Scrutable

Please let this happen. Lovely set up for another excellent sitcom episode.

Former President Donald Trump is expected to visit a McDonald’s Sunday in Pennsylvania and “work the fry cooker”, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN.

Judge pauses rule that would require Georgia counties to hand-count ballots
https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/15/politics ... index.html

Putting aside the reason for this particular hand-counting initiative...

Why is something so basic - hand counting ballot papers - so challenging in the USA? In the UK - we manage to hand count around 30 million ballot papers within 24 hours.

Yes - the number of ballot papers would be about 5x larger in the USA - but they have a population 5x larger so these things scale up (e.g. number of volunteers).

Yes - the distances involved are larger - but still they should be able to hand count within a few days as we did/do for some other types of election.

In the above story - a concern is raised that training protocols have not been developed for hand counting the total number of ballots. Not the number of votes cast for each candidate - but just the total number of ballot papers!!! How sophisticated does this training need to be

In the UK we only have a single election of an MP.

In America they have multiple votes from President to Dog Catcher, all on the same piece of paper.

lpm wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2024 10:10 pm Please let this happen. Lovely set up for another excellent sitcom episode.

Former President Donald Trump is expected to visit a McDonald’s Sunday in Pennsylvania and “work the fry cooker”, a source familiar with the matter tells CNN.

Perhaps he will dance while doing it, like his other event in Pennsylvania. That will make it even more fun.

In other news about McDonald's the Trump campaign has spent nearly $40,000 at McDonald’s in the past 2 years. I think it shows.

lpm wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2024 6:53 am In the UK we only have a single election of an MP.

In America they have multiple votes from President to Dog Catcher, all on the same piece of paper.

This.

I voted early this year, in Virginia. My ballot had the races for president, senator, and representative, plus two county referenda about whether to issue bonds for school construction etc. and a state referendum about a tax break for veterans' widows. This was a fairly modest list, especially compared to states that have more referenda (e.g. California) or that have their state and local elections at the same time as the presidential one.

bolo wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2024 10:34 am

lpm wrote: Wed Oct 16, 2024 6:53 am In the UK we only have a single election of an MP.

In America they have multiple votes from President to Dog Catcher, all on the same piece of paper.

This.

I voted early this year, in Virginia. My ballot had the races for president, senator, and representative, plus two county referenda about whether to issue bonds for school construction etc. and a state referendum about a tax break for veterans' widows. This was a fairly modest list, especially compared to states that have more referenda (e.g. California) or that have their state and local elections at the same time as the presidential one.

My ballot paper has "races"* for president, Senate, Congress, state council, state Senate, state House, register of deeds, clerk of courts, county commissioner, register of probate. Plus six ballot questions.

If that piece of paper has to be counted by hand in each race, then it would have to go through the ~24 hour process of hand counting 16 times, sequentially. And remain in good condition for recounts in any races where the result was challenged, need to be accessed for recounts while going through the other counts, and for legal cases should they happen over the validity of the vote.

A lawsuit about dog eared papers (which are ~8.5" x 15", and double sided) would be a serious issue.

*Only president and Senate have more than one candidate.

Why the f.ck does "register of probate" need to be elected?

El Pollo Diablo wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2024 1:16 pm Why the f.ck does "register of probate" need to be elected?

Because Democracy®.

Similarly, every major spending and tax decision by my town has to be voted on by the whole town at town meetings.

The whole town? Everyone has to be there? But what if Take The High Road is on?

El Pollo Diablo wrote: Thu Oct 17, 2024 4:23 pm The whole town? Everyone has to be there? But what if Take The High Road is on?

All registered voters can attend in person and vote. A minimum number are required for the meeting to be quorate, but that's a small number. You need to attend the whole meeting to vote, often 5 hours, on a weekday evening, and then running over into the next weekday meeting. If you can't attend in person, you can't vote.

Often votes pass with 80 votes for and 20 against, out of a town with 5000 voters.

Trump wrote:We want fertilization, and it's all the way

No news there then.

Bookies have Trump as favourite. At Paddy Power, Trump is (right now) 8/13 with Harris 5/4. Similar odds at Ladbrokes (8/13 and 13/10). Are people just hedging their bets?

Allegedly there were some big bets placed to make Trumo appear favourite. It's not necessarily a free market of thousands of $10 players.

Standing at the podium at a rally, Trump is silent for 16 minutes.
https://youtu.be/6Gi-iEke4UI

It’s a powerful piece of inadvertent performance art.

Woodchopper wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 10:08 am Standing at the podium at a rally, Trump is silent for 16 minutes.
https://youtu.be/6Gi-iEke4UI

It’s a powerful piece of inadvertent performance art.

Apparently it was due to a microphone failure, rather than his obvious senility.

Rich Scopie wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 4:55 pm

Woodchopper wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 10:08 am Standing at the podium at a rally, Trump is silent for 16 minutes.
https://youtu.be/6Gi-iEke4UI

It’s a powerful piece of inadvertent performance art.

Apparently it was due to a microphone failure, rather than his obvious senility.

So this was in unobvious senility?

Rich Scopie wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 4:55 pm

Woodchopper wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 10:08 am Standing at the podium at a rally, Trump is silent for 16 minutes.
https://youtu.be/6Gi-iEke4UI

It’s a powerful piece of inadvertent performance art.

Apparently it was due to a microphone failure, rather than his obvious senility.

The current ten minute and counting rambling anecdote about Arnold Palmer is definitely senility.

The alternative universe Trump fans live in makes me worry that he will win.

Grumble wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2024 10:47 am The alternative universe Trump fans live in makes me worry that he will win.

I worry they will have learned from Jan 6th. A few districts in key states failing to certify and kicking the election to SCOTUS, as in 2000.

It's not who votes that counts, but who counts the votes

Bribe voters?

Me??

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg78ljxn8g7o

Trinucleus wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2024 4:34 pm Bribe voters?

Me??

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg78ljxn8g7o

Interesting if it raises the possibility of a 5 year prison sentence for the instigator

Gfamily wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2024 5:01 pm

Trinucleus wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2024 4:34 pm Bribe voters?

Me??

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg78ljxn8g7o

Interesting if it raises the possibility of a 5 year prison sentence for the instigator

It depends on the wording of the petition, which isn't mentioned in the BBC article, but can't Democrat voters sign the petition as well? How are they going to check that people who sign the petition and potentially win $1 million then vote for the orange tiny-handed wannabe dictator?

Oh good. It's not like the future of the world hangs in the balance or anything.

Martin_B wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2024 12:05 am

Gfamily wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2024 5:01 pm

Trinucleus wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2024 4:34 pm Bribe voters?

Me??

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg78ljxn8g7o

Interesting if it raises the possibility of a 5 year prison sentence for the instigator

It depends on the wording of the petition, which isn't mentioned in the BBC article, but can't Democrat voters sign the petition as well? How are they going to check that people who sign the petition and potentially win $1 million then vote for the orange tiny-handed wannabe dictator?

The article says: "In the US, it is illegal to provide payments to get people to vote - not only for a certain candidate, but to simply cast a ballot." And the linked blog has more detail - https://electionlawblog.org/?p=146397

El Pollo Diablo wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2024 9:27 am Oh good. It's not like the future of the world hangs in the balance or anything.

US Election.PNG

Brightonian wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 9:41 pm Bookies have Trump as favourite. At Paddy Power, Trump is (right now) 8/13 with Harris 5/4. Similar odds at Ladbrokes (8/13 and 13/10). Are people just hedging their bets?

Trump's odds shortening slightly, Harris's lengthening: Paddy Power now has Trump 4/7, Harris 6/4.

lpm wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 9:45 pm Allegedly there were some big bets placed to make Trumo appear favourite. It's not necessarily a free market of thousands of $10 players.

Large bets of unknown origin on something called Polymarket recently: Reuters.