November 7, 2021 / Newsletter 249 |
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HELP US FIGHT JIM CROW 2.0!
Your donations help us in the fight for all eligible voters to be able to cast their votes & have them counted.
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Hall County Democrats November Meeting
When: Monday, Nov 8, 6:00-8:00 pm (meeting gaveled to order at 6:30)
Where: Gainesville Civic Center
FEATURED SPEAKER:
John H. Eaves, PhD
Dem Candidate for GA Secretary of State
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No finer pair of Senators in the land! Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock cheer the Braves on to victory.
We're proud of the World Champion Atlanta Braves and our world class Senators.
#BattleATL
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Weekly Thoughts from the Chair:
Evaluating Virginia Elections
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Total Registered voters in 2020: 5,975,696
Votes Cast: 4,460,524 75.8 %
Republican Votes: 1,962,430 44.0 %
Democratic Votes: 2,413,568 54.l %
Unaccounted 85,000 +/- 2.0 %
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Total Registered voters in 2021: 5,975,696 (estimated)
Votes Cast (95% reporting) 3,285,129 54.0 %
Republican Votes: 1,671,058 50.9 %
Democratic Votes: 1,591,509 48.4 %
Unaccounted 22,500 +/- 1.0 %
In the 2017 Virginia Governor’s race, there were 2,612,309 votes cast or 47.6% of the registered voters. This compares to 3,285,129 votes in 2021 for 54.0 % of registered voters. This 6.4% increase is probably because voting was easier (changes for mail in, etc.).
There were 1,175,395 fewer votes cast in 2021 compared to 2020 – only 54% of the registered voters actually voted in 2021. 822,059 fewerDemocratic votes were cast in 2021 compared to 2020. Only 66% of the Democratic votes "returned " for 2021 while 85% of Republican votes "returned" for 2021. The 20% difference between returning Democratic votes and Republican votes may be a decline in enthusiasm, or motivation, or otherwise.
In 2013, Democrat McAuliffe was the first Virginia gubernatorial candidate in 44 years to win when his party occupied the White House. It has happened only one time 13 elections over 52 years. Off year elections almost always go against the party in power. McAuliffe made a serious gaff in debate, had very poor imaging, and failed to turn the “Critical Race Theory” nonsense back against the Republican. In spite of the history and in spite of the failures of McAuliffe, the dog whistling Republican only managed to beat him by .025%. While the Virginia result is not a victory for Democrats, it hardly bodes well for Republicans.
Ignore the Republican spin and noise and look at the facts from the recent elections. We won New Jersey against similar odds. The over all result is much worse for Republicans than Democrats. We can and do win.
Mike
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Even with record turnout for the 2020 Presidential elections, the percentage of Americans who vote is still less than that in other democracies. Since at least the 1950s, politicians have been calling the US a beacon of democracy. But if democracy is measured by voter participation, our best turnout in decades still leaves us behind 6 other countries.
Obstacles to voting are one key reason that Americans don't show up at the polls. Even with early voting, getting to a polling place can be difficult, whether that is because of limited access to transportation or knowing where to vote, when polling places aren't the same for each election. Having the required identification is a barrier for many qualified voters, and getting that state-approved ID card is not a simple task for many.
Republicans continue to erect more barriers, making it more difficult to vote by mail, limiting hours for drop boxes, reducing request time for absentee ballots, all while insisting they're just taking reasonable precautions to prevent voter fraud.
In 2022 we need to turn out Democrats to elect people who will enact real protections for Georgia voters. And we need to make sure that Raphael Warnock remains in the Senate.
Our Hall County Dems meetings will feature Democratic candidates as guest speakers. This is your opportunity to interact with candidates, to learn more about their plans and goals for Georgia's future. Become an engaged voter. We hope to see you on Monday!
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5 Reasons People in the US Don't Vote
Everyone has a part to play in creating a fair and just society. Promoting full participation in government is key to achieving a more sustainable world. You can join us in taking action here.
Read more
www.globalcitizen.org
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Hall County election officials report low turnout in...
"It has not been as busy as we would like," said Hall County Elections Director Lori Wurtz. The primary reason for the delay in getting results tallied, Wurtz said, is that the county didn't have enough poll workers, and many of the poll workers...
Read more
www.gainesvilletimes.com
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Georgia's Organizers Are Fighting for You
Tuesday, November 2, 2021, is Election Day in Georgia. Democracy doesn't have "off years." For information about poll sites and to get your voting questions answered, visit 866ourvote.org. The morning after the people of Georgia voted to send Jon ...
Read more
www.glamour.com
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Democrats accuse Republican-led committee of 'making a...
A Senate committee ended the first few days of the General Assembly special session by voting for a Republican legislative map. The vote was expected given the GOP majority under the Gold Dome, but Democrats blasted the committee for not allowing ...
Read more
www.gpb.org
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U.S. Senate Republicans block a voting rights bill for...
Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock said while he was glad one Republican supported the measure, he was "deeply appalled" that most Republicans chose to block efforts to debate the issue. "In the spirit of Congressman Lewis, it is incumbent on...
Read more
georgiarecorder.com
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Justice Department sues Texas over 'unlawful and...
The Justice Department is suing Texas over the voter suppression law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in September, following its lawsuit against Texas for the punitive abortion ban that went into effect in September. "Our democracy depends on the...
Read more
www.dailykos.com
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State & Local News (Some links may require a subscription)
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Georgia policy group expects Biden's economic plan to...
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote Friday on President Joe Biden's Build Back Better plan for economic and infrastructure. The legislation would expand Georgia's social safety net by continuing the Child Tax Credit and...
Read more
www.gpb.org
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Georgia official: Trump call to 'find' votes was a threat
ATLANTA (AP) - Donald Trump was threatening Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger when he asked him to help "find" enough votes to overturn his loss in Georgia to Democratic President Joe Biden, Raffensperger writes in a new book. The...
Read more
newschannel9.com
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Kemp sues over latest Biden vaccine mandate unveiled...
Gov. Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr are suing the administration of President Joe Biden over vaccine mandates for the second time in a week, the governor's office announced Friday. Florida, Alabama and several large businesses joined...
Read more
georgiarecorder.com
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Ossoff and Warnock Successfully Negotiate Inclusion of...
Washington, D.C. -- Following days of intense negotiations, Georgia U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff successfully negotiated inclusion of affordable health coverage for hundreds of thousands of Georgians who cannot afford health insurance in the upcoming...
Read more
www.ossoff.senate.gov
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National News (Some links may require a subscription)
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Watch Live: Biden makes remarks after House sends $1.2...
President Biden is delivering remarks on the passage of the infrastructure bill and the rule that will allow the passage of the Build Back Better Act at approximately 9:30 a.m. ET Saturday - Watch it live in the video player above.
Read more
www.cbsnews.com
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House 6 January panel to issue new round of subpoenas...
The House select committee investigating the deadly attack on the US Capitol on 6 January is poised to issue subpoenas to top Trump lieutenants involved in attempting to subvert the 2020 election results from a "command center" at the Willard...
Read more
www.theguardian.com
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What the Polls Really Tell Us About How Critical Race...
Republican leaders are crowing about Tuesday's election in Virginia. They're crediting the victory of their gubernatorial nominee, Glenn Youngkin, in part to a backlash against "critical race theory"-a term that Republicans have distorted to mean ...
Read more
slate.com
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Opinion | Don't look now, but is the story becoming ......
For many months, the story of President Biden's Build Back Better package has been one of intense ideological conflict within a deeply split Democratic Party. Progressives wanted to do more, centrists wanted to do less, they've torn each other to ...
Read more
www.washingtonpost.com
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