As Politico reports, President Trump is again saying the quiet part out loud regarding efforts to increase mail-in voting options around the country:
President Donald Trump on Wednesday directed Republicans to “fight very hard” against efforts to expand mail-in voting amid the coronavirus pandemic, suggesting that such a shift in ballot-casting practices would yield unfavorable electoral results for the GOP. [Pols emphasis]
“Republicans should fight very hard when it comes to statewide mail-in voting. Democrats are clamoring for it,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Tremendous potential for voter fraud, and for whatever reason, doesn’t work out well for Republicans.”…
…The president fiercely criticized mail-in voting as “horrible” and “corrupt” during the White House coronavirus task force’s daily news conference Tuesday, but also conceded that he voted by mail in Florida’s primary last month.
Trump offered no legitimate explanation for the discrepancy between his position on mail-in voting and his personal voting habits, but insisted “there’s a big difference between somebody that’s out of state and does a ballot, and everything’s sealed, certified and everything else.”
Nobody with even a partially-functioning brain will be confused by what Trump is saying here: Republicans win in November 2020 if fewer Americans vote. Period.
Partisan politics aside, there are plenty of good reasons to support mail-in voting — just ask anybody in Wisconsin. Heck, just ask anybody here in Colorado, where mail balloting has gone smoothly for years. More people voting is a good thing, regardless of who they vote for.
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Just remember who recently voted by mail.
Hey…he eats hypocrisy smeared on his bagel…who cares about a little "good for thee, but not for me"?
COVID or no COVID, standing in long lines at a polling center to vote on one single day is a gigantic and unnecessary waste of time. Instead, you could just fill out your ballot at home, clothing optional, and drop it off at your own leisure (clothing probably required for this step). Much more better!
There are few goals higher in the GOP firmament than voter suppression. It is their best hope.
The longer the lines the better.
At least the Republicans believe that to be the case.
538 has two relevant articles about turn out, early voting, and who it would benefit.
It turns out that early voting and the mail ballot do not actually increase voting. It just makes it less awful for the people who already vote.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/early-voting-laws-probably-dont-boost-turnout/
This is largely a concern for liberals and progressives because they actually care about how much government costs people. Conservatives largely think, “Fuck everyone! Everything should be hard because life is hard and it needs hard people who make everything as hard as possible. HARD! You should need to charge a mine field to vote!” Plus they believe if they just make it hard enough the “wrong” people will stop voting. Probably those bastards who don’t have 20 guns at home.
More recently 538 dug a bit into non-voter’s preferences and found that in some states like Pennsylvania and Florida it looks like increased turn out would benefit Republicans. On the other hand it would help Democrats a bit in Wisconsin and Michigan. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/increased-voter-turnout-could-benefit-republicans-or-democrats-in-2020/
You can support Senator Klobuchar’s bill here.
There is much more voter fraud in Colorado than either party will admit. It's just too easy.
Not true. But on those race occasions, it's usually a Republican committing the voter fraud.
Proof?
I remember Jon Caldera committing vote fraud. (R)
I remember that woman in Vail – who voted at her vacation home and re residence (R)
But you want to make a tall bs statement like that – proof will be required.
I think we should take Moderatus at his word that lots of voter fraud is happening. He knows this to be the case because he’s doing it. Taking a relative or neighbor’s ballot whenever he thinks he can get away with it. Using a fake address, etc.
Hey nutlid. What do you say about Trump's statement that if turnout is higher, Republicans lose?
Also, do you have COVID? Are you working at your government office right now? Or were you sent home, for being nonessential personnel?
Wait, what? Moderatus has a GOVERNMENT JOB?! He's NOT a mighty Galtian ubermensch scoring victory after victory in the rough and tumble private sector but rather a beta soyboy latched to the public teat? *faints*
Moddy’s real name is tinky holloway…
Must remember that one.
Atlas Boofed ftw
Den E, the 538 article looked at overall voter turnout and noted that early voting didn’t boost that overall number. The author didn’t look at demographics or party affiliation, but Trump certainly is, and we should, as well. Early voting, by itself, addresses only a third of the problem.
Fair Fight, Stacey Abrams’ voter protection organization, started out advocating for suppressed voters in Georgia. Most impartial observers thought that Abrams would have won the GA governorship without the blatant voter suppression by Brian Kemp, then Secretary of State, and later Governor.
Those suppressed were mostly black, and other working class voters. Now, Fair Fight works in 18 states, and has identified three areas of focus to ensure voters can exercise their rights:
Voter Registration, Ballot Access, and Ballot Counting
Of those three areas, early voting only helps with ballot access. Quality, exciting candidates, positive messages, and GOTV increase voter registration, and the lawsuits Fair Fight, the ACLU, and others are pursuing should help ensure ballots are counted. Universal mail in ballots improves ballot access, and ballot counting, since there is a hard copy record of every vote.
All of these reforms- not just early voting- are needed to ensure voters are able to vote, and to preserve our democracy.
Thanks for that info, kwt.