Then election will either lock in a Republicans US Senate majority for another two years….
Or?
If the two Republicans lose?
Give Democrats Avery narrow control of the US Senate….
With Joe Biden pulling off a win in the state?
Democrats are hoping pull two more surprises in voting in the state….
A record number of absentee ballots are reportedly being requested for Georgia’s crucial Senate runoff races after the nation already broke records on mail-in voting for the Nov. 3 elections.
More than 762,000 absentee ballots have already been requested in the Peach State, according to WSB-TV, triple the amount of ballots requested in all of the state’s elections in 2018.
The two Senate contests on Jan. 5 will determine control over the upper chamber. Democrats would have to win both to take the majority.
Both parties are leaning into the race, with Democrats saying President-elect Joe Biden‘s agenda could be stalled by a Senate led by current Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Republicans argue that keeping the Senate in GOP hands is key as a last line of defense against Democrats, who will hold the White House and the House majority.
Georgia has leaned red in Senate elections, but Biden’s slim win in the state has given Democrats new hope.
Former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, whose efforts to register voters is credited with helping Biden flip the historically red state, celebrated the record number of absentee ballots on Twitter….
Early Voting Kicks Off for Georgia Runoffs
“All eyes are on Georgia as the state begins early voting on Monday for two Senate runoff elections that will determine control of the US Senate,” CNN reports.
“But there will be fewer early voting sites available in some parts of the state than there were for the November general elections, which has upset voting rights and advocacy groups in the state who say the changes will lead to longer lines, longer wait times and more barriers — especially for voters of color.”
Here’s how some states are increasing security for the Electoral College vote
With the heightened attention on today’s Electoral College voting, some states are instituting increased security protocols due to concerns over safety, threats and protests.
The Michigan House and Senate offices will be closed to the public Monday after “credible threats of violence” as the state’s 16 electors prepare to cast their votes for president and vice president, a spokesperson told CNN.
In Arizona, the Electoral College will be meeting at an undisclosed location, according to the public information office for the secretary of state.
In Wisconsin, electors are being told to use an unmarked entrance with police escort, according to one of the electors.
Electors in Pennsylvania told CNN they are getting a law enforcement escort, in groups, to the venue where the vote will be held and then back to their hotels and other locations.
Pennsylvania State Police have said there are no specific threats associated with the vote— but an official with the Pennsylvania Secretary of State’s office tells CNN: “ We and our security partners are closely monitoring for threats and are taking steps to safeguard the Electoral College participants and process.”
Protestors were at the state Capitol this weekend but so far none have been seen.
CNN’s Annie Grayer, Kristina Sgueglia, Leslie Perrot, Adrienne Broaddus, Brian Todd and Bill Kirkos contributed reporting to this post.
Michigan Republicans strip member of committee duties after saying protests will be violent today
From CNN’s Annie Grayer
A Michigan Republican House member was stripped of his committee assignments after saying there could be violent protests in the state capitol on Monday because of the Electoral College vote.
Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield and Speaker-elect Jason Wentworth just removed Rep. Gary Eisen from his committee assignments for the rest of the term as a result of his comments from the radio interview that incited violence.
Michigan Republican House Representative Gary Eisen said during a local radio interview that he was helping coordinate protests today and could not assure a local radio host that there would not be violence as the protests unfolded.
When asked if he could assure that it would be a safe day in Lansing today and that no one would get hurt by a WPHM radio host, Eisen said, “no.”
Eisen, who was one of the Michigan lawmakers to support the Texas Attorney General lawsuit that was dismissed by the Supreme Court, would not give details about the event other than saying “it’s going to be violence, it’s going to be protests.” Eisen also was not clear about who was organizing the protests.
Eisen also said the security threat that led the state buildings to be shut down was a bomb threat from Wisconsin. CNN has not confirmed that threat instigated the closure.
“I came over last night to Lansing, to help and give my support. And now all of a sudden we’re locked out of our offices, we can’t go into the Capitol. So we are going to make an attempt because they technically can’t keep me from going into the Capitol on official business, They can’t do that. Okay, so if they do that today then we’re simply going to move our event to a different location and proceed with what we’re going to do today.”
In a statement released Monday, Chatfield and Wentworth said that they were removing Eisen for not condemning violence because “we must be clear that violence has no place in our democratic process.”
“We have been consistent in our position on issues of violence and intimidation in politics – it is never appropriate and never acceptable,” Chatfield and Wentworth said in a statement. “That is true of threats or suggestions of violence against Gov. Whitmer, Secretary Benson, Rep. Johnson and others on the Oversight committee, Republicans, Democrats, and members of the Electoral College. That applies to threats made toward public officials, and it must also apply when the public officials open the door to violent behavior and refuse to condemn it. We must do better.
Good. They oughta expel the right wing creep.
Arizona held its Electoral College meeting at an undisclosed location to keep its electors safe
From CNN’s Aditi Sangal
Arizona held its Electoral College meeting at an undisclosed location for the safety of its electors, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs told CNN.
““We’ve seen increasingly escalating sort of rhetoric and threats throughout the last week, and decided to move this for the safety of everyone involved,” she said, calling it “unfortunate.””
This comes as election officials across the country have reported that they’re receiving death threats as President Trump continues to contest the election results and refuses to concede.
Hobbs said she and her team worked with law enforcement to keep the electors and the Electoral College meeting safe.
“I’ve been saying since the election that the rhetoric, the unfounded accusations, the undermining of the integrity of the election are and continue to be dangerous to our democracy,” she said Monday. “Unless we have leaders that are focused on … unifying and rebuilding, I think there’s permanent damage that’s been done to our election systems and our country.”
Michigan casts its 16 electoral votes for Biden
From CNN’s Annie Grayer and Ethan Cohen
Michigan’s electors cast their 16 votes for Joe Biden during their meeting on Monday in Lansing.
Biden rebuilt the “blue wall” with his Wolverine State victory this cycle, earning about 51% of the vote compared to President Trump’s 48%. This was a return to form for Michigan — Trump’s win there in 2016 made him the first Republican to win there since 1988.
The meeting of electors is the next major step in the Electoral College process to affirm the general election results. Electors are required by law to vote for president and vice president on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, which this year is Dec. 14. It takes 270 electoral votes of the 538 available to become president.
One of Michigan’s 16 electors was not in attendance for the vote, so electors voted on a replacement to fill the vacancy prior to casting their vote for president and vice president. Electors unanimously chose Sharon Baseman to replace Walter Herzig III.
Some background: In the lead up to the vote, Rudy Giuliani and other Republican leaders tried to suggest that Michigan lawmakers could break from the popular vote and certified results, and instead appoint their own electors for Trump. Michigan law clearly states, however, that electors must vote for the candidate who receives the most votes. If an elector fails to vote for the political party that it was nominated by, that elector must resign and their vote does not count, the law states.
In the weeks before the Electoral College vote, Trump and his campaign tried to overturn Biden’s victory in the pivotal state, filling lawsuits and unsuccessfully pressing GOP election officials to block the results from being certified.
Current Tally: 56 Trump: 52 Biden
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/electoral-college-vote-2020-biden-trump/index.html
Current tally: 135 Biden; 97 Trump
Wisconsin casts its 10 electoral votes for Biden
From CNN’s Ali Main, Omar Jimenez and Liz Stark
Wisconsin’s electors cast their 10 votes for President-elect Joe Biden during their meeting on Monday in Madison.
Biden beat Trump with a margin of about 0.6% points, making Wisconsin again one of the closest states in the country. Because of the close margin, Trump requested a partial recount in two Democratic-leaning counties, but Biden’s victory was reaffirmed by election officials. Trump also backed unsuccessful lawsuits in an attempt to block certification.
In the hours before the electors cast their votes, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 decision against yet another lawsuit from Trump seeking to overturn the state’s election results the two counties that conducted recounts. This is at least the third time in December alone that the court has ruled against Trump and his allies.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, chaired the meeting of electors.
Democrats have now won the Badger State in eight of the last nine presidential elections – the only exception being Trump’s 2016 victory, which he won by about 0.7% points.
I predict there will be perhaps one faithless elector this year. The 7 (5 Democrat 2 GOP) in 2016 was likely an abberation
Supremes ruled they CAN be removed by their state….
If the State has such a law.
They can’t just summarily do it.
No one cares about the Supremes, James. While they had some good hits such as “Stop in the Name of Love”, they probably haven’t had a hit since the 60s when you were a rather young adult. It is pathetic that you are still writing about them.
Hysterical Zreebs. They are playing right now all through our house. Did you know they made a Christmas album?
I was not aware of their Christmas album. Most of their songs dealt with that love stuff. James likes that stuff, or may he is just interested in Diana Ross?
For Donald Trump, there cannot be nine Supremes (or even three) because only one stable genius, one chosen man of Destiny, can be The Supreme.
Yea DSD…..
Cept the Big Guy figured WRONG🤣
Donald Trump’s fund raising WILL continue ….
But he ain’t gonna be getting his job back…
And his ‘loyality’ hopes are empty from election workers and judges around the country….
Yea….
Just doing their jobs
But stronger willed then a lot of GOPer lawmakers!
He, he, he
U don’t know who the Supreme’s are that i talk about here Z?
James, Although you are much older than the rest of us. I think we all know who the Supremes are. You talk about them all of the time.
Ok….
Thanks….
I never got the impression that James was significantly older than several of the other contributors, me included.
Politics1’s chat boards (silent for a dozen years, now) did have a much broader range of ages, including what were then some precocious teenagers like Kyle and Evan.
Yeah those “kids” are in their late 20s now.
Wonder what became of them?
I’m old but u guys keep me young…..That and walking almost everyday with run thrown in occasionally
older than that actually
Did you keep up with Kyle?
lost touch with him several years ago, but he had a Twitter feed out there from not too long ago
I can see that Kyle was elected this year (or reelected) as a Republican Precinct Committee Officer for his county.
Several of our alumni actually actively see this site ….
How do you know that?
They just keep their sign in active…..
Well I know Daniel and SE used to post here and did also on Politics1.
Then there was the guy who was banned.
Those are the only ones I remember.
NO names but we do have ears and eyes still pointed at this place…
I thought Evan was older?
RepubliCAN was on p1 if I recall. SE’s friend (Timothy Leal) was too, but he died years ago. And how can you so easily forget Manilla Calling!
RepubliCAN was on p1 if I recall. SE’s friend (Timothy Leal) was too, but he died years ago. And how can you so easily forget Manilla Calling!
Brandon …..
Daniel G….
NYCRepublican I think?
TerryGreen….
Daniel…Yea we DID have bigger crew talking…
There were two Daniels?
Nope one
My mistake
You could never have too many Daniels.
“Dare to be a Daniel…
… Dare to stand alone!
Dare to have a purpose firm!
Dare to make it known.”
— Philip Bliss (1873)
https://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Dare_to_Be_a_Daniel