2020 Voting Has Begun! Registration Deadlines Begin Oct. 4 (Pro-Rail and Non-Partisan)

[Asher]

Election Day is Here - Our Last Chance To Stand Up and Be Counted!

Regardless of the eventual outcome this election has already broken records for participation and hopefully signals a change in American attitudes toward taking political issues more seriously and recognizing that elections truly matter.

There have been numerous examples of hostile and dangerous behavior by partisan thugs on roads, sidewalks, parking lots, and polling sites in several states. If you see voter suppression or intimidation be sure to alert someone.

https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_pdf_file/kyr-voterintimidation-v03.pdf
Anyone who is in line when the polls close is guaranteed the right to cast a vote.

If turned away do not react aggressively but calmly demand a provisional ballot with a receipt as required by law.

Do not expect a quick and obvious result on election night.

Expect a thorough and complete counting process that respects the will of all Americans who voted in good faith.

Hopefully this election runs smoother than it did in Athens Tennessee 1946 behind bars are the police who created most of the issues.

 

[jis]

Over 100 million votes were cast in early and mail ballots before a single vote was cast on election day. That is something like 47% of all registered voters.

Fivethirtyeight estimates that there will be between 146 and 168 million votes cast in total, which would imply that close to two thirds of the votes that are expected have already been cast.

My county went into the election day with around 67% of the registered voters having already cast their vote.

The total votes cast in this election will be one for the history books.

 

[Night Ranger]

Hopefully this election runs smoother than it did in Athens Tennessee 1946 behind bars are the police who created most of the issues.View attachment 19482

I live near Athens and there are still a lot of senior citizens there who have first hand knowledge of what locals will always call "The Battle of Athens." These GIs were dead serious about exercising the right to vote that they had fought for overseas. They had the experience and the will and were not any more afraid of a a local dictator than a foreign one.

A college friend's dad told us the story of how he had several sticks of dynamite fused and ready when they were told to stand down. He was a veteran of the fighting in Europe but talked more about the Battle of Athens than his time in the ETO. The least we can do for the Greatest Generation is vote.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Do not expect a quick and obvious result on election night. Expect a thorough and complete counting process that respects the will of all Americans who voted in good faith.

But sadly, look for squads of Lawyers running to Courts all over the Country as the meter runs while we wait for a resolution to the Election. The Supreme Court has no business settling elections like they did in 2000 in Bush v Gore!!

While it is true that I anticipate lots of subversive scheming and manipulating I still expect all legitimate votes to be counted anyway. If that is not what we get then it is on us to push back against tyranny. This will be a very dangerous time for us. The future of our democracy depends on a fair and honest election and we must insist that is what we get.

 

[jis]

As it turns out the most controversial election that I voted on before this one, was in India, last election I voted on there before moving to the US. That was the election in which the nation was furious with Indira Gandhi because of what most considered an unwarranted Emergency Declaration, and some high handed actions that followed.

But the bottom line was, that there was a free and fair election, and all votes were counted. Indira Gandhi lost, and turned power over peacefully to the winner, in an organized fashion, following standard protocols. That is what helped cement the democratic tradition, among a few other such acts by other PMs before that, which has held fast till now in India.

Interestingly, the US may be facing one of those tests this time. We'll see.

 

[me_little_me]

But sadly, look for squads of Lawyers running to Courts all over the Country as the meter runs while we wait for a resolution to the Election.

The Supreme Court has no business settling elections like they did in 2000 in Bush v Gore!!

Shakespeare was right, " ..First we kill the Lawyers..."

Please no partisan postings in this thread. Whether you agree with their decisions or not, the state and federal courts and ultimately the highest courts of the states and federal government are the final interpreters of the law.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Please no partisan postings in this thread. Whether you agree with their decisions or not, the state and federal courts and ultimately the highest courts of the states and federal government are the final interpreters of the law.

Nothing partisan here, both sides have squads of Lawyers and its gonna be a mess at least till Dec, just like 2000 was.

Elections shouldn't be settled by Judges, our system is set up for States and Localities to handle Voting and Counting.,by LAW! Period.

Over and Out!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

While watching results I was reading about a certain group of supporters entering election related buildings in the Detroit and Phoenix areas. They were shouting and causing so much disruption they needed to be removed from the counting process. These protestors refused to leave the premises and kept shouting at staff through windows with bullhorns. Some of the protestors were armed and some were extremely aggressive. The protest was advertised on social media and as the mob grew in size and anger the situation become tense enough that staff had to be escorted to their cars. Eventually it got so bad they had to stop counting ballots and send everyone home just to keep the peace. This is completely screwed up and now we're hearing that several more protests are scheduled for tomorrow.

I don't know why this is still being tolerated. It's one thing if you're protesting the police or military but elections staff are typically working a thankless job just trying to get by (in the middle of a pandemic no less). They never signed up to be antagonized, they're not trained to deal with aggressive mobs, and they don't receive hazard pay. Protesting itself is fine, and if you want to observe the counting system there is a method for doing so in a calm and quiet fashion, but this new breed of aggressive vigilante supporter has got to go. If you know someone who has gone down the militant protestor rabbit hole please talk to them or at least let someone know if you think they might be a danger to others. We've seen emotional rhetoric turn into preventable violence before and it's on all of us to push back against that.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

An armed man was arrested Thursday night outside a Philadelphia convention center hosting a vote count after police received word of an alleged plot to attack the location, a new report said. The bust came after police were tipped off about a group of people from Virginia driving to the convention center in a Hummer with a possible plan to strike, WPVI reported.

https://www.startribunemag.com/man-...k-philly-vote-counting-center-startribunemag/

 

[Rover]

For those who have voted what was your experience?

I voted in Dallas County on the first day of early voting, I got there about 10 minutes after 8am. There were two ahead of me to enter the polling area. Went smoothly. No hiccups. Voting was on a touchscreen, but there was a paper backup printed showing my votes. It took longer to vote in this election because Texas moved away from straight party voting, so each contest was voted on individually.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I just want to thank everyone who voted and participated in this thread and hope that we can continue to work together for more and better passenger rail. Neutering the Mica rule was only step one in a long and difficult path toward a much better future. There is still much work to be done but Amtrak isn't dead yet and we can make things better for passenger rail enthusiasts if we keep pushing for more support and better management.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...s-11-07-20/h_1e0e91d050d44ff57754643e6d9008d2
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/20...mp-win-white-house-nbc-news-projects-n1246912
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-wins-presidency-trump-fox-news-projects

 

[bms]

No. 49's late arrival into Chicago meant that I was on the train in the Chicago yard when I found out, seems fitting!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

A full week after the election the president-elect is still not receiving security briefings, 100% of the executive branch and 93% of the senate majority have refused to acknowledge the outcome, the pentagon brass have been replaced with loyalists, federal agencies have been instructed to resume work on the current administration's February budget initiatives and the secretary of state has said there will be a smooth transition to a second term. I know it seems crazy to take this at face value, but if this were happening in any other country would we still be shaking our heads in disbelief, or would we start accepting the possibility that maybe it's not a joke after all? Just to be clear none of the accusations and lawsuits have actually gone anywhere. Instead they have led to bizarre exchanges where a judge is eventually forced to ask the complainant what exactly is being alleged and why it's a problem. Yet the unfounded attacks continue unabated. The best case scenario is that we're witnessing an attempt to wound the next government and pervert the course of justice out of sheer pettiness and spite. The worst case scenario is that we're being tested for how well Americans will tolerate something much deeper and darker than misinformation and meritless attacks. The question I keep coming back to is who is going to stand up in the future that is not willing to stand up now? The longer this goes on the more momentum it gains, the more accepted it becomes, and the harder it will be to push back against it.

 

[railiner]

the pentagon brass have since been replaced with loyalists,

In that case, I hope there is a “Jiggs” in the Pentagon (Kirk Douglas character in the film, “Seven Days in May”)...

 

[Dakota 400]

Best case scenario it's an attempt to wound the next government out of pettiness and spite. Worst case it's a test for how well Americans will tolerate something deeper and darker than mere misinformation.

The star of the reality show that is the present Administration can't accept that his show is being taken off the air and is still acting like there will be another "network" which will pick up the show.

The question I keep coming back to is who is going to stand up in the future that is not willing to stand up now? The longer this goes on the more momentum it gains, the more accepted it becomes, and the harder it will be to push back against it.

I have been asking myself that question for nearly 4 years now. We have seen dissent on occasion from a few of our current legislators. We have seen respected former public officials offer their thoughts. More--and more blunt, personal communication--needs to be directed at the star of this drama.

If this "play" continues, the Market is going to like it less and less, I suspect. Maybe the "voices of reason" will come from outside the Beltway?

 

[neroden]

Democratic Governors have already made it clear that they support the elected President-Elect Biden. As have a few Republican Governors. Just enough Republican Senators, too.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/20...ken-trump-congratulate-biden-his-win-n1247278
The Republican Secretary of State of Georgia, Brad Raffensperger, is, miracle of miracles, absolutely insistent on counting all the votes honestly and openly and fairly. He has, of course, been promptly attacked by both Republican Senators from Georgia.

I don't think the Trump coup attempt is going to succeed, and yes, this is because I've been counting powerful people. Trump and his closest lackies are definitely *trying* a coup, but I don't think they have the backing.

 

[IndyLions]

What we have seen since 2016 is atrocious behavior on both sides, just in a slightly different form.

The left accepted the election on election night 2016 alright - then spent four years pushing every conspiracy theory they could drum up (Russian collusion, etc) that had either robbed them of the election or which they could use to force Trump out of office prior to the next election.

Why are we surprised now that the right is screaming foul and dreaming up their own set of conspiracy theories as to how THEY were robbed on Election Day?

These conspiracy theories are all fed by left wingers only patronizing left wing news outlets, and right wingers only patronizing right wing news outlets. These news outlets are all businesses driven by advertising revenue - driven by ratings. The outlets aren’t stupid - they know if they don’t pander to their base their ratings and revenue go down. So CNN previously gave credence to unprovable Russian collusion to satisfy their viewers on the left, and FOX currently gives credence to election fraud to pacify their viewers on the right.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

What we have seen since 2016 is atrocious behavior on both sides, just in a slightly different form. The left accepted the election on election night 2016 alright...

So not the same at all then.

Why are we surprised now that the right is screaming foul and dreaming up their own set of conspiracy theories as to how THEY were robbed on Election Day?

We're surprised that the actual business of formal transition access and funding is still being blocked.

These conspiracy theories are all fed by left wingers only patronizing left wing news outlets, and right wingers only patronizing right wing news outlets.

I guess if CNN was worshiping the patriotism of looters and fawning over antifa truck rallies you might have a point.

 

[west point]

I am worried that the federal government is going to go thru a scorched earth action until Jan 20th. Defense department and GSA already.

 

[Dakota 400]

In the article that neroden provided the link to, I counted 7 GOP Senators who have congratulated Mr. Biden on his win. I was aware of 3 of them having done so, but was unaware of the others. Even though McConnell appears to remain in charge of his caucus, is significant dissent beginning to appear? if so, even if the GOP remain in the Senate majority, the defection of some of these 7 on important pieces of legislation might get something productive out of the Senate and not just the confirmation of Federal judges.

Notably missing, for me, from those who have congratulated Mr. Biden is the Junior Senator from Ohio, Senator Rob Portman.

 

[Willbridge]

Democratic Governors have already made it clear that they support the elected President-Elect Biden. As have a few Republican Governors. Just enough Republican Senators, too.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/20...ken-trump-congratulate-biden-his-win-n1247278
The Republican Secretary of State of Georgia, Brad Raffensperger, is, miracle of miracles, absolutely insistent on counting all the votes honestly and openly and fairly. He has, of course, been promptly attacked by both Republican Senators from Georgia.

I don't think the Trump coup attempt is going to succeed, and yes, this is because I've been counting powerful people. Trump and his closest lackies are definitely *trying* a coup, but I don't think they have the backing.

Our very smooth mail-in ballot in Colorado was the result of bi-partisan efforts. We're just lucky that the system was set up a while ago while nobody nationally was paying attention. It has now operated under a Republican Secretary of State and a Democrat Secretary of State. A majority of the county clerks are Republican and the county clerks representing most of the big population counties are Democrats. Either way, with over a dozen ballot measures added to a U.S. Senate vote and state House and Senate votes, lines would have moved slowly if only traditional same-day voting was permitted.

The sad thing for the "coup" states is that it smears them for other purposes. Who wants to locate a business in a state that can't manage to run an election? Secretaries of State commonly handle business regulation, too.

 

[Bob Dylan]

In the article that neroden provided the link to, I counted 7 GOP Senators who have congratulated Mr. Biden on his win. I was aware of 3 of them having done so, but was unaware of the others. Even though McConnell appears to remain in charge of his caucus, is significant dissent beginning to appear? if so, even if the GOP remain in the Senate majority, the defection of some of these 7 on important pieces of legislation might get something productive out of the Senate and not just the confirmation of Federal judges.

Notably missing, for me, from those who have congratulated Mr. Biden is the Junior Senator from Ohio, Senator Rob Portman.

Yall will have a chance to Vote him out next time hes up for Re-election!

 

[Barb Stout]

These conspiracy theories are all fed by left wingers only patronizing left wing news outlets, and right wingers only patronizing right wing news outlets. These news outlets are all businesses driven by advertising revenue - driven by ratings. The outlets aren’t stupid - they know if they don’t pander to their base their ratings and revenue go down. So CNN previously gave credence to unprovable Russian collusion to satisfy their viewers on the left, and FOX currently gives credence to election fraud to pacify their viewers on the right.

Fox currently is "saying" that Biden won, and so Trump is now really mad at Fox and is tweeting about Fox, but not about the Covid19 crisis in hospitalizations and qns (quantity not sufficient) hospital personnel in many regions to take care of the hospitalized Covid19 and other afflicted patients. In fact, I think Fox was one of the first media outlets that called the election for Biden. I guess Murdoch sees the writing on the wall.

 

[Dakota 400]

In fact, I think Fox was one of the first media outlets that called the election for Biden. I guess Murdoch sees the writing on the wall.

I believe you are correct. I was surprised that Fox had declared the election for Mr. Biden. I don't quite understand what CNN's problem is about Arizona. I have seen on CNN two maps during the same prime time program: one shows Arizona as being "blue" the other being "white".

 

[Devil's Advocate]

This is what I see on CNN.com as of the most recent update.
Looks like all states have been called with the final tally at 306-232.