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* Kass…
Because thousands of Democratic votes were miraculously found in Florida’s heavily Democratic Broward County after polls were closed on Election Day.
The Republican candidate for Senate, Florida Gov. Rick Scott, had the votes to declare victory. On Tuesday night. And Republican Ron DeSantis, the candidate for governor, had the votes to win. On Tuesday night.
But after Wednesday morning, and with those thousands of votes coming in, things changed. […]
Ballots were found in abandoned boxes and other mysterious places. And ballots that were supposed to be kept separate from other ballots were mysteriously mixed together.
* The ballots in an abandoned box story was debunked by Fox News…
Further, Rubio shared the account of a lone box labeled “Provisional Ballot Box” left at a county elementary school that served as a polling precinct. But the reporter who originally flagged the abandoned box later walked it back, citing another local reporter who tweeted a photo showing the apparent container filled with little more than supplies.
* The ballots “mysteriously” mixed together story…
On Friday, the three-person canvassing board — on which Snipes usually sits — found about 20 of those 205 votes had mismatched signatures and declared them illegal. That means there are at least 20 illegal votes mixed into an anonymous pile of 205, all sitting in a machine that counted them but did not add them to the final count. […]
Republican Party lawyers immediately pressed Snipes about the future of those 205 votes and if they’d be counted. Snipes declined to answer and continued judging signatures on remaining ballots. There is no statute guiding what happens next. [Emphasis added]
Ugh. 185 legitimate voters may now be disenfranchised because of that stupid error.
* Florida is a weird and goofy place and I ain’t gonna ever defend it. I only bring all this up because his entire “On Tuesday night” premise is just flat-out ridiculous and even dangerously undemocratic. Election outcomes aren’t decided on Tuesday night. Outcomes are officially decided when all the votes have been counted by the deadline day. In Illinois’ case, that deadline is next Tuesday.
And as you can see by looking at the far right hand side of this website, Sen. Mike Connelly is now trailing his Democratic opponent by 512 votes. “On Tuesday night” Connelly was leading by 12. Should Connelly have been declared the winner “on Tuesday night”? Absolutely not. Hundreds and hundreds of legitimately cast ballots hadn’t been counted “on Tuesday night.”
Why weren’t they counted? Well, people are humans and they need sleep “on Tuesday night” is one reason. Some mailed-in ballots postmarked by the deadline hadn’t (and some still haven’t) arrived is another. Provisional ballots hadn’t (and some still haven’t) yet been determined to be valid.
If you click here, you’ll see the remaining ballots left to be counted in every Illinois election jurisdiction. They have another six days to figure this out.
[Hat tip: Kennedy]
* Related…
* Politifact: Donald Trump and Rick Scott allege fraud in Broward, Palm Beach vote counting without any evidence: While there may have been questionable judgements and mistakes, Stewart said, “none of this seems to involve a large number of votes, and none of it appears aimed at shifting the results of the election.”
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 12:34 pm
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Imagine how slow this process was for rural states in the early-/mid- 1800’s! It makes more and more sense why they initially had the President’s Inauguration Day in Spring, as opposed to “right away” in January.
Comment by NIU Grad Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 12:51 pm
John “Chicago Way” Kass should stick with writing articles about hot dogs.
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 12:54 pm
Kass is like the drunk at the end of the bar who can’t wait to repeat to you everything he heard watching cable news yakfests all afternoon.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 12:54 pm
===dangerously undemocratic===
Yep. It’s like some conservatives want to de-legitimize the electoral process. If we can’t trust that elections will be handled fairly, how long until we descend into the madness of autocracy?
Kass is being a useful idiot in this regard. Which is odd, because usually he’s simply useless.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 12:55 pm
Wordslinger, you forgot the part where he thinks he’s being the heir to the Royko legacy by doing so.
Comment by Anon324 Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 1:09 pm
There is some logic to evolving as we move toward different voting customs. If you don’t vote early or on election day, I don’t think it would shatter the Earth to put the deadline for postmarking “vote by mail” previous known as “absentee” ballots two weeks prior to Election Day. You’d still have provisional ballots, but those are minuscule compared to the vote by mail. I think people would adjust to any deadline you set out.
For both sides, there is an element of cruelty to having to wait 2 weeks not knowing and suddenly have a mob scene full of volunteer judges and poll watchers descend on a county commission. That doesn’t Un-complicate things since no one trusts anyone. If the regular commission workers (all professionals) were tabulating all of the mail votes, this mess wouldn’t exist.
Vote by mail is a convenience and certainly a strategy now. Asking all those to cooperate with an earlier deadline to ensure ballots are processed in the most secure way wouldn’t be a huge ask.
Comment by A guy Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 1:12 pm
It might help if the media stopped saying a percentage (even 100%) of votes have been counted, since that percentage is misleading.
Comment by anon Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 1:12 pm
Kass obviously doesn’t remember our state treasurer race when Frerich beat Cross. All the same issues but both sides spent days and days watching the votes being tallied. From what I remember Cross and his people accepted the outcome as legit.
Comment by Been There Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 1:13 pm
I voted by mail for the first time. The instructions included the information that my vote would not be counted until after the votes at polling stations were counted, but would be before next week’s deadline.
And you know what? I’ll bet even John Kass could find that information on the internet. Or maybe an intern at the Trib, if he’s actually allowed near them.
Comment by Cheryl44 Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 1:17 pm
The lasting damage, and real travesty, is that the talking heads who spread these conspiracy theories know that even if they get debunked, their listeners will always believe the conspiracy.
Comment by AlfondoGonz Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 1:20 pm
The whole “Election Night” narrative is BS. Those bandying that about are not interested in counting votes or democracy as it has been practiced in the US for 242 years. Trump would appoint himself dictator for life if he could, he already uses the words of autocrats and demagogues if not the actions.
We go to the polls Tuesday night, there is nothing that says the votes have to be counted that night. if you cannot handle that go see your doctor for some meds.
Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 1:32 pm
It’s interesting how fast national Republicans have caught up to the Kass nonsense excuses.
Comment by Wensicia Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 1:35 pm
Kass is a disingenuous, dissembling fool- but only on days which end with “y”.
Comment by West Sider Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 1:38 pm
Guy: Why does moving the deadline up make the process more secure? Local election authorities can’t even mail ballots out until just a few weeks before the election; you want to compress the time voters have to request, receive, vote, and return their ballot… for what?
And how is it “cruel” to make campaign staff wait another few days to see the outcome. Is that any more cruel than denying people the right to vote?
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 1:47 pm
Is it just simple stupid racism that drives the criticism of Snipes? The race card is the Democratic left’s default position, always.
MSNBC’s habitual liar and lefty cheerleader Joy Reid — who makes CNN buffoon Jim Acosta sound somewhat reasonable — proved this by playing the race card clumsily but with gusto. John Kass
Does he honestly expect to be considered for a Pulitzer for this word smithing?
Comment by Cable Line Beer Gardener Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 1:51 pm
“If the regular commission workers (all professionals) were tabulating all of the mail votes, this mess wouldn’t exist.”
Yeah, those professionals never make a mess…
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/news/ct-nvs-dupage-election-commission-mailer-spending-st-1114-story.html
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 1:57 pm
I wonder if Kass’ argument would be the same if Scott and DeSantis were narrowly behind on Tuesday night, but were gaining as they continued counting.
I kid. I’m not wondering.
Comment by Henry Francis Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 2:03 pm
How does Kass even have an opinion column in a major market??? Oh, I forgot…..most of the Trib Editorial Board is as unhinged as he is.
Comment by formerpro Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 2:13 pm
I don’t think A Guy’s proposal should be summarily disregarded. Voting by mail is a convenience to those who cannot make it in person on election day. Making it slightly more inconvenient by squeezing the time frame does not disenfranchise them.
Comment by Original Rambler Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 2:17 pm
Kass— yawn
Sometimes I wonder if he believes what he writes or is it just a paycheck? Sometimes.
Comment by Ill-will Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 2:25 pm
Since you brought up Florida, the deadline for receiving ballots from overseas isn’t until Friday.
A 10-day extension exists for overseas voters. The overseas voter’s vote-by-mail ballot must be postmarked or dated by Election Day and received within 10 days of the election in order to be counted, provided the ballot is otherwise proper.
Comment by G'Kar Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 2:25 pm
Vote counting in Broward Co., FL is as fishy as John Kass talking about running for mayor of Chicago even though he doesn’t live in Chicago.
Comment by GOPgal Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 2:38 pm
Florida is a complete joke now a days.One would think they would have everything figured out because of 2000.
Comment by The Dude Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 2:55 pm
Has the Allen-Walsh race been updated yet?
Comment by The Way I See It Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 3:30 pm
I don’t understand why editors don’t insist on facts from opinion writers being correct. It’s fine that he has his own opinion, but as a newspaper or whatever Tronc thinks it is now, the facts shouldn’t be wrong in the opinion pieces.
Comment by Archpundit Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 4:55 pm
–I don’t understand why editors don’t insist on facts from opinion writers being correct. –
I don’t see any evidence of editing in his stuff. Facts aside, there’s a lot of unfocused, wandering around.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 5:00 pm
I used to say that, besides being a poorly educated hack, Kass was also the dog-whistle maestro. But of late he’s actually been whistling an audible Dixie.
Comment by Springfieldish Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 5:12 pm
@Original Rambler -
Your argument begins with the premise that voting should be inconvenient, and if people want voting to be a little more convenient, they should have to give up something.
Enfranchisement is in all our interests, whether your side wins or not, because greater participation leads to higher acceptance of the outcomes, and the resulting governance.
BTW, don’t feel sorry about the folks still counting ballots in their races down to the wire to determine the winner. Those are the races from which legends are born. In close races decided by 2 votes per precinct or less, you can feel the benefit of every campaign decision, every staffer contribution, that extra 15 minutes you put in knocking on doors as the summer sun was fading on the horizon.
The close races are cherished, and it gives the staff who worked them a couple of weeks in the spotlight.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 5:38 pm
Totally embarrassing to the Tribune that John Kass occupies that column. Given the Trib’s R bias, that column could actually be a really important moderate R platform. Sad.
Comment by Joke Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 9:34 pm
This sort of thing is why all his friends call him Jack
Comment by Suburban Mom Wednesday, Nov 14, 18 @ 9:44 pm
==Florida is a complete joke now a days.==
If you are referring to the recount, it takes time to count millions of votes. Florida ain’t Wyoming. More people to do the work and that means more people to make mistakes. Also overheating machines could have happened anywhere.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 6:16 am
remember, friends, Republican officials and their media allies are showing themselves to be the enemies of democracy and fair elections. never treat them as if they’re acting in good faith.
Comment by brickle Thursday, Nov 15, 18 @ 7:57 am