Safe, Secure, Trustworthy Voting – It Is Here for the Taking

Three States Show Us How It Is Done – Russians Be Damned!

We Know What Works

We have talked before about how Washington and Oregon have responsive, secure, and low-cost voting systems. This happened because Democrats and Republicans decided this was important. They worked together to make it happen. Voter turnout  is unimaginably higher than in other states. Stacey Abrams is continuing that effort in Georgia and nationwide, as are others.

Add to that list of states doing it right, Colorado, a state whose 2018 elections were models of effectiveness in every measurable area.

It’s One Day AFTER Voting. Time to Go a Better Way.

What Was Old is New Again. We Have Better Way to Confront our Voting Challenges.

 

Well, it’s the morning after the election. We all need a bit of time to process what went down, so more on that in our next edition. In the meantime, let’s take a good look at how we vote in this country.

Not all that long ago, when voting machines came to be the norm in much of the country, I was on board. Digital/optical scanners and electronic tabulations were the way to go.

Welcome Home, America: Observations of a Voting Site Volunteer

 

Spend Some Time at a Polling Place. You Will See Much to Feel Good About.

For several elections, we  turned our home into a campaign house. From late Summer through election day we rearranged the entire house. We set up distribution of canvasser materials and training areas. We established reporting stations and break area for returning canvassers. While it was a crazy set up to live in the midst of, we found it a very satisfying contribution to democracy.

But we are not doing a campaign house this year. Instead, I am at early voting sites,

Today, A Smorgasbord

Not a Very Irish Way to Say We have a Mix of Topics Today

First of All – EXCUUUSE ME!

If you are inclined to make a comment on one of these blogs, which I very much encourage, you will have noted in the last couple of weeks or so that there is a comment heading, but no way to enter a comment. Two readers pointed this out to me a couple of days ago. I was unaware, just wondering why no one commented of late.

We are trying to trouble shoot this anomaly.

Those Were Quite a Few Days

American Politics Has Been on Quite the Ride Lately. Tired yet?

McConnell

Mitch McConnell finally announced his retirement as Minority Leader.  At least he was physically able to make that speech. There has been a lot of talk about whoever replaces him will be even more of a MAGA wingnut. Likely true, but that will not make much difference anyway. McConnell has made it crystal clear that all he ever cared about was raw political power; he was always more than ready to sell his soul to the MAGA crowd to hang on to power.

The bad history is long indeed,

Voters, Judges, and Nikki Haley

Observations on American Life

Voters

The folks responsible for voting in my area are reportedly having some trouble recruiting volunteers to work the polling places this year. People are afraid of the risk of conflict and even of physical danger. That is sad, to say the least. It’s also unacceptable, so I have up my usual spot out front of polling places in election season, passing out literature, to be a poll worker inside. The preparation process was illuminating.

First, there are still quite a few willing to show up for the 14 hour day required.

Good News – Part II

10 More Observations of People, Institutions, or Things to Celebrate

Continuing Our Relentless Pursuit of Good Stuff

A couple of weeks ago, this blog listed a number of good news stories that seemed to me were not getting enough attention, or at least were getting lost in all the doom and gloom we sometimes generate. I mentioned then there were other good news items that made that list but did not want to make the blog too long.

Today, the rest of that list. Admittedly an arbitrary list, not complete and in no special order.

Hey, Santa! You Missed Some Items on Our List – Part II

Here are Some More Things We REALLY Wanted to Find Under the Tree

Continuing our Shopping List with Santa

Last week we started a conversation about things we wished we had found under our nation’s political holiday tree. Most people agree on these items, although we may disagree on some specifics.

What follows is Part II of that list. At the end of this posting, I will include a short, summarized list of what was posted last week. Taken together these two lists would make our hearts sing – and our country better off –

Hey, Santa! You Missed Some Items on Our List – Part I

Here are a Few Items We REALLY Wanted to Find Under the Tree

A Political Wish List

While one can always find disagreements, there are a handful of political reforms that would do wonders for this country. The funny thing is that to the extent our fellow citizens have thought about these items, they agree by large margins.

Hmm, they did not make it as gifts under our tree. Maybe we try again as New Year’s resolutions? Not to make this too long a read, let’s do this as a two part exercise. Let’s see what we have to work with this week,

1st Tuesday in November

Victory Dances, Agony, and Arrogance

Elections Around the Country Carried Valuable Lessons for All

There was quite a variety of elections held all over the country last week, for all types of offices and referenda. As is often the case, there were more than a few surprises, results not really forecast by polls and pundits.Any single election, or even a collection of voting patterns, does not necessarily translate into future electoral results. But at times they do, and I think that is the case with these votes. I noted three consistent outcomes that I expect to see repeated in 2024.