2024 General Elections Thread

[ap215]

Scholz survives as his party edges far-right AfD in Brandenburg election

WANDLITZ, Germany — Embattled German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dodged a bullet on Sunday as his Social Democrats (SPD) held off the far right in a key regional election in the eastern state of Brandenburg.

The victory gives Scholz, who is struggling to hold his fractious three-party coalition together, a reprieve — at least for the time being. His approval ratings have hit record lows, and he was even asked not to campaign in Brandenburg due to his unpopularity with voters.

https://www.politico.eu/article/scholzs ... ls-signal/

[ap215]

Democratic group launches legal fund to help secretaries of state defend against postelection lawsuits

A Democratic group is launching a legal fund to help secretaries of state in key states defend against an anticipated post-election deluge of lawsuits.

In plans shared first with NBC News, the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State plans to spend at $5 million to support top election officials in Maine, Michigan, North Carolina and Nevada. Officials with the group said they may expand their reach to other states as needed and could spend more if fundraising is strong.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-e ... rcna172009

[ap215]

North Carolina removes 747,000 from voter rolls, citing ineligibility

North Carolina’s Board of Elections has removed 747,000 people from its list of registered voters within the last 20 months, officials announced on Thursday in a press release.

The state board of elections in the release said the majority of those stripped from the rolls were deemed ineligible to be registered because they had moved within the state and did not register their new address, or because they did not participate in the past two federal elections, prompting an inactive status.

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4 ... 7k-voters/

[ap215]

CBS Moderators Won’t Fact-Check the VP Debate

At Tuesday’s vice presidential debate between Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), something will be missing: on-air fact-checking.

The Associated Press reports that moderators Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan of CBS will not point out the candidates’ inaccuracies during the 90-minute debate, scheduled to take place in New York City at 9 p.m. Eastern. Instead, the network says the candidates can fact-check each other and that its misinformation unit, consisting of about 20 people, will provide real-time fact-checking during the debate in an online live blog and on-air afterwards.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/20 ... ance-veep/

[ap215]

Democrat Kelvin Datcher wins race to replace former Alabama Rep. John Rogers

Kelvin Datcher will represent Birmingham in the Alabama State House after winning the third and final race to claim the seat formerly held by John Rogers.

Datcher, an aide to Mayor Randall Woodfin, handily defeated Republican challenger Erskine Brown Jr.

https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2024 ... ogers.html

[ap215]

European far right celebrates Austrian election win. But Austria’s political future is uncertain

VIENNA (AP) — European far-right and nationalist parties are celebrating the hard-right Freedom Party’s win in Austria’s election. Even though it’s uncertain whether hard-line leader Herbert Kickl will be able to take his vision of a “Fortress Austria” into government, the party’s electoral success could nudge politics further in its direction.

Sunday’s result leaves Austria’s political future uncertain, as it’s questionable how stable the next administration will be — whoever forms it, probably after long negotiations.

https://apnews.com/article/austria-elec ... cdeae43272

[ap215]

Sheinbaum sworn in as Mexico's first female president, vows 'it's time for women'

MEXICO CITY, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in as Mexico's first woman president on Tuesday, vowing to bolster women's rights and ensure Latin America's No. 2 economy remains a secure destination for international investment.

Sheinbaum, a 62-year-old scientist and former mayor of Mexico City, took the oath of office and received the presidential sash in a boisterous ceremony in Mexico's Congress, which marks the start of her six-year term.

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ ... 024-10-01/

[ap215]

Judge blocks new California law cracking down on election deepfakes

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A new California law allowing any person to sue for damages over election deepfakes has been put on pause after a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction Wednesday blocking it.

U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez said artificial intelligence and deepfakes pose significant risks, but he ruled that the law likely violates the First Amendment.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/judge ... f6d6&ei=47

[ap215]

Political bettors hit the jackpot as court clears election markets for comeback

Political gambling is back on in the US, less than five weeks before Election Day.

A federal appeals court in Washington on Wednesday cleared the way for financial exchange startup Kalshi to revive the first fully regulated election-betting markets in the U.S. The three-judge panel lifted a temporary freeze on the markets while rejecting an emergency bid from Wall Street regulators to halt trading pending a full appeal of a lower-court decision in favor of Kalshi.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/0 ... s-00182165

[ap215]

Hopkins wins borough mayor’s race in Fairbanks

Grier Hopkins, Democrat son of former Democrat Mayor Luke Hopkins, has won the mayoral race for the Fairbanks North Star Borough. A week after the election ended, Hopkins pulled ahead with 154-vote advantage. Robert Shields, the third candidate in the race, took the election from the conservatives with 705 votes.

Hopkins served briefly in the Alaska Legislature and has been a big advocate for higher property taxes. John Coghill served in the Legislature from 1999 to 2020.

https://mustreadalaska.com/breaking-hop ... fairbanks/

[ap215]

Republicans file lawsuits to challenge overseas ballots — including those coming from military personnel

Republicans have filed a flurry of lawsuits in battleground states to target ballots cast by American voters living abroad — including military service members.

Critics warn the move is designed to cast doubt on the legitimacy of 2024’s forthcoming presidential election.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 27475.html

[ap215]

It's expected to be a Blue Wave year for The Democrats but for you Glenn & your conservative friends this is your consolation prize enjoy wrecking The Judiciary etc just remember we're going to fight like hell to regain it back in 2 years & clean up the mess & chaos you guys are going to create.

Senate majority at risk of falling out of reach for Democrats

Former President Trump’s strength in the upper Midwest is putting Senate Democrats on defense, giving the GOP hopes it can not only win the Senate majority but grow it beyond a seat or two.

Republicans are already favored to win the Senate with Sen. Joe Manchin (I) retiring in West Virginia and Sen. Jon Tester (D) seen as the underdog in Montana. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has moved Montana’s Senate race to “lean Republican.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/493 ... -majority/

[ap215]

Moldova's Sandu decries 'unprecedented' meddling as EU referendum goes to wire

CHISINAU, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Moldovan President Maia Sandu said Sunday's twin votes faced an "unprecedented" assault from outside interference after preliminary results showed the election heading for a tight run-off and an EU referendum going to the wire.

With more than 92% of the ballots counted, 52% voted "no" in the referendum with 47% Moldovans voting "yes". Despite the gap, analysts said the "yes" camp could still prevail because the largely pro-EU diaspora's ballots were yet to be counted.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/mo ... 024-10-20/

[Glennfs]

It's expected to be a Blue Wave year for The Democrats but for you Glenn & your conservative friends this is your consolation prize enjoy wrecking The Judiciary etc just remember we're going to fight like hell to regain it back in 2 years & clean up the mess & chaos you guys are going to create.

Senate majority at risk of falling out of reach for Democrats

Former President Trump’s strength in the upper Midwest is putting Senate Democrats on defense, giving the GOP hopes it can not only win the Senate majority but grow it beyond a seat or two.

Republicans are already favored to win the Senate with Sen. Joe Manchin (I) retiring in West Virginia and Sen. Jon Tester (D) seen as the underdog in Montana. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has moved Montana’s Senate race to “lean Republican.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/493 ... -majority/

The democratic party already owns every federal court except scotus.

[gounion]

The democratic party already owns every federal court except scotus.

Wow, that's simply a lie.

[ap215]

Georgia Supreme Court rejects Republican attempt to quickly reinstate invalidated election rules

ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by national and state Republicans to immediately reinstate recently passed election rules that a judge had ruled were invalid. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox last week ruled that the State Election Board didn’t have the authority to adopt the new rules. He declared them “illegal, unconstitutional and void.” The Republican National Committee and the Georgia Republican Party had appealed that ruling to Georgia’s highest court. They asked that it be handled in an expedited manner and for the rules to be reinstated while the appeal was pending. The Supreme Court declined the request for expedited handling. And it declined to put Cox’s order on hold.

https://www.wnky.com/i/georgia-supreme- ... ion-rules/

[ap215]

2 months after the resignation of Councilwoman Lee, Ward 2 has a new council member. See who

Tina Clay will represent Ward 2 on the Jackson City Council.

Clay defeated her opponent Marcus Cheatham in a runoff election held Tuesday. Clay received 1,509 votes, while Cheatham received 920. A total of 2,436 Ward 2 residents turned out to vote in the runoff. That total included write-ins but not mail-in ballots or affidavits.

https://www.clarionledger.com/story/new ... 790305007/

[ap215]

In rare move, Pentagon denies falsehood about troops allowed to use force during election

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a rare move, the Pentagon strongly pushed back Thursday against misinformation spread on social media that falsely suggests U.S. troops have been authorized to use force against American citizens during the election.

The misinformation — spread online by former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn and former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., among others — suggests that a Defense Department policy revision released in late September was timed to interfere with the Nov. 5 presidential election.

https://apnews.com/article/election-202 ... 6bcf84480b

[ap215]

Judge orders Virginia to restore 1,600 voter registrations canceled in effort to purge noncitizens

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday ordered Virginia to restore more than 1,600 voter registrations that she said were illegally purged in the last two months in an effort to stop noncitizens from voting.

U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles granted an injunction request brought against Virginia election officials by the Justice Department, which claimed the voter registrations were wrongly canceled during a 90-day quiet period ahead of the November election that restricts states from making large-scale changes to their voter rolls.

https://apnews.com/article/virginia-vot ... dium=share

[ap215]

Japan's ruling party loses its majority after snap election

The coalition led by Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has lost its majority in parliament, its worst result for over a decade.

Opposition parties secured more than half the seats in the lower house, provisional election results showed.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8xpev42g78o

[Greengrass]

Judge orders Virginia to restore 1,600 voter registrations canceled in effort to purge noncitizens

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday ordered Virginia to restore more than 1,600 voter registrations that she said were illegally purged in the last two months in an effort to stop noncitizens from voting.

U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles granted an injunction request brought against Virginia election officials by the Justice Department, which claimed the voter registrations were wrongly canceled during a 90-day quiet period ahead of the November election that restricts states from making large-scale changes to their voter rolls.

https://apnews.com/article/virginia-vot ... dium=share

Yeah, he needs to recognize that even the self identified wrongful registrations, are included in the legislations quiet period. And it’s only like 1,600 non-citizens, who aren’t going to vote.

[Glennfs]

Judge orders Virginia to restore 1,600 voter registrations canceled in effort to purge noncitizens

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday ordered Virginia to restore more than 1,600 voter registrations that she said were illegally purged in the last two months in an effort to stop noncitizens from voting.

U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles granted an injunction request brought against Virginia election officials by the Justice Department, which claimed the voter registrations were wrongly canceled during a 90-day quiet period ahead of the November election that restricts states from making large-scale changes to their voter rolls.

https://apnews.com/article/virginia-vot ... dium=share

I think they are going to appeal and win.

[Greengrass]

I think they are going to appeal and win.

Don’t think they’ll win. I’d be surprised if the Supreme Court bothers with it.

The statute is clear and straightforward. And it doesn’t permit the 1,600 to legally vote.

[gounion]

I think they are going to appeal and win.

For voter suppression. Got it.

[Greengrass]

For voter suppression. Got it.

It’s 1,600 non citizen registrants. Not exactly voter suppression.