Every chance they get, modern-day Republicans will invent new ways to strip us of the value of our vote. Case in point:
This week in Ohio, there is a Special Issue-Based Election that will change the rules by which the people can change the state Constitution, because there is a ballot initiative in November to protect abortion rights in …
Every chance they get, modern-day Republicans will invent new ways to strip us of the value of our vote. Case in point:
This week in Ohio, there is a Special Issue-Based Election that will change the rules by which the people can change the state Constitution, because there is a ballot initiative in November to protect abortion rights in the state Constitution, thereby spoiling their 6-week abortion ban. This is the same state legislature who banned August Special Elections, because it was too difficult to get voters to the polls; but they made this last exception. Why? Well the measure changes the threshold to pass a ballot initiative from a simple 50%+1 to 60%, which is statistically improbable, given ballot initiatives of the last 20 years, (none have passed 59% majority). So now, approximately 25% of Ohio’s voting population is going to make all Ohioans pay by closing the door of democracy in their state.
We all must vote - in every election, for every candidate, and for every ballot initiative and ballot question, without fail. The trixters lie in wait, to catch us sleeping.
According to Vote Forward, more than 275,000 letters were sent to Ohio voters for tomorrow's election. I managed 200 and plan to do at least that many for the November vote.
As I understand it, the vote in November is about the abortion rights for Ohio.
Tomorrow's election: "Ohio will hold a special election on August 8 to determine if the threshold for amending the state's constitution should be raised. If passed, Issue 1 would raise the threshold for passing future constitutional changes from a simple majority, as it's been for more than a century, to 60%." Obviously, it would be hard to attain 60% as opposed to 51%.
So yes, if Issue 1 is passed, Ohio will have to work harder to have their abortion rights initiative passed.
Great! Sending postal cards is today's replacement for knocking on doors. Nationally, check this out at activateamerica.vote where some address lists are available for selected elections and there are local sources of addresses as well.
It’s probably too late to send postcards unless you live in OH, but there are also phone banks and text chains you can join.
If you join a postcard club, they will keep you busy all year with special elections and the lesser-known elections of consequence. These wonderful volunteers keep the spotlight on elections that most Republicans want voters to ignore.
kdsherpa, there are phone banks going on today and tomorrow to reach out to OH voters to get out the vote. Here's a link to signup for one with the DNC. You'll get training on the dialer and on the campaign itself. It's a great dialer too - very easy to use. We've been phone banking in OH and will continue today and tomorrow. Hope to see you there!
Vote Forward votefwd.org is for letters to voters. VF provides letter templates to which the sender adds a sentence or two plus salutation & signature (first name and initial), then addresses the envelope. You can opt for 5 or 20 addressees. I found that far easier than postcards which cramp my hand writing several sentences on half of a postcard.
Postcards to Voters postcardstovoters.org/ is one of several sources for names & messages for sending postcard. My experience from early this year was that they provide 50 addressees at a time.
Lynell, do you know if anyone is running postcards campaigns in favor of Ted Cruz's opponents? A couple of friends want to do that, one current Texan and one former Texan, and so far, I'm not finding anything. It looks like their best bet is to contact the opponent's campaign directly.
That is an excellent point. We need to make it clear to ALL minorities - YOU MUST VOTE DEMOCRATIC. Whatever your concerns and grievances are, they will only be made worse and never cured by a Republican-controlled government. This is our "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" moment. If we don't walk away with a victory againt Trump and Trumpism, Democracy will be left lying in the dust. It can't get more serious than this. We desperately need to recognize this.
OUR LORD !, Had John, in the Right Place !. AND, The RIGHT TIME ! , . When His " FAMOUS THUMB ! .............Swung, ! , DOWNWARD " . BRAVO ! , For Our TRUE !, VETERANS !! ( PS ! HE'S An "ON TIME !" . GOD ! , ........Yes !, HE IS ! )
The usual turnout for August elections is 7%. That’s why they were made illegal. Most people don’t turn out for special elections, and the first 3 weeks of August is a stretch when people go on summer vacations. Please, find a phone bank to call Democrats with today or even tomorrow, even if you can only spare an hour! Go to mobilize.com and they’ll show you what’s available.
Not all states have early in person voting or mail in ballots. Here in NH, there is neither. The only option to in person voting is to request an absentee ballot and there are rules that mandate the conditions one may apply for one. One can online download the application but this must be done in a timely manner since one has to allow mail in time for processing the application or to go to the Town Clerk in person to apply for one in person.
Timmy Taes Writes Timmy’s Substack - "Paper in person ballots are the way to go."
In what way is that superior?
I have for the past 20+ years voted (in every election) by mail. In that time there has never been a single piece of evidence that mail-in ballots were less valid than in-person votes... although it is much more convenient and increases participation.
(FWIW, prior to that (30 years) I missed voting in a great number of elections. And even then, it was simply quickly voting along party lines because after waiting in a queue and knowing others were suffering the same behind me, I simply wanted it over with as quickly as possible.)
I too have voted for over 20 years by mail and there have been very few snags. The prominent one occurred in Clackastan (Clackamus County) where a R poll worker marked placers on ballots that voters had left unmarked. The clerk there was incompetent and gave way too much leeway to the party of death. Finally, she was defeated last election and so elections in that county will go much smoother and be more honest. After the incident, btw, two people open ballots, one D and one R.
Fact Check; FALSE. All folks in the County can physically vote at a "Vote Center". The Sonima County Registrar of Voters has the granular data posted.
I am assertimg to Substack Inc that intentional misinformation by anyone is a breach of the 2023 Publisher's Agreement to be mediated at JAMS SF putting aside the bssue of other legal remedies for overt acts disrupting Constitutional rights in Sonoma County or anywhere in the United States.
In my county (Columbus, Ohio), the lines for early voting have been hours long for the past two weeks at least. All day. This is true in all of our cities - we are limited to one early voting site per county. In rural districts, there are no lines at all. This is voter suppression too.
I live in an affluent suburb, and I’ve never waited in line to vote longer than ten minutes, no matter what time I show up on voting day. But I’ve driven through precincts in the city of Columbus, and seen lines that were blocks long. That was especially visible during the presidential elections when Obama was on the ticket. This is voter suppression too.
Thank you to all who helped with get out the vote efforts in Ohio. We’re not as red as people think we are. We are waiting with bated breath for tomorrow!
You are not alone. Many of US will be waiting “with bated breath” also. (My mother used that expression and have never known the spelling of “bated.” Thank you.)
Exactly right. Check out this segment from A Way With Words, discussing the term "bated breath" and the falconry term meaning when the bird flaps its wings (and for lagniappe, how the latter relates to fluttering one's eyelashes): https://www.waywordradio.org/falcon-wings-terminology/.
Kansas tried this last year and it was a total disaster for the misogynist neofascists. So the thugs in the state legislature and the moron AG (who was once a colleague of mine and got out of academia before he was charged with multiple cases of sexual harassment) have tried to upend the Will of the People by introducing all kinds of nuisance litigation and blatantly unconstitutional legislation to overturn the 63% of Kansans' wish to keep women's health choices in the hands of women and their doctors. It's super interesting: they love law and order as long as it doesn't affect their white asses adversely. Now the shoe is on the other foot and they are howling about defunding the courts and the police. Interesting, huh? I was thinking this morning about Ronnie Ray-gun and his invention of the Cadillac-driving "welfare queen." He was one of the most nefarious influences in the history of US politics, and yet he is still canonized by those who saw his avuncular make-up slathered exterior and failed to pay attention to the rest of it.
Linda, I well remember the Cowboy President. He made being poor the equivalent of the N- word. And his comments about how government WAS the problem occurred just as I was starting a new job, in government, to assist disabled and homeless adults. That was the time when I learned that when people at a social function asked me what I did for a living, I merely said I was a statistician. Forty years later I was less-easily intimidated and would say, “I help homeless people move into housing.” I was quite willing to engage with those people who are afraid/disgusted by people they don’t understand.
Marge, I honor you. As a person who has devoted her life to liberal arts education, I sympathize: we are not a particularly popular group, especially among the "believe, don't think" crowd.
i did not vote for the Ray Gun and loathed him, and we have so many problems caused by his policies. However, in the loathe department, death star beats everyone.
Linda, as CA state employee for 41 years—40 years at a CA State Univ (now retired)—we got dubious distinction of also having him for two terms as governor….seeing what he did to CA education & healthcare (especially mental health) & social programs just confirmed that I didn’t want him as president….sigh, then he was elected for two terms, and thus inflicted even more damage nation wide. Sigh.
It’s worse than that. For a citizen to get an issue on the ballot, they must get signatures from all 88 counties (currently 44.) Thus, the smallest county can prevent an issue from coming to the people. (I think this is about 11%.)
YES! It basically puts an end to constitutional change and other ballot initiatives. The one they are really worried about will update the fair maps initiative they passed 2 years ago, when they allowed the majority to approve the maps.
To clarify, Patty is referring to a different provision in Issue 1 which is on tomorrow's ballot. If Issue 1 passes, not only would a 60% majority become a requirement for a constitutional amendment initiative to be approved by voters but the requirement of signatures from all 88 counties includes (from Ballotopedia) "Require campaigns for initiated constitutional amendments to collect signatures from each of the state's 88 counties, an increase from the current requirement of 50% (44) of the state's 88 counties. Campaigns need to collect a number of signatures equal to 5% of the votes cast in the last governor's election in each of the counties. This is known as a signature distribution requirement." Note penultimate sentence. Tricky and trickier.
A third element of Issue 1 is (from Ballotopedia): "Eliminate the cure period of 10 days for campaigns to gather additional signatures for citizen-initiated constitutional amendments when the original submission did not have enough valid signatures."
“You’ve got to show up everywhere, and you’ve got to speak to everyone, and you've got to speak in plain language and in practical terms,” …' He (Josh Shapiro) noted that in his 2022 campaign, “I went to counties the Democrats had written off a long time ago and spoke about workforce development and spoke about how we're going to bring back the economy and talked about it in very tangible, practical ways.”
'It worked. In a state Biden carried in 2020 by a little more than 80,000 votes, Shapiro swept past Republican Doug Mastriano in 2022 by more than 790,000.
'Last week’s indictment of Donald Trump brought home the urgency of transforming our nation’s public life. Special counsel Jack Smith lived up to his responsibility by holding the former president accountable for his crimes against democracy. Only politicians can break the grip of Trump’s politics of resentment.'
'This has long been one of President Biden’s central goals, but his Democratic colleagues at the state and local levels might have the best shot at moving their fellow citizens away from cultural, racial and religious divisions and toward the (often literally) concrete ground of jobs and building things. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro ranks as one of the most determined and, so far, successful practitioners of this new politics of addition.'
'You might know Shapiro as the guy who got a collapsed part of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia fixed within 12 days. Given how long public projects take to complete, he deserved all the attention he got for this achievement.'
'It sure made him popular at home. In late June, a Quinnipiac Poll found that 57 percent of Pennsylvania voters approved of Shapiro’s job performance while only 23 percent disapproved. Strikingly, 53 percent of independents and even 34 percent of Republicans gave their Democratic governor positive marks.'
'As governor, Shapiro said he’s determined to signal to economically struggling voters that they’re being “seen and heard.” One of his first acts was to sign an executive order doing away with the college degree requirement for 92 percent of state government jobs.'
'His emphasis on opportunities for those without college degrees might be seen as a bow to the White working class, which he, like Biden, is certainly interested in winning back to the Democratic coalition. But the actual (as opposed to the pundit’s) working class is heavily Black and Latino. So Shapiro’s focus on expanding funding for apprenticeships, vocational education and job training for those who aren’t college-bound is aimed at a broad swath of Pennsylvanians.'
'Representative of what Shapiro is trying to do is an executive order he signed last week directing some $400 million from Biden’s infrastructure investments to “on-the-job training” to install broadband internet and fix roads, bridges and pipes. “We’re the first state in the nation to do that,” he noted.'
The paragraphs above were taken from E..J. Dionne Jr.'s OPINION, 'Josh Shapiro is showing how to break the politics of resentment'. It is worth reading in full. See the gifted link below.
Thank you, Ally. This forum, in addition to HCR's Letter, truly helps us be informed citizens and, in my opinion, you are a shining example of what it takes!
<blush> Thank you, Fern. I do offer things when I have a solid foundation for something to say.
Bonnie, I have also noted the "disruption in the force" of the comments section recently. The presence of agitators waxes and wanes here, and it is far to easy to get sucked into their pot-stirring. There are two commenters that have been here for the entirety of my time here (although one left and came back with another "handle") with whom I seldom agree, but are generally at least on point with what is being discussed. There are a handful of new people who are agitators and will try and stir up contentious commentary who may fall into a definition of "troll" or who simply get entertainment value for their on-line "sparring". I find that for me, I just have to scroll on by when seeing their names.
When you find something truly offensive, there are ways to report it to Substack: those three dots to the right of "reply" give you an option to report the comment (or the one I use most frequently, to edit your own comment!)
Please join in the commentary; it is what enriches the platform.
I've been bothered to see so much petty arguments and a deterioration of the comments on this forum recently. I am happy that you continue to participate and appreciate what you contribute. Thank you. (this is the first comment I've made here !)
Bonnie, I am working on those issues (plural) with Substack Inc per the 2023 Punlisher's Agreement. I have asserted to Substack that such behavior amounts to Platform disruption when intentionally false such as one post above. I am in Oregon City right now where I found folks encouraging & willing to tackle the disruption. "We are all in this together". Joyce Vance.
Bonnie, thank you for commenting here for the first time. Please share what you think will help us understand better. Do not be discouraged. These times wear us down but not for long. We are here to learn and share. I am happy that you are among us.
Welcome to commenting, Bonnie!!! Note that this site recently was invaded by a nasty troll, Timmy T., which has changed the tenor of our rich discussions in places to meaningless spats. There is a way to Report those kind of baiting comments, and I urge you to do so. Thanks.
Thank You for this Fern! I watched our Michigan then governor, Jennifer Granholm, disparage our entire skilled trades working class population with her new fiscal policies pushing every high school student to go to college to be proficient in computers to run our "new techy economy." There was no arguing with her. She essentially pushed our now denigrated excellent workers into tRump's fat, welcoming arms.
Racism combined with white Christian nationalism have been with us since virtually the beginning of the country. That Trump commands 52% of Republican voters while under indictment for attempting to overthrow our government speaks to this fact - racist attitudes and white Christian nationalism trump the democratic process for them. They'd rather have a dictatorship than have non-whites and non-Christians having an equal say in government. This is a cancer on the body politic and the only way to defeat it is to out-vote them, even with the obstacles that are being constructed to disinfranchise many or else make it virtually impossible for them to vote. They will not listen to reason.
Lynell, While I agree, I would add that the Ohio August Special Election will be consequential for the entire country, given it will indicate Republicans’ effectiveness at using deceptive tactics to impose minority rule over the will of the majority.
There is a wonderful football-themed ad against the ballot initiative that ends with "Ohio State 59, Michigan 41. Michigan Wins." Perfect way to tell the story. I think the initiative also requires signatures (not sure how many) from each of the 80 state legislative districts. Another nearly impossible task. The Ohio legislature as currently composed with Republican majorities as a result of gerrymandered districts has absolutely no respect for its constituents.
From Ballotopedia re Ohio's Issue 1: "Require campaigns for initiated constitutional amendments to collect signatures from each of the state's 88 counties, an increase from the current requirement of 50% (44) of the state's 88 counties. Campaigns need to collect a number of signatures equal to 5% of the votes cast in the last governor's election in each of the counties. This is known as a signature distribution requirement."
Issue 1, if passed, also would eliminate the cure period of 10 days for campaigns to gather additional signatures for citizen-initiated constitutional amendments when the original submission did not have enough valid signatures.
I wrote postcards and letters to voters in Ohio. Friends did phone banking. All of us are capable to get out the vote, every election, every state. Our freedoms are our responsibility and we must not take them for granted.
So exactly how would you have it (besides paper ballots/in-person)? It seems you are jaded against democracy-- the worst form of government except for all the others, to paraphrase W. Churchill. Or is it government itself you are opposed to, in which case, how do you propose keeping me safe from anarchy, chaos, environmental despoliation, free-wheeling vigilantism and its attendant bloodshed? How deep is your seemingly libertarian bent? Or do I misjudge your few comments here?
Paper ballots are not the be-all and end-all either - remember the "hanging chads" problems in Florida in the 2000 election? There can be all kinds of problems with paper ballots marked in person, so that's not the end of the discussion. And beyond paper or otherwise, not every legal voter can be at the polls on election day - people working jobs who are not allowed to leave, people caring for sick relatives (and those relatives themselves who may be bedridden or contagious), military serving abroad, kids in college out of state, the disabled without ready access to transportation, etc. Mail-in and early voting allow more legal voters to actually vote, albeit still on paper for mail-in. Everyone's vote should count, and no one should try to keep legal voters from voting.
Doug Gagne: Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
Make government as small as possible. Just large enough to deal with the problems you mention and that is it. Government's job is to protect our liberty. That's all.
Why? Why not act on problems that we cannot deal with as individuals, or as well, as Lincoln put it? Liberty could include freedom to breathe unpolluted air, to drive on highways designed for safety, etc., etc. At one time it wasn’t against any law to adulterate milk with chalk. Let the buyer beware. Until laws and inspections curtailed someone’s liberty to sell that milk. Now we are able to trust that the milk we buy won’t sicken our children or give them TB. (My sister-in-law did get TB from milk in the 1930’s)
Tim, shame on you, equating voting, a civic duty and right so that one's voice can be heard, with involuntary servitude. Humans are social creatures. Your extreme form of Libertarianism went out of vogue somewhere around 1450. Sorry, but society today is very complex. Your theories don't work except perhaps in a Utopia.
Richard -- point of order -- Utopianism is just as dead as libertarianism. AFAIK every utopian experiment ever essayed has failed, utterly. Just like every libertarian experiment.
Democracy: one person, one vote, majority rule. What's the alternative, Tim? Trump's world where voting machines are rigged? Surely you don't want that. If you don't, you should vote.
Every chance they get, modern-day Republicans will invent new ways to strip us of the value of our vote. Case in point:
This week in Ohio, there is a Special Issue-Based Election that will change the rules by which the people can change the state Constitution, because there is a ballot initiative in November to protect abortion rights in the state Constitution, thereby spoiling their 6-week abortion ban. This is the same state legislature who banned August Special Elections, because it was too difficult to get voters to the polls; but they made this last exception. Why? Well the measure changes the threshold to pass a ballot initiative from a simple 50%+1 to 60%, which is statistically improbable, given ballot initiatives of the last 20 years, (none have passed 59% majority). So now, approximately 25% of Ohio’s voting population is going to make all Ohioans pay by closing the door of democracy in their state.
We all must vote - in every election, for every candidate, and for every ballot initiative and ballot question, without fail. The trixters lie in wait, to catch us sleeping.
I heard that over 553,000 mail-in ballots were received by the Ohio election officials. That is outstanding!!👏🏼👏🏼
Outstanding indeed, and hopefully signaling that the GOP proposal will be voted thumbs down with a McCain-esque flourish
I understand that tomorrow's vote to defeat Issue 1 will need only a simple majority. Keeping my fingers crossed! (I sent 200 postcards)
I sent Vote Forward letters too. Hoping.
Sally Jenks Roth -as did I. Vote Forward is an excellent way to encourage voter participation.
Thank you! Blessings....
👍
According to Vote Forward, more than 275,000 letters were sent to Ohio voters for tomorrow's election. I managed 200 and plan to do at least that many for the November vote.
👍
Thank you! Blessings....
👍
I did as well, Lynell. Hoping they made a difference.
Spouse and I did same. Hope my lack of handwriting skill did not detract from the message. We did two rounds of 100 each.
Thank you! Blessings....
👍
It’s a proven aid to getting out the vote. Brava!
Me too!! 🤞
Thank you! Blessings....
👍
Bless you, Lynell! 💞
Back at ya, Marlene...thanks!
Me, too!
Yay for you, Sally, Jackie and Carol, and everyone else who contributed to the effort!
There’s another vote in Ohio (November?). We need to plan ahead for that one. A busy time until the end of October ‘24!
As I understand it, the vote in November is about the abortion rights for Ohio.
Tomorrow's election: "Ohio will hold a special election on August 8 to determine if the threshold for amending the state's constitution should be raised. If passed, Issue 1 would raise the threshold for passing future constitutional changes from a simple majority, as it's been for more than a century, to 60%." Obviously, it would be hard to attain 60% as opposed to 51%.
So yes, if Issue 1 is passed, Ohio will have to work harder to have their abortion rights initiative passed.
Thank All you prolific post writers!!
So did I. Good for US!
Thank you! Blessings....
I sent 500. Great work Lyhell. Postcard are productive.
Wow, Gail, that's terrific!
Great! Sending postal cards is today's replacement for knocking on doors. Nationally, check this out at activateamerica.vote where some address lists are available for selected elections and there are local sources of addresses as well.
Exactly...thanks, Jack!
I want to get involved. How do you know to whom you should send your postcards??
It’s probably too late to send postcards unless you live in OH, but there are also phone banks and text chains you can join.
If you join a postcard club, they will keep you busy all year with special elections and the lesser-known elections of consequence. These wonderful volunteers keep the spotlight on elections that most Republicans want voters to ignore.
kdsherpa, there are phone banks going on today and tomorrow to reach out to OH voters to get out the vote. Here's a link to signup for one with the DNC. You'll get training on the dialer and on the campaign itself. It's a great dialer too - very easy to use. We've been phone banking in OH and will continue today and tomorrow. Hope to see you there!
https://events.democrats.org/event/569897/?force_banner=true&share_context=event_details&share_medium=copy_link
Vote Forward is the organization I have used to send postcards. Very easy, they send all information that is easily downloaded.
Vote Forward votefwd.org is for letters to voters. VF provides letter templates to which the sender adds a sentence or two plus salutation & signature (first name and initial), then addresses the envelope. You can opt for 5 or 20 addressees. I found that far easier than postcards which cramp my hand writing several sentences on half of a postcard.
Postcards to Voters postcardstovoters.org/ is one of several sources for names & messages for sending postcard. My experience from early this year was that they provide 50 addressees at a time.
Thanks so much!
Here's a list of several I know of, kd. For most of these you provide the postcards and stamps. They will send you a suggested script with addresses.
Blue Wave Postcards:
https://www.bluewavepostcards.org/
Postcards to Swing States:
https://secure.everyaction.com/p4M7r_F2MEOhu-EzaVRfyg2?
Activate America:
https://www.activateamerica.vote/programs/postcarding#:~:text=Activate%20America%20provides%20voter%20addresses%20and%20scripts%20to,when%20they%20were%20sent%20a%20follow-up%20reminder%20postcard.
Postcards4Va: Sends to Virginia candidates:
https://postcards4va.com/?
THANK YOU so much, Lynell!
Also Postcards to Voters.
Lynell, do you know if anyone is running postcards campaigns in favor of Ted Cruz's opponents? A couple of friends want to do that, one current Texan and one former Texan, and so far, I'm not finding anything. It looks like their best bet is to contact the opponent's campaign directly.
Thank you! Blessings....
Thank you, Lynell. Oh, and Good Morning!
Morning, Ally! Thanks for keeping in touch with me. It's a good feeling.
Works both ways…
Thank you! I received some!
"McCainesque"!!!! I love that!
Wow! Do I miss that man!
Can you imagine how he would feel about today's republicans, especially his one time friend Lindsey Graham?
Spending years as a P.O.W. to protect and defend only to see his party support fascism and a dictator wannabe. It's just wrong!
That is an excellent point. We need to make it clear to ALL minorities - YOU MUST VOTE DEMOCRATIC. Whatever your concerns and grievances are, they will only be made worse and never cured by a Republican-controlled government. This is our "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" moment. If we don't walk away with a victory againt Trump and Trumpism, Democracy will be left lying in the dust. It can't get more serious than this. We desperately need to recognize this.
OUR LORD !, Had John, in the Right Place !. AND, The RIGHT TIME ! , . When His " FAMOUS THUMB ! .............Swung, ! , DOWNWARD " . BRAVO ! , For Our TRUE !, VETERANS !! ( PS ! HE'S An "ON TIME !" . GOD ! , ........Yes !, HE IS ! )
The usual turnout for August elections is 7%. That’s why they were made illegal. Most people don’t turn out for special elections, and the first 3 weeks of August is a stretch when people go on summer vacations. Please, find a phone bank to call Democrats with today or even tomorrow, even if you can only spare an hour! Go to mobilize.com and they’ll show you what’s available.
From Jessica Craven:
“Win Races! 🗳
Here are some excellent options for final phonebanks and textbanks for the August 8th elections in Ohio—including an event with Sherrod Brown!
Activate America and Grassroots Dems HQ today and tomorrow. Pick your shift from 7am to 5pm PT. Sign up here.
Ohio Progressive Leaders Dials Pro-Democracy Voters Monday, August 7th at 4pm ET. Sign up here.
Zoom phonebank with special guest Sherrod Brown! Monday, August 7th 5:30-7:30 ET. Sign up here.
Phonebanking not for you? Try Stand Up America’s fast textbanks
Mon 8/7 shifts all day 12pm to 5pm ET.”
https://open.substack.com/pub/chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions/p/chop-wood-carry-water-810-48f?r=2xpfg&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
The link you gave went to a private company's page. I believe the proper link is mobilize.us
Laura yes: https://www.mobilize.us/ Thanks for spotting that--I just assumed (despite the 11th Commandment, "Never Assume").
I wrote postcards for and texted Ohioans, however small the effort in the big picture (but efforts are additive!).
Add my similar efforts to yours 🤗
Thank You!
I wrote letters for Vote Forward to Ohio voters and to my relatives who live there. Every bit we do counts....just like compound interest!
Thank You!
Thank You!
Per the Ohio Secretary of State, as of 8/4/23 there have been 578,490 mail-in votes returned 👍 not counting the receipt of votes by Ohioans overseas.
Not only mail-in votes . . . :
151,977 absentee ballots have been returned by mail (including UOCAVA ballots)
9,997 ballots have been hand delivered to the boards of elections
26,185 ballots have been placed in secure drop boxes at Ohio's county boards
390,331 votes have been cast by in-person early voters
Thank you for the count! It’s a gift to everyone who wrote, texted or called.
❤️❤️
KEEP EM COMIN' ! Keep The FAITH ! GO !, DEMS ! . GLORY !
I was heartened, too, until I learned how many Millions yet to go
Not only mail-in ballots, but early voting in person. People are voting in-person in record numbers throughout the state.
Wonderful!
Not all states have early in person voting or mail in ballots. Here in NH, there is neither. The only option to in person voting is to request an absentee ballot and there are rules that mandate the conditions one may apply for one. One can online download the application but this must be done in a timely manner since one has to allow mail in time for processing the application or to go to the Town Clerk in person to apply for one in person.
Michigan expanded our voter rights and options via tge passage of our ballot initiative. Our Democratic Trifecta came about after that change.
California has had early voting and mail-in voting for like…forever! Thank goodness!
Not really when you think of the total adult population of Ohio is 8,464,801.......just sayin....(its like that in Florida too)
Timmy Taes Writes Timmy’s Substack - "Paper in person ballots are the way to go."
In what way is that superior?
I have for the past 20+ years voted (in every election) by mail. In that time there has never been a single piece of evidence that mail-in ballots were less valid than in-person votes... although it is much more convenient and increases participation.
(FWIW, prior to that (30 years) I missed voting in a great number of elections. And even then, it was simply quickly voting along party lines because after waiting in a queue and knowing others were suffering the same behind me, I simply wanted it over with as quickly as possible.)
I too have voted for over 20 years by mail and there have been very few snags. The prominent one occurred in Clackastan (Clackamus County) where a R poll worker marked placers on ballots that voters had left unmarked. The clerk there was incompetent and gave way too much leeway to the party of death. Finally, she was defeated last election and so elections in that county will go much smoother and be more honest. After the incident, btw, two people open ballots, one D and one R.
Fact Check; FALSE. All folks in the County can physically vote at a "Vote Center". The Sonima County Registrar of Voters has the granular data posted.
I am assertimg to Substack Inc that intentional misinformation by anyone is a breach of the 2023 Publisher's Agreement to be mediated at JAMS SF putting aside the bssue of other legal remedies for overt acts disrupting Constitutional rights in Sonoma County or anywhere in the United States.
Thank You, Bryan.
Timmy Taes Writes Timmy’s Substack - "Ron Boyd: Voting in the county I live in is only by mail-in ballot."
How does that explain why you believe in-person voting is better than mail-in?
Timmy ! , SOMTIMES ! , You are an Absolute RIOT ! Right ON !
Repubs know about the Stalin quote
In my county (Columbus, Ohio), the lines for early voting have been hours long for the past two weeks at least. All day. This is true in all of our cities - we are limited to one early voting site per county. In rural districts, there are no lines at all. This is voter suppression too.
I live in an affluent suburb, and I’ve never waited in line to vote longer than ten minutes, no matter what time I show up on voting day. But I’ve driven through precincts in the city of Columbus, and seen lines that were blocks long. That was especially visible during the presidential elections when Obama was on the ticket. This is voter suppression too.
Thank you to all who helped with get out the vote efforts in Ohio. We’re not as red as people think we are. We are waiting with bated breath for tomorrow!
Democracy in action!
You are not alone. Many of US will be waiting “with bated breath” also. (My mother used that expression and have never known the spelling of “bated.” Thank you.)
Do you think it’s ‘bated as in abated as in held breath?
Exactly right. Check out this segment from A Way With Words, discussing the term "bated breath" and the falconry term meaning when the bird flaps its wings (and for lagniappe, how the latter relates to fluttering one's eyelashes): https://www.waywordradio.org/falcon-wings-terminology/.
Thank you so much for this. Words and maxims have fascinating histories. Many maxims are forever.
Thank you for your excellent reporting on the front lines about the effects of limiting access of minority voters in Ohio, KR.
Kansas tried this last year and it was a total disaster for the misogynist neofascists. So the thugs in the state legislature and the moron AG (who was once a colleague of mine and got out of academia before he was charged with multiple cases of sexual harassment) have tried to upend the Will of the People by introducing all kinds of nuisance litigation and blatantly unconstitutional legislation to overturn the 63% of Kansans' wish to keep women's health choices in the hands of women and their doctors. It's super interesting: they love law and order as long as it doesn't affect their white asses adversely. Now the shoe is on the other foot and they are howling about defunding the courts and the police. Interesting, huh? I was thinking this morning about Ronnie Ray-gun and his invention of the Cadillac-driving "welfare queen." He was one of the most nefarious influences in the history of US politics, and yet he is still canonized by those who saw his avuncular make-up slathered exterior and failed to pay attention to the rest of it.
Linda, I well remember the Cowboy President. He made being poor the equivalent of the N- word. And his comments about how government WAS the problem occurred just as I was starting a new job, in government, to assist disabled and homeless adults. That was the time when I learned that when people at a social function asked me what I did for a living, I merely said I was a statistician. Forty years later I was less-easily intimidated and would say, “I help homeless people move into housing.” I was quite willing to engage with those people who are afraid/disgusted by people they don’t understand.
Marge, I honor you. As a person who has devoted her life to liberal arts education, I sympathize: we are not a particularly popular group, especially among the "believe, don't think" crowd.
Thank You for Your Service, Marge!!
Good for you!!! That's the spirit! 👏
i did not vote for the Ray Gun and loathed him, and we have so many problems caused by his policies. However, in the loathe department, death star beats everyone.
Linda, as CA state employee for 41 years—40 years at a CA State Univ (now retired)—we got dubious distinction of also having him for two terms as governor….seeing what he did to CA education & healthcare (especially mental health) & social programs just confirmed that I didn’t want him as president….sigh, then he was elected for two terms, and thus inflicted even more damage nation wide. Sigh.
I remember. It’s f- around and find out when it comes to taking away women’s rights. I really hope we keep up the momentum through 2024 and beyond.
This is another tactic of autocrats, change the rules, rather than engage in debate or actually solve a problem.
It’s worse than that. For a citizen to get an issue on the ballot, they must get signatures from all 88 counties (currently 44.) Thus, the smallest county can prevent an issue from coming to the people. (I think this is about 11%.)
YES! It basically puts an end to constitutional change and other ballot initiatives. The one they are really worried about will update the fair maps initiative they passed 2 years ago, when they allowed the majority to approve the maps.
To clarify, Patty is referring to a different provision in Issue 1 which is on tomorrow's ballot. If Issue 1 passes, not only would a 60% majority become a requirement for a constitutional amendment initiative to be approved by voters but the requirement of signatures from all 88 counties includes (from Ballotopedia) "Require campaigns for initiated constitutional amendments to collect signatures from each of the state's 88 counties, an increase from the current requirement of 50% (44) of the state's 88 counties. Campaigns need to collect a number of signatures equal to 5% of the votes cast in the last governor's election in each of the counties. This is known as a signature distribution requirement." Note penultimate sentence. Tricky and trickier.
A third element of Issue 1 is (from Ballotopedia): "Eliminate the cure period of 10 days for campaigns to gather additional signatures for citizen-initiated constitutional amendments when the original submission did not have enough valid signatures."
Mabe Michigan can annex Ohio.
“You’ve got to show up everywhere, and you’ve got to speak to everyone, and you've got to speak in plain language and in practical terms,” …' He (Josh Shapiro) noted that in his 2022 campaign, “I went to counties the Democrats had written off a long time ago and spoke about workforce development and spoke about how we're going to bring back the economy and talked about it in very tangible, practical ways.”
'It worked. In a state Biden carried in 2020 by a little more than 80,000 votes, Shapiro swept past Republican Doug Mastriano in 2022 by more than 790,000.
'Last week’s indictment of Donald Trump brought home the urgency of transforming our nation’s public life. Special counsel Jack Smith lived up to his responsibility by holding the former president accountable for his crimes against democracy. Only politicians can break the grip of Trump’s politics of resentment.'
'This has long been one of President Biden’s central goals, but his Democratic colleagues at the state and local levels might have the best shot at moving their fellow citizens away from cultural, racial and religious divisions and toward the (often literally) concrete ground of jobs and building things. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro ranks as one of the most determined and, so far, successful practitioners of this new politics of addition.'
'You might know Shapiro as the guy who got a collapsed part of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia fixed within 12 days. Given how long public projects take to complete, he deserved all the attention he got for this achievement.'
'It sure made him popular at home. In late June, a Quinnipiac Poll found that 57 percent of Pennsylvania voters approved of Shapiro’s job performance while only 23 percent disapproved. Strikingly, 53 percent of independents and even 34 percent of Republicans gave their Democratic governor positive marks.'
'As governor, Shapiro said he’s determined to signal to economically struggling voters that they’re being “seen and heard.” One of his first acts was to sign an executive order doing away with the college degree requirement for 92 percent of state government jobs.'
'His emphasis on opportunities for those without college degrees might be seen as a bow to the White working class, which he, like Biden, is certainly interested in winning back to the Democratic coalition. But the actual (as opposed to the pundit’s) working class is heavily Black and Latino. So Shapiro’s focus on expanding funding for apprenticeships, vocational education and job training for those who aren’t college-bound is aimed at a broad swath of Pennsylvanians.'
'Representative of what Shapiro is trying to do is an executive order he signed last week directing some $400 million from Biden’s infrastructure investments to “on-the-job training” to install broadband internet and fix roads, bridges and pipes. “We’re the first state in the nation to do that,” he noted.'
The paragraphs above were taken from E..J. Dionne Jr.'s OPINION, 'Josh Shapiro is showing how to break the politics of resentment'. It is worth reading in full. See the gifted link below.
https://wapo.st/3rYbECe
Thank you Fern
Thank you, Helen. Your attention as a reader and citizen are crucial for our support of democracy. Salud!
Oh I am paying attention.
Thank you, Fern!
Thank you, Ally. This forum, in addition to HCR's Letter, truly helps us be informed citizens and, in my opinion, you are a shining example of what it takes!
<blush> Thank you, Fern. I do offer things when I have a solid foundation for something to say.
Bonnie, I have also noted the "disruption in the force" of the comments section recently. The presence of agitators waxes and wanes here, and it is far to easy to get sucked into their pot-stirring. There are two commenters that have been here for the entirety of my time here (although one left and came back with another "handle") with whom I seldom agree, but are generally at least on point with what is being discussed. There are a handful of new people who are agitators and will try and stir up contentious commentary who may fall into a definition of "troll" or who simply get entertainment value for their on-line "sparring". I find that for me, I just have to scroll on by when seeing their names.
When you find something truly offensive, there are ways to report it to Substack: those three dots to the right of "reply" give you an option to report the comment (or the one I use most frequently, to edit your own comment!)
Please join in the commentary; it is what enriches the platform.
I've been bothered to see so much petty arguments and a deterioration of the comments on this forum recently. I am happy that you continue to participate and appreciate what you contribute. Thank you. (this is the first comment I've made here !)
Bonnie, I am working on those issues (plural) with Substack Inc per the 2023 Punlisher's Agreement. I have asserted to Substack that such behavior amounts to Platform disruption when intentionally false such as one post above. I am in Oregon City right now where I found folks encouraging & willing to tackle the disruption. "We are all in this together". Joyce Vance.
Thanks, Bryan.
Bonnie, thank you for commenting here for the first time. Please share what you think will help us understand better. Do not be discouraged. These times wear us down but not for long. We are here to learn and share. I am happy that you are among us.
Welcome to commenting, Bonnie!!! Note that this site recently was invaded by a nasty troll, Timmy T., which has changed the tenor of our rich discussions in places to meaningless spats. There is a way to Report those kind of baiting comments, and I urge you to do so. Thanks.
Thank You for this Fern! I watched our Michigan then governor, Jennifer Granholm, disparage our entire skilled trades working class population with her new fiscal policies pushing every high school student to go to college to be proficient in computers to run our "new techy economy." There was no arguing with her. She essentially pushed our now denigrated excellent workers into tRump's fat, welcoming arms.
Racism combined with white Christian nationalism have been with us since virtually the beginning of the country. That Trump commands 52% of Republican voters while under indictment for attempting to overthrow our government speaks to this fact - racist attitudes and white Christian nationalism trump the democratic process for them. They'd rather have a dictatorship than have non-whites and non-Christians having an equal say in government. This is a cancer on the body politic and the only way to defeat it is to out-vote them, even with the obstacles that are being constructed to disinfranchise many or else make it virtually impossible for them to vote. They will not listen to reason.
Thanks for the reminder, Jane! August 8 will be consequential for Ohioans.
Lynell, While I agree, I would add that the Ohio August Special Election will be consequential for the entire country, given it will indicate Republicans’ effectiveness at using deceptive tactics to impose minority rule over the will of the majority.
Completely agree, Barbara Jo. I fear my comment was more than a bit short-sighted. Thanks for the correction!
Trick as old as the hills, commonly used by lawyers in the employ of tricksters and mobsters.
Basically the same as robbery when the householders are absent.
There is a wonderful football-themed ad against the ballot initiative that ends with "Ohio State 59, Michigan 41. Michigan Wins." Perfect way to tell the story. I think the initiative also requires signatures (not sure how many) from each of the 80 state legislative districts. Another nearly impossible task. The Ohio legislature as currently composed with Republican majorities as a result of gerrymandered districts has absolutely no respect for its constituents.
Yes, and we in Michigan won bigtime with our ballot initiative threshold of a simple majority.
From Ballotopedia re Ohio's Issue 1: "Require campaigns for initiated constitutional amendments to collect signatures from each of the state's 88 counties, an increase from the current requirement of 50% (44) of the state's 88 counties. Campaigns need to collect a number of signatures equal to 5% of the votes cast in the last governor's election in each of the counties. This is known as a signature distribution requirement."
Issue 1, if passed, also would eliminate the cure period of 10 days for campaigns to gather additional signatures for citizen-initiated constitutional amendments when the original submission did not have enough valid signatures.
I wrote postcards and letters to voters in Ohio. Friends did phone banking. All of us are capable to get out the vote, every election, every state. Our freedoms are our responsibility and we must not take them for granted.
Thank You, Joanne!
Well stated Jane.
Another Whack-A-Mole whacked. Keep vigilant for the next one, until THEY KNOW WE AREN’T BACKING DOWN!
People can donate to the Ohio effort to defeat the Ohio 60% ballot measure: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/indivisible-ohio-ads
I wrote Vote Forward letters for this Special Election. It's a way to encourage voters to participate.
PS: This is why I think voting means nothing.
So don't vote. This isn't Australia, where citizens are fined for not voting.
Steve Abbott: Force voting in Australia. More involuntary servitude to the State. In Australia can they write in on the ballot "None of the Above"?
So exactly how would you have it (besides paper ballots/in-person)? It seems you are jaded against democracy-- the worst form of government except for all the others, to paraphrase W. Churchill. Or is it government itself you are opposed to, in which case, how do you propose keeping me safe from anarchy, chaos, environmental despoliation, free-wheeling vigilantism and its attendant bloodshed? How deep is your seemingly libertarian bent? Or do I misjudge your few comments here?
Paper ballots are not the be-all and end-all either - remember the "hanging chads" problems in Florida in the 2000 election? There can be all kinds of problems with paper ballots marked in person, so that's not the end of the discussion. And beyond paper or otherwise, not every legal voter can be at the polls on election day - people working jobs who are not allowed to leave, people caring for sick relatives (and those relatives themselves who may be bedridden or contagious), military serving abroad, kids in college out of state, the disabled without ready access to transportation, etc. Mail-in and early voting allow more legal voters to actually vote, albeit still on paper for mail-in. Everyone's vote should count, and no one should try to keep legal voters from voting.
Doug Gagne: Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
Make government as small as possible. Just large enough to deal with the problems you mention and that is it. Government's job is to protect our liberty. That's all.
Tim, that theory of government prevailed before the Enlightenment.
Why? Why not act on problems that we cannot deal with as individuals, or as well, as Lincoln put it? Liberty could include freedom to breathe unpolluted air, to drive on highways designed for safety, etc., etc. At one time it wasn’t against any law to adulterate milk with chalk. Let the buyer beware. Until laws and inspections curtailed someone’s liberty to sell that milk. Now we are able to trust that the milk we buy won’t sicken our children or give them TB. (My sister-in-law did get TB from milk in the 1930’s)
Oh yeah - I remember that "bathtub" idea - didnt work.
Tim, shame on you, equating voting, a civic duty and right so that one's voice can be heard, with involuntary servitude. Humans are social creatures. Your extreme form of Libertarianism went out of vogue somewhere around 1450. Sorry, but society today is very complex. Your theories don't work except perhaps in a Utopia.
Richard -- point of order -- Utopianism is just as dead as libertarianism. AFAIK every utopian experiment ever essayed has failed, utterly. Just like every libertarian experiment.
Yes, they can. They can leave it blank.
Carol C: Who is "they"? What is "it?" Please use a noun in your comments.
Aussie voters can leave their ballots blank if they wish.
Democracy: one person, one vote, majority rule. What's the alternative, Tim? Trump's world where voting machines are rigged? Surely you don't want that. If you don't, you should vote.