link

Context: The state board of elections in North Carolina extended the mail ballot deadline when it became obvious that even if ballots were posted before Nov 3rd, they wouldn't all be received and counted by Nov 3rd due to delays in the postal service. The Republican Party challenged this extension in the Supreme Court twice, arguing that only ballots received/counted by Nov 3rd should be valid.

The changes made to the USPS mean that even a ballot dropped 10 days before election date may not be received/counted on time.


This was a bit of a shitshow on a news website facebook thread:
Argumentslink
Arguments link

This is also related to something dubbed link

Trump has urged his supporters to vote on election day, and sowed doubt about mail balloting. Of the 60 million Americans who have already voted early, more than 50% have been Democrats.

This means when election day votes are counted first, it's possible the early results will look like a landslide for Trump — a "red mirage". But when mail ballots are counted afterwards, experts say we'll see a "blue shift" back towards Democrats.

You should all be very very wary of Trump trying to declare victory on election night before all the mail ballots are counted. You should be even more wary if Republicans then decide to bring lawsuits to stop the counting of absentee and mail ballots beyond the night of Nov 3rd (which they're already doing from now).

I would not put it past Trump to do that and neither, apparently, do the election experts. Trump's rhetoric has continually tried to sow doubt about the election, link the only way he would lose is if the election is "rigged". He's (falsely) claimed that mail-in voting would lead to mass fraud. He's set up this event for months.

I hope next week goes smoothly but I somewhat doubt it will.

Aaaaaand link, kids. Trump setting up some third-world style corrupt election shit.

You set the bar for US politics on the ground, and Donald just builds a tunnel.

Just watched Trump live, 2:20am Washington time, saying "We've won the election, they've pulled a major fraud on our nation, we're going to the Supreme Court to get them to stop counting the votes"

No network has even called Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, or Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania haven't even STARTED counting the mail-in ballots.

Conservative commentator link: "No, Trump has not already won the election, and it is deeply irresponsible for him to say he has."

Former Republican candidate Rick Santorum: “I was very distressed by what I just heard the president say".

Australia ABC News: "This is perhaps the most outrageous thing he's said in his four years as President. A candidate pre-emptively declaring victory is a truly scary moment for American democracy"

You guys realise this is third-world shit, yeah?