020-10-27--Jared Kushner slammed for comments about Black Americans on Fox News

Jared Kushner slammed for comments about Black Americans on Fox News When asked about Trump 's policies for Black Americans @ @ @ @ @ `` He ca n't want them to be successful more than they want to be @ @ @

Jared Kushner criticized for comments on Black Americans
When asked about Trump's policies for Black Americans, Jared Kushner said, "He can't want them to be successful more than they want to be successful."
USA TODAY