Barr tells DOJ to probe election fraud claims if they exist

In a memo to U.S. attorneys, obtained by The Associated Press, Attorney General William Barr wrote that investigations “may be conducted if there are clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true, could potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual State.”

He said any allegations that would “clearly not impact the outcome of a federal election” should be delayed until after those elections are certified and prosecutors should likely open so-called preliminary inquiries, which would allow investigators and prosecutors to see if there is evidence that would allow them to take further investigative measures.

Barr does not identify any specific instances of purported fraud in the memo.

“While it is imperative that credible allegations be addressed in a timely and effective manner, it is equally imperative that Department personnel exercise appropriate caution and maintain the Department’s absolute commitment to fairness, neutrality and non-partisanship,” Barr wrote.

States have until Dec. 8 to resolve election disputes, including recounts and court contests over the results. Members of the Electoral College meet Dec. 14 to finalize the outcome.

Source: Barr tells DOJ to probe election fraud claims if they exist

Project Veritas Talks To Michigan Whistelblower

A post office whistleblower in the battleground state of Michigan reveals that his supervisor instructed letter carriers to separate ballot envelopes so clerks could fraudulently hand-postmark them for Nov. 3. Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe interviewed the man via conference call.

O’Keefe said the problem with mail-in ballots stems from the fact that there was never a chain of custody. “Our Project Veritas Insider is taking an enormous risk to get out the truth,” said O’Keefe. Michigan law states that ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3, to be counted.

 

The unidentified postal worker said that he is speaking out because the entire process carried out by USPS workers is “shady”. “As far as I am aware, we’re not supposed to be counting ballots that are postmarked after the third of November here in the state of Michigan.”

There are 16 Electoral College votes at stake in Michigan with the presidential election still up for grabs. The whistleblower said many employees were upset that they were ordered to isolate the ballots.

The Insider said he was shocked when Barlow Branch morning supervisor Jonathan Clarke told a group of mail carriers how late ballots would be handled.

Clark declined to comment on the postmark scheme to Project Veritas.

Project Veritas investigates and exposes corruption, dishonesty, self-dealing, waste, fraud, and other misconduct in both public and private institutions to achieve a more ethical and transparent society.  

Source: Project Veritas Talks To Michigan Whistelblower

Voting software used in MI county with skewed results also used in Mid-Michigan | WLNS 6 News

LANSING, Mich– (WLNS) An entire Michigan county has flipped back to it’s historically republican roots after a manual recount of votes.

Officials with Antrim County posted updated results showing President Trump won the county with 9,783 votes making up 56.46% of ballots cast. Joe Biden earned 7,289 votes or 42.07%. The county initially “went blue” and showed a win for Biden before the error was discovered.

Antrim County officials have blamed the county’s election software saying totals counted did not match tabulator tapes. 6 News has learned the “Dominion Voting System” is used Antrim County.

That system is also used in 64 other counties across the state including, Ingham, Jackson, and Shiawassee, locally.

A spokesperson for Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, tells 6 News the skewed results were the result of a “county user error” not a software issue and there is no reason to believe similar errors with ballot counts happened anywhere else.

According to Tracy Wimmer, the issue would also have been identified during the certification of results by county canvassers if it had not already come to light.

Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum tells 6 News she also believes human error is likely to blame for the error in Antrim County and while Ingham County uses the Dominion system, she doesn’t have any concerns about accuracy. Byrum says multiple tests are done at the Ingham County level with in-house programmers well before election day.  Byrum adds that local clerks also are required to do testing before the polls open.

Dominion Voting Systems Corporation is a company that sells electronic voting hardware and software, including voting machines and tabulators, in the U.S. and Canada.[1] The company’s international headquarters are in Toronto, Canada, and its U.S. headquarters are in Denver, Colorado. As of September 2019, Dominion voting machines are used in 2,000 jurisdictions in 33 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. The company also has over 100 municipal customers in Canada and clients in other countries. The company carries out in-house software development for its customers in the U.S., Canada and Serbia.[2]John Paulos, the CEO and co-founder is a democrat from California.

Source: Voting software used in MI county with skewed results also used in Mid-Michigan | WLNS 6 News

Georgia’s secretary of state says there will be a recount in his state. – The New York Times

ATLANTA — Georgia’s secretary of state said on Friday that the presidential race in his state was so close that a recount is inevitable.

As of late Friday morning, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., led President Trump in the state by a mere 1,579 votes.

Gabriel Sterling, an official with the secretary of state’s office, said that 4,169 ballots — most of them absentee ballots — remained to be counted in four counties: Gwinnett, Cobb, Cherokee and Floyd. The largest tranche to be counted is in Gwinnett County, which contains Atlanta suburban communities and has gone from Republican-leaning to Democratic leaning in recent years.

The state must also deal with an unknown number of ballots from military and overseas voters. Their ballots will be counted if they were postmarked by Tuesday and arrive in the mail before the end of business Friday.

Source: Georgia’s secretary of state says there will be a recount in his state. – The New York Times

Georgia Senate races headed to runoffs, could determine Senate control – Business Insider

  • Both of Georgia’s US Senate seats are headed for runoff elections in January, according to Decision Desk HQ.
  • After Democrats fell short in several Senate races on November 3, the development gives them a new opportunity to win a majority in the Senate if they can win both races and Kamala Harris is elected vice president.
  • Republican Sen. David Perdue leads Democrat Jon Ossoff, but since Perdue dropped below 50% of the vote, a January runoff election was triggered, in accordance with state law.
  • On November 3, Democrat Raphael Warnock and appointed Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler advanced to a separate Senate special-election runoff, which will also be held in January.
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Source: Georgia Senate races headed to runoffs, could determine Senate control – Business Insider

Trump Wants A Recount In Wisconsin. How Would It Work? : NPR

Wisconsin does not have automatic recounts, but a losing candidate can file a sworn petition requesting one if the margin of victory is less than 1%. Democrat Joe Biden leads by roughly 21,000 votes.

Not long after The Associated Press and other news outlets declared Wednesday that Democrat Joe Biden had won Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes, the Trump campaign announced it would ask for a recount in the state.

The margin separating Biden and Trump in what is one of the nation’s most contested swing states is roughly 20,000 votes, or less than 1%. It was absentee ballots in the cities of Milwaukee, Green Bay and Kenosha, added to county totals Wednesday morning, that appear to have put Biden on top.

Wisconsin was part of the so-called “blue wall” that Trump shattered last election cycle, when he narrowly won the state by less than 23,000 votes in 2016.

If there’s a recount, the Trump campaign will pay

The state does not have automatic recounts, however under Wisconsin law, a losing candidate can file a sworn petition, along with a filing fee.

Should the Trump campaign follow through on its promise to call for a recount, it will be on the hook to pay for it. Under rules enacted by a Republican legislature and governor a few years ago, the state will only pay for a recount if the margin of victory is .25% or less.

The Trump campaign said Wednesday there had been “reports of irregularities in several Wisconsin counties,” which it said cast doubt about the validity of the ballots cast.

Source: Trump Wants A Recount In Wisconsin. How Would It Work? : NPR

Biden-Harris campaign to ‘barnstorm’ Pittsburgh, state Monday – The Pitt News

The Joe Biden-Kamala Harris campaign announced more information Sunday about its planned Monday “barnstorm” of Pittsburgh and the state.

Democratic+presidential+candidate+Joe+Biden+speaks+at+the+Public+Education+forum+downtown.+

Former Vice President Joe Biden will mainly visit western Pennsylvania, with a canvas kickoff in nearby Beaver County, a Pittsburgh drive-in event with Black community members, as well as a final Pittsburgh drive-in event with his wife Jill and pop star Lady Gaga.

Jill Biden will go to a canvas kickoff in Erie, a rural get-out-the-vote event in Lawrence County, a get-out-the-vote event in Allegheny County with suburban women and the Pittsburgh drive-in event.

Exact times and locations are to be announced.

The Bidens’ visit to Pittsburgh follows several Saturday events from Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Ind., and a candidate in the 2020 Democratic primary. He visited Oakland’s Schenley Plaza and held events in nearby Washington and Hampton Township.

Source: Biden-Harris campaign to ‘barnstorm’ Pittsburgh, state Monday – The Pitt News

Election 2020 live updates: Trump to stage another five rallies; Biden focusing heavily on Pennsylvania – The Washington Post

With the race drawing to a close, the president plans to hit an array of battleground states while the Democratic challenger hunkers down in a key one, with a side trip to Ohio also on the schedule.

Source: Election 2020 live updates: Trump to stage another five rallies; Biden focusing heavily on Pennsylvania – The Washington Post

Liz Cheney says Kamala Harris ‘sounds just like Karl Marx’ in video on equity | Fox News

House GOP Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., suggested on Sunday that vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris, D-Calif., was advancing communist ideas with a video about equity and equality.

House GOP Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., suggested on Sunday that vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris, D-Calif., was advancing communist ideas with a video about equity and equality.

Narrated by Harris, the video argued in favor of equity, or ensuring people reach the same results, over equality of opportunity.

“Equality suggests, ‘oh, everyone should get the same amount,'” Harris said.

MILLENNIALS, GEN Z INCREASINGLY COMFORTABLE WITH SOCIALISM, MARXISM, ACTIVISTS SAY

“The problem with that — not everybody’s starting out from the same place … It’s about giving people the resources and support they need so that everyone can be on equal footing, and then compete on equal footing. Equitable treatment means we all end up at the same place,” she added.

In response to Harris’ tweet, Cheney said: “Sounds just like Karl Marx.” She was referring to the 19th Century philosopher who wrote the “Communist Manifesto.”

“A century of history has shown where that path leads,” she added. “We all embrace equal opportunity, but government-enforced equality of outcomes is Marxism.”

Source: Liz Cheney says Kamala Harris ‘sounds just like Karl Marx’ in video on equity | Fox News

Joe Biden confuses Michigan rally with ‘badakathcare’ comment | Daily Mail Online

Joe Biden ended up getting tongue-tied during a rally in Michigan on Saturday. Just as he was about to lay a blow against Trump’s healthcare plans, he ended up tripping over his words.

  • Joe Biden ended up getting tongue-tied during a rally in Michigan on Saturday
  • Just as he was about to lay a blow against Trump about healthcare he ended up tripping over his words as described it as ‘badakathcare’
  • Biden has made a number of gaffs during the campaign, but so has Donald Trump who has regularly mispronounced words throughout his presidency

Source: Joe Biden confuses Michigan rally with ‘badakathcare’ comment | Daily Mail Online

How to vote in Pennsylvania

Everything voters need to know. Democracy Works has all the information you need to register and vote.

Election Day

Election Day is almost here! If you have any difficulties voting, you should first ask a poll worker or your local election official for help. We have provided additional resources below to help you vote, no matter what.
  • Get to the polls can help you find your polling place if you aren’t sure where to vote in person.
  • The Election Protection Hotline is a great resource if you experience any issues while voting. Remember: It is a federal crime to pressure, threaten, or otherwise intimidate voters at the polls!
    • English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683
    • Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA / 1-888-839-8682
  • The ACLU’s Voting Rights Guide explains accommodations your polling place needs to make if English is not your primary language.
  • The Nonprofit VOTE’s State Resource Guide provides information on how your state supports disabled voters.

For more resources, please check out our Know Your Voting Rights post!

Who can vote

You have to register to vote before Election Day in Pennsylvania. You can find the deadline to register to vote in the “Dates and deadlines” section.

To register in Pennsylvania you must:

  • be a citizen of the United States at least one month before the next election
  • be a resident of Pennsylvania and your election district at least 30 days before the election
  • be at least 18 years of age on the day of the next election
  • You may also register if you:
  • are a pretrial detainee, confined in a penal institution awaiting trial on charges of a felony or a misdemeanor
  • got released or will get released by the date of the next election from a correctional facility or halfway house (this must be upon completion of the term of incarceration for conviction of a misdemeanor or a felony)
  • are on probation or released on parole
  • are under house arrest (home confinement)
  • *find more information on voting rights restoration here

Vote in person

Due to COVID-19, in-person services may have limited availability. Contact your local election office to confirm. See CDC guidance on safe in-person voting.

Vote on Election Day

Voters registered in Pennsylvania can look up where to vote on Pennsylvania’s site.

Vote early

Pennsylvania voters can also vote before Election Day through a process called absentee in-person voting. The period for absentee in-person voting runs from Monday, September 14, 2020 to Tuesday, October 27, 2020, but dates and hours may vary based on where you live.

What to bring

  • If you’ve voted at your polling place before, you don’t need to show ID to vote.
  • If you’re a first-time voter, or if you moved within Pennsylvania and are voting for the first time at a new polling place, you must show ID to vote. Acceptable forms include: Pennsylvania driver’s license or PennDOT ID card; ID issued by Pennsylvania or the US government; US passport; US military ID; student ID; employee ID; a confirmation issued by the County Voter Registration Office; non-photo ID issued by Pennsylvania or the US government; firearm permit; or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or a government check that includes your name and address.
  • Voters without ID: If you are unable to provide ID, you will be able to vote a provisional ballot.

Vote by mail

  1. Request your mail-in ballot with a mail ballot application. You can also request a ballot online. We encourage you to request and return ballots as early as possible.
  2. Fill out the application completely.
  3. Submit the request to your local election office. You should request your ballot as far in advance of the election as possible. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is (received by) Tuesday, October 27, 2020.
  4. When your ballot arrives, read it carefully and follow the instructions to complete it and return it.
  5. Your ballot must be postmarked by Tuesday, November 3, 2020 and received no later than Friday, November 6, 2020 by 5:00 p.m. You may also return your ballot in person by Tuesday, November 3, 2020 by 8:00 p.m. You can find ballot tracking information here.

Read Source: How to vote in Pennsylvania

More Than 200 Ballots Being Challenged In Allegheny County – CBS Pittsburgh

Allegheny County says it learned Friday evening that 237 ballots have been challenged in the county.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Allegheny County says it learned Friday evening that 237 ballots have been challenged in the county.

A letter sent to the county says the Republican Committee of Allegheny County submitted “approximately 236” challenges about absentee/mail-in ballot voter eligibility.

The letter says the Republican Committee of Allegheny County submitted the challenges “after comparing the voter ID numbers on Allegheny County’s publicly available list of individuals who have requested absentee ballots against the voter ID numbers on the Commonwealth’s publicly available close of business voter file.”

According to the letter, the voter ID numbers don’t appear on the Commonwealth’s publicly available close of business voter file, and it says this suggests those challenged might not be registered Pennsylvania electors.

A county spokesperson says the elections office received the money required to file the challenges from the Republican Committee of Allegheny County.

Stay up to date with the KDKA app, which you can download here.

Source: More Than 200 Ballots Being Challenged In Allegheny County – CBS Pittsburgh

Thousands call Pennsylvania county about requested ballots that never arrived – CNNPolitics

The whereabouts of an untold number of ballots in Pennsylvania’s Butler County that were slated for delivery to would-be voters in next week’s election remain unaccounted for, the county’s director of elections said Thursday.

(CNN)The whereabouts of an untold number of ballots in Pennsylvania’s Butler County that were slated for delivery to would-be voters in next week’s election remain unaccounted for, the county’s director of elections said Thursday.

Postal officials say they are unaware of any issues, but the director, Aaron Sheasley, said the county has received in excess of 10,000 phone calls seeking information about ballots that were requested but not received, and that some callers have called multiple times.

Source: Thousands call Pennsylvania county about requested ballots that never arrived – CNNPolitics

Westmoreland elections officials: ‘Number of residents’ have not received mail-in, absentee ballots | TribLIVE.com

While nearly 50,000 mail-in ballots from Westmoreland voters have been returned to the county’s Election Bureau, a number of residents have not received either the mail-in or absentee ballot they requested.

• If you have applied prior to the deadline of 5 p.m. Tuesday, come to the Election Bureau in Greensburg where the original ballot will be voided and a new ballot will be issued. Ballots can be completed immediately or at home and returned by mail, in-person or at a drop box.

Source: Westmoreland elections officials: ‘Number of residents’ have not received mail-in, absentee ballots | TribLIVE.com

2020 election: Obama to join Biden on trail for final weekend push – CNNPolitics

Former President Barack Obama is set to join Democratic nominee Joe Biden on the campaign trail during the final weekend of the election season, two people familiar with the plans told CNN.

(CNN)Former President Barack Obama is set to join Democratic nominee Joe Biden on the campaign trail during the final weekend of the election season, two people familiar with the plans told CNN.

The two will appear together in a key battleground state, the people said. Biden is already scheduled to appear in Michigan on Saturday. That is a likely spot for their joint appearance, but two officials said the location of their rally would be finalized in the coming days.
Obama has held three solo appearances over the past week campaigning for his former vice president, relishing his return to the campaign trail to help deliver a closing argument against his successor President Donald Trump.

Source: 2020 election: Obama to join Biden on trail for final weekend push – CNNPolitics

‘Something wrong with her’: Trump questions Kamala Harris’ laughter on

President Trump on Monday said Sen. Kamala Harris’ frequent bursts of laughter at serious questions suggests “there’s something wrong” with the Democratic vice presidential candidate.

President Trump on Monday said Sen. Kamala Harris’ frequent bursts of laughter at serious questions suggests “there’s something wrong” with the Democratic vice presidential candidate.

Trump mocked Harris’ “60 Minutes” interview, broadcast Sunday, during a campaign rally in Allentown, Pa.

“Did you see [Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s] performance on that show? The only thing almost as bad was Kamala, with the laugh. ‘Haha, that’s so funny. Hahaha.’ She kept laughing. I said, ‘Is there something wrong with her, too?’” Trump quipped.

“She will not be the first woman president, you can’t let that happen. I said, ‘Is there something wrong with her?’ She kept laughing at very, you know, serious questions.”

Harris (D-Calif.) laughed off journalist Norah O’Donnell’s question during the “60 Minutes” interview about being rated the “most liberal” senator by GovTrack. She laughed again when she called herself someone who likes hip-hop.

O’Donnell pressed Harris on whether she brings a “socialist or progressive perspective” to the Democratic ticket.

“No, no,” Harris replied, immediately laughing.

Source: ‘Something wrong with her’: Trump questions Kamala Harris’ laughter on

Pittsburgh leaders, businesses preparing for potential unrest after election

In late May and into early June, protests over the death of George Floyd escalated across the country, including in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto said he is meeting with public safety and other officials to ensure nothing gets out of hand after the election.

“Public safety has been working across all of our boroughs’ police, fire and EMS to ensure that we have enough personnel in case of any type of necessity,” he said.

Police officers will be working 12-hour shifts beginning Election Day. Right now, city officials are preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.

Source: Pittsburgh leaders, businesses preparing for potential unrest after election

Trump has debate of his life — but is it too late?

With his back against the wall, Donald Trump pulled himself together and had the debate of his life. For the most part, he was focused, contained and determined to get his message across and not just be the alpha male.

His defense of his coronavirus response and his argument that the country cannot long survive living under perennial lockdown constituted the most eloquent he’s ever been on the pandemic.

Trump did make a few of those jaw-dropping assertions about a vaccine — that one is coming in a few weeks and or by the end of the year and that two pharmaceutical firms were almost done with one before naming not two but four firms.

That could really come back to bite him over the next few weeks as others in the know throw cold water on these claims and he is forced to defend them.

But where he really drew blood was in returning to the line of attack that helped get him elected — the idea that he had to enter politics because politicians hadn’t done the job.

“You’re all talk and no action,” Trump said to Joe Biden in his best line — and in the best moment of any debate of this cycle. He made sharp and deserved fun of Biden when the he turned to the camera to talk about voters at the kitchen table in order to shift the topic away from corruption and China.

Mostly, though, this debate made it clear what an incredible mistake Trump made in the first debate by behaving like a jerk. Had he been this Trump, rather than that Trump, he would be in a stronger position today.

Fifty million votes have been cast already, and they were cast with the memory of that disaster fresh in the minds of those early voters. The voters up for grabs might have acted differently if they’d seen this guy.

But just because Trump did so much better doesn’t mean Biden did worse than he did in the first. He was fine. He didn’t win, but if he lost, he lost on points, and not many points.

Source: Trump has debate of his life — but is it too late?

Lawrence County Action Group Announces Get-Out-The-Vote Rally – Ellwood City, PA news

Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 24th for a series of Lawrence County Blue Splash rallies.

The Lawrence County Action is hosting a day of Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) rallies in Ellwood City & New Castle. The event is set to begin on Saturday at noon and last until 5:00 p.m.  Space is plenty for social distancing and masks will be required to enter and can be provided to attendees.

The day of rallies starts in Ewing Park in Ellwood City for a ‘Splash at Ewing’ rally that will include music with introductions of local leaders, recorded speeches from Joe Biden, and others from Angela Valvano. Materials will be provided for supporters and important election day information will be provided. A ‘Ridin’ with Biden caravan will leave Ewing Park and travel throughout Lawrence County.

At 2:00 p.m., a ‘Revved Up at the Riverwalk’ rally is planned in Downtown New Castle with important up-to-date information and marketing items to help GOTV. The caravan of decorated vehicles is expected to arrive at the Riverwalk. The rally event, scheduled to last until 4:00 p.m., will offer music, face painting, photo ops, and speakers from local, state and national levels with Lawrence County Commissioner Loretta Spielvogel making introductions.

At 4:00 p.m., a third and final rally will take place at the Street of Lawrence County as the ‘Ridin’ With Biden’ caravan will continue throughout the street of downtown New Castle. Attendees will be asked to look for the lead truck and line the streets, while social distancing, to enjoy the decorated caravan as it concludes its journey through Lawrence County.

For more details and discussion on this planned event, please visit the Lawrence County Action Facebook.com EVENT PAGE

Source: Lawrence County Action Group Announces Get-Out-The-Vote Rally – Ellwood City, PA news

Fayette County, Pa. billboard attacking Biden misspells “dimensia” | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper

There are several attacks on presidential candidate Joe Biden that can stick, but one of the weakest and most perplexing swipes at Biden is claiming he is losing mental capacity and that he has dementia. None of the attacks are true, and Biden easily dispels them just by talking in complete sentences for more than one minute, something he did with ease during his last televised town hall.

But that hasn’t stopped these tired attacks. The Trump campaign and its allies are still trying to make this claim, and a billboard near Uniontown in Fayette County is entering the fray.

Problem is, the billboard — in an attempt to insult Biden’s mental acuity — misspelled the word dementia as “dimensia.”

Perhaps the persons responsible for the billboard are having a senior moment.

Source: Fayette County, Pa. billboard attacking Biden misspells “dimensia” | News | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper

Fayette County working on resolving state’s delay in sending mail-in ballots | Election Coverage | observer-reporter.com

The Fayette County Election Bureau recently discovered some local voters who electronically requested mail-in ballots have not received them.

Source: Fayette County working on resolving state’s delay in sending mail-in ballots | Election Coverage | observer-reporter.com

Electoral college explained: how Biden faces an uphill battle in the US election | US news | The Guardian

Who elects the US president?

When Americans cast their ballots for the US president, they are actually voting for a representative of that candidate’s party known as an elector. There are 538 electors who then vote for the president on behalf of the people in their state.

Each state is assigned a certain number of these electoral votes, based on the number of congressional districts they have, plus two additional votes representing the state’s Senate seats. Washington DC is also assigned three electoral votes, despite having no voting representation in Congress. A majority of 270 of these votes is needed to win the presidency.

The process of nominating electors varies by state and by party, but is generally done one of two ways. Ahead of the election, political parties either choose electors at their national conventions, or they are voted for by the party’s central committee.

The electoral college nearly always operates with a winner-takes-all system, in which the candidate with the highest number of votes in a state claims all of that state’s electoral votes. For example, in 2016, Trump beat Clinton in Florida by a margin of just 2.2%, but that meant he claimed all 29 of Florida’s crucial electoral votes.

Such small margins in a handful of key swing states meant that, regardless of Clinton’s national vote lead, Trump was able to clinch victory in several swing states and therefore win more electoral college votes.

Biden could face the same hurdle in November, meaning he will need to focus his attention on a handful of battleground states to win the presidency.

Under the winner-takes-all system, the margin of victory in a state becomes irrelevant. In 2016, Clinton’s substantial margins in states such as California and New York failed to earn her enough electoral votes, while close races in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan took Trump over the 270 majority.

Westmoreland Co. leaders scrambling for solution as thousands still waiting for mail-in ballots

WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. — Voting woes continue in Westmoreland County, with the clock ticking. Leaders are now scrambling to figure out a solution as thousands of residents still don’t have their mail-in ballots that they applied for.

A company based out of Ohio, Midwest Direct, has been tasked with getting them sent, but now Channel 11 learned that county officials at the courthouse may take matters into their own hands.

Earlier in October, officials accused Midwest Direct of sending out tens of thousands of ballots later than planned. There are still questions over how many have actually gone out.

In the past, Midwest Direct has blamed the delay on mechanical issues.That confusion is forcing leaders to make some tough decisions. They are considering having county elections staff at the courthouse print and mail out ballots themselves and avoid the third-party company altogether.

Source: Westmoreland Co. leaders scrambling for solution as thousands still waiting for mail-in ballots

Westmoreland County approves drop box sites for mail-in ballots | TribLIVE.com

Starting Wednesday, Oct. 21, a drop box will be stationed from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week inside the lobby of the Westmoreland County Courthouse on Main Street in Greensburg. It will remain open through Election Day.

Drop boxes at Westmoreland County Community College on Fifth Avenue in New Kensington, Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity and the county’s Adult Probation office on Riverview Drive in Monessen will open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24.

On Sunday, Oct. 25, drop boxes will be available in the Student Achievement Center building at Westmoreland County Community College near Youngwood, and the community college building on Mellon Road in Murrysville from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Collections will resume Saturday, Oct. 31, at the community college sites in Murrysville and Youngwood from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Sunday, Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the drop boxes will be available at the WCCC building in New Kensington, the airport and the Monessen probation office.

“We tried to pick the four corners of the county (for drop box sites), but it was difficult,” said Commissioner Sean Kertes.

Drop boxes will be anchored to the ground, monitored by two county employees and video surveillance. Voters are only allowed to leave their own ballots. County staff will be on duty to enforce that.

“We wanted the drop boxes on the weekends for people who can’t make it to the courthouse. We thought weekends were best,” said Commissioner Gina Cerilli

Source: Westmoreland County approves drop box sites for mail-in ballots | TribLIVE.com

%d bloggers like this: