Current Events > Republican news brags that they are rigging elections

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/2998273/georgia-new-ballot-counting-law-every-state-should-pass/

Yeah I know, Washington Examiner... Here's the text so you don't have to give them clicks

The state of Georgia took a major step in securing public confidence in its elections this week by passing a law that requires all absentee ballots to be counted within one hour of polls closing on Election Day.

The new law was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) and will take effect in time for the presidential election in November. The governor signed the bill despite significant pressure from outside groups and even a few members of his own party. Predictably, the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia has vowed to sue to block the law, which it says imposes an impossible and overly burdensome requirement.
But this new requirement will do wonders for election integrity in the Peach State. In 2020, absentee ballots dragged on vote counting in the state by more than a week. That year, CNN and other major news outlets did not project that the electoral votes in the state would go to Joe Biden until Nov. 13, 10 whole days after Election Day that year.

This delay in vote counting severely undermined the publics perception of the integrity of the electoral outcome and likely contributed to Democrats winning two Senate seats in a special election two months later.
More recently, voting laws in California have regularly delayed vote counting there for weeks. In fact, control of the U.S. House of Representatives was not decided in 2022 for several days after the election because the state took so long to count its votes.

Public confidence in elections is paramount to keeping civil order and facilitating transfers of power from one party to another. Counting votes in a timely and accurate manner is essential to keeping that confidence.

Georgias new law is a model that every state should follow to ensure that voters promptly know who won the elections in their state. Absentee ballots are received weeks ahead of Election Day and there is no reason why these votes cannot be counted early as well and reported quickly after polls close. For example, ever since Florida began counting such votes as they arrive, Florida has reported final results, unchallenged, within hours after polls have closed. The sooner a state reports its election results, the better it is for candidates, voters, and the integrity of the electoral system.

Have uncounted absentee ballots still waiting an hour after polls close? Too bad, throw them in the trash.

And some people thought Kemp was one of the decent Republicans.

How is that constitutional? This is knowingly throwing out votes. It physically takes time to count that many votes.

If that's not thrown out, elections in red states that pass these laws will be fundamentally broken and illegitimate.

Fine, count the Democrat ones first.

Solar_Crimson posted...

And some people thought Kemp was one of the decent Republicans.

He never was.

legendary_zell posted...

How is that constitutional? This is knowingly throwing out votes. It physically takes time to count that many votes.

If that's not thrown out, elections in red states that pass these laws will be fundamentally broken and illegitimate.

That's the point.jpg

in a nation with an uncompromised judiciary this shit would get struck down by a court immediately, but with our christofascist owned scotus you really cant have faith in the right thing happening.

still, there is a chance a federal court could overturn this and as slow as the courts are it shouldnt have time to make it to scotus before the election

legendary_zell posted...

How is that constitutional? This is knowingly throwing out votes. It physically takes time to count that many votes.

If that's not thrown out, elections in red states that pass these laws will be fundamentally broken and illegitimate.

I love how their only argument is that people don't want to wait a week to find out the results. They even know they've got nothing, but they have to try.

Im n 2020 Georgia officials couldnt start counting absentee ballots until 7am on Election Day. The last paragraph says they should start sooner but its not clear that part of the law actually changed.

Vowing to have a fast result instead of a correct one is not reassuring

bobbycorwin posted...

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/2998273/georgia-new-ballot-counting-law-every-state-should-pass/

Yeah I know, Washington Examiner... Here's the text so you don't have to give them clicks

Have uncounted absentee ballots still waiting an hour after polls close? Too bad, throw them in the trash.

What you posted says they would start counting absentee ballots early instead of waiting until election day. The problem would be in regards to ballots they haven't received yet that are still postmarked prior to election day which should still legally count.

Edit: N/M that appears to be part of what the opinion writer is saying and there's no indication it would actually start being counted early as part of this. Yeah fuck this then.

Public confidence in elections is paramount so let's fucking undermine it by telling people they shouldn't be confident for completely made up nonsense reasons? Fuck whoever writes this crap.

Voting early and still potentially not getting your vote counted by something as arbitrary as the order it gets pulled out of a bag is not gonna pass strict scrutiny.

Ya know, of the courts aren't corrupt af.

PeteyParker posted...

What you posted says they would start counting absentee ballots early instead of waiting until election day. The problem would be in regards to ballots they haven't received yet that are still postmarked prior to election day which should still legally count.

All votes should count. There shouldn't be an arbitrary limit when they just stop counting votes.

bobbycorwin posted...

All votes should count. There shouldn't be an arbitrary limit when they just stop counting votes.

That's literally what I was saying.

If courts don't strike this down, we need to either set up new ones or abolish them and come up with a whole new system for interpreting laws. This needs to be a very big deal, at least as much as the horse race coverage of polls.

This doesn't even make sense, the reason they took so long is because they didn't start counting the votes early and this bill doesn't address it the bill just arranged for almost all of them getting tossed out I don't understand how this can be justified on any level?

BlackScythe0 posted...

This doesn't even make sense, the reason they took so long is because they didn't start counting the votes early and this bill doesn't address it the bill just arranged for almost all of them getting tossed out I don't understand how this can be justified on any level?

Because it's not meant to do anything other than suppress votes, because the GOP are cheating assholes.

"Public confidence" because the public is dumber than a steer and thinks absentee is some kind of trick, and not a way for busy people and ... you know... the troops over seas to vote.

For example, ever since Florida began counting such votes as they arrive, Florida has reported final results, unchallenged, within hours after polls have closed.

If, and I do mean IF this statement is true, this seems like yelling at the clouds or some other idiom involving panic over nothing. FL screwed up bad in 2000, and their results were challenged. If theyve never even been challenged since then because they implemented a similar system, that seems to me like the system works. If there were fears it didnt work, they would be challenged. As the orange clown proved in 2020, fears dont need to have even an ounce of justification to challenge results.

But, if its a lie and FL has routinely been challenged and questioned, then this is a horrible idea.

Addendum: Just looked into something. If the absentee ballots dont arrive by November 3, they arent counted anyway in GA. So this functionally changes nothing. Also, most states work that way:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/map-states-accept-mailed-ballots-after-election-day-n1246044

It seems to me like arbitrary dates are still going to be arbitrary. If NY gets a ballot on November 11, its also going in the trash. November 7 in Virginia? Trash. What if it takes a month because the USPS is awful and sent it to Hawaii when it came from Alaska, and now it needs to be in (Any State) USA? Trash.

I dont know how I feel about this. It seems like if it matters to you, mail it out in the weeks or months prior to Election Day. But at the same time, I dont like votes that are ignored. Nothing is actually changing with the GA system though since they already tossed ballots after the third, so any panic over this is unjustified.

BDSMKane posted...

I dont know how I feel about this. It seems like if it matters to you, mail it out in the weeks or months prior to Election Day. But at the same time, I dont like votes that are ignored. Nothing is actually changing with the GA system though since they already tossed ballots after the third, so any panic over this is unjustified.

The article says it took weeks to count the Georgia vote which is the driving factor of 'fixing' this. So instead of a week to count those votes, they only have an hour. How is that unjustified panic?

"It's not justified to be upset over your vote literally being thrown out if it gets counted late" is an unenlightend take, to say the least.

I feel bad for all my military siblings from Georgia whose votes won't get counted this year

Edit: I apologize for my previous attempt at a rational response. Its difficult for me, but Im slowly adapting to the climate here, and realizing I need to change. Its just being raised in an environment where I was pushed to question everything, blind acceptance of any theoretical outrage that fits my beliefs isnt something Im accustomed to. Im striving to think less and screech more. I will be sharing this apology to the Conservatives I talk to as well, who are equally passionate when I try to provide additional information or another perspective. Its clear that Ive become a burden to everyone by challenging their views, and I want people to feel safe to let fear rule their lives.

BDSMKane posted...

Edit: I apologize for my previous attempt at a rational response. Its difficult for me, but Im slowly adapting to the climate here, and realizing I need to change. Its just being raised in an environment where I was pushed to question everything, blind acceptance of any theoretical outrage that fits my beliefs isnt something Im accustomed to. Im striving to think less and screech more. I will be sharing this apology to the Conservatives I talk to as well, who are equally passionate when I try to provide additional information or another perspective. Its clear that Ive become a burden to everyone by challenging their views, and I want people to feel safe to let fear rule their lives.

What's the point of this kind of passive aggressive, insulting text?

BDSMKane posted...

It seems to me like arbitrary dates are still going to be arbitrary. If NY gets a ballot on November 11, its also going in the trash. November 7 in Virginia? Trash. What if it takes a month because the USPS is awful and sent it to Hawaii when it came from Alaska, and now it needs to be in (Any State) USA? Trash.

there obviously has to be some sort of time limit for mail in votes but I think it makes a lot more sense to base it on when the vote was received rather than whether there are enough counters to get through them all in time

BDSMKane posted...

Edit: I apologize for my previous attempt at a rational response. Its difficult for me, but Im slowly adapting to the climate here, and realizing I need to change. Its just being raised in an environment where I was pushed to question everything, blind acceptance of any theoretical outrage that fits my beliefs isnt something Im accustomed to. Im striving to think less and screech more. I will be sharing this apology to the Conservatives I talk to as well, who are equally passionate when I try to provide additional information or another perspective. Its clear that Ive become a burden to everyone by challenging their views, and I want people to feel safe to let fear rule their lives.

Chat, is this real?

Where does it say that procedure is to just stop counting if it takes more than an hour?

Can't trust anything anymore

Does anyone have a link to this bill I can't find anything online about it. All my searching points me to absentee voter registration new laws and nothing about actually counting the votes.

Shit like this is probably why Republicans are so arrogantly confident Trump is "winning" this time they're going to just steal it, doesn't matter what the actual votes are, they'll refuse to certify, they'll toss votes out by the truckload, they'll swear up and down there's fraud, they'll threaten,intimidate and harass poll workers and their allies in the media will make it seem like a neck and neck race where nobody can tell who will win.

Fucking traitors, anybody calling themselves a republican is a traitor doesn't matter if they don't like trump, the republican party as a whole has decided they don't want democracy

There are a ton of things in these bills coming out of Georgia since 2021 that are blatantly designed to give the State to Republicans. One of them takes the power of running elections away from the Secretary of State, because he certified the election for Biden against the wishes of Trump. They now allow poll workers from other counties to come into neighboring counties to observe and participate. So smaller predominantly white counties can now send workers into places like Fulton to intimidate and disenfranchise voters by denying them their right to vote. Which they've also added into a bill. Allowing representatives from the parties to send in observers.

They've put further limits on provisional ballots. They've limited drop boxes. The maximum now is 1 box per 100,000 people. And now they can't be open at all times. Now they are only in early voting locations, and only accessible during those opening hours. They've also both reduced the time in how early you can vote and also how early you are allowed to ask for an absentee ballot has been limited.

They are now allowing more people to challenge any citizens right to vote. And in a federally illegal move, allowing folks to do so as close to 45 days before election day. The federal law says you can't do so within 90 days of an election.

There's a ton of other nasty stuff they've pushed through. But this one here is fairly disgusting.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/d/d7016116.jpg

Not only is the start of counting of absentee ballots not allowed until 7am of election day, they have to have all the counting done by the closing of the polls(7pm), or 8pm. So 13 hours max to count and report the votes. It's virtually impossible without thousands of poll workers. And it's even harder now, because they have banned easily scannable QR codes.

Any talk about election integrity is a lie. The laws the Republicans have passed are an attack on civil liberties because they are finding it harder and harder to get wins legitimately when people are motivated and organized.

Bandit_Keith posted...

What's the point of this kind of passive aggressive, insulting text?

Well, he needs to tell everybody how bad they are for being upset when one party literally admits they want to make it easier to throw out votes.

Clearly because he supports the voter disenfranchisement that party pushes for
Everyone else can clearly say that every vote that comes in should be counted and yet he's the only one who doesn't know how to feel.

King_Rial posted...

There are a ton of things in these bills

And not knowing how to feel about all of that is a hell of an admittance to what somebody feels.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Couldn't even be bothered to make a new post for his tantrum. Just went in and turned it into a passive aggressive "everybody else is wrong" because everybody stopped buying his constant batting for one side while talking down to everybody calling that side exactly what they openly tell everybody they are.

He want us to "question" our own ears when the party tells us what they want, when we hear them demonize entire populations as pedophiles and criminals for existing. "Question" our own eyes when we see them attempt to overthrow an election and continue to rally around the same people that spread the lies that led to it. "Question" the fairness of the law when Dear Leader gets even an ounce of pushback. "Question" our own concerns when we see multiple red states move to give themselves more power in controlling elections and making it harder for the "undesirables" to vote, all while pushing the same, tired, false "election integrity" talking point and lies.

But never to question the party he bats for.

Conservatives actually rig the elections than cry foul when they lose.

Yet we cant cry foul when they are clearly trying to subvert democracy by nullifying the results of the election.

Otherwise it is seen as "Both Sides Same Thing"

These guys are terrorists in suits and the fact that Garland refuses to open investigations into them makes me really fucking hope Harris, if she gets in immediately replaces him, what a wet noodle he's been through his entire run of the justice department, obama wanted this guy on the supreme court at one point,too.

tremain07 posted...

These guys are terrorists in suits and the fact that Garland refuses to open investigations into them makes me really fucking hope Harris, if she gets in immediately replaces him, what a wet noodle he's been through his entire run of the justice department, obama wanted this guy on the supreme court at one point,too.

If Harris tries to eliminate corruption by removing Republicans from places of power, it'll be seen as a power play. Removing republicans to "unfairly" stack things in favor of democrats won't go over well, and will be seen as trying to eliminate democracy by trying to have democrats take over.

Basically, public support is needed. People need to vote out these stupid republicans, it can't all be done by their political opponents. Problem is it gets too muddy when their side defends this sort of shit and tries to rationalize it to people who want to believe them.

Telling people the side they are favoring is infested with traitors leads to the Spider-Man pointing gif every time.

depressing

This has gotten my friend into a tizzy. I think this will push her to vote for Harris, but she did say something along the lines of "stuff from other states don't concern me" while we live in Texas So maybe when she thinks on it, it might push her to vote Harris.

Yet they scream and moan about democrats doing that lol.

We have an "Election Day" not an "Election Week"

States that allow Absentee votes should have to be mailed in early enough to be counted on Election Day.

Votes being counted 10 days after Election Day is fucking ridiculous.

So I guess fuck the troops if they are serving overseas and their absentee ballot doesn't arrive on election day, right?

Heavy_D_Forever posted...

We have an "Election Day" not an "Election Week"

States that allow Absentee votes should have to be mailed in early enough to be counted on Election Day.

Votes being counted 10 days after Election Day is fucking ridiculous.

If the ballot was received prior to Election Day but workers didnt get to it yet then it should be thrown out? Thats fucking ridiculous. Your impatience is not a valid reason to throw out votes.

bfslick50 posted...

If the ballot was received prior to Election Day but workers didnt get to it yet then it shone thrown out? Thats fucking ridiculous. Youre impatience is not a valid reason to throw out votes.

Hire more workers or make the mail in cutoff date earlier. Voting has a deadline and vote counting should also. You want them counting votes 90 days after the election?

Heavy_D_Forever posted...

We have an "Election Day" not an "Election Week"

States that allow Absentee votes should have to be mailed in early enough to be counted on Election Day.

Votes being counted 10 days after Election Day is fucking ridiculous.

Just saying something is "fucking ridiculous" doesn't make it so. Explain the actual downside.

Votes being counted 10 days after Election Day is fucking ridiculous

Then you should logically advocate for more poll workers and faster methods of counting.

Not throwing out piles of votes because you want to keep vote counts low.

The fact you advocate for throwing out anything not counted that day, regardless if it comes in earlier or at 11:59:59pm tells us exactly the kind of person you are.

myusernameislame posted...

Explain the actual downside

More votes get counted which documentedly favors one party over the other which is why the other party loves making it harder to vote and harder for those votes to count.

But 11,780 votes after the fact will be a-ok, right?

... asking for a friend...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/8/87269e0b.jpg

BEST counters against corrupt tactics like this is MASSIVE turnout. Remember that.