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Claire Cirolia's avatar

I voted early in Virginia last week. Today I'm working the polls in my Arlington precinct. If I could, I would attach my "I VOTED" sticker here, but I don't think that's possible. Lincoln, is that right?

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Wyatt R's avatar

Alas, no.

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Deborah Potter's avatar

You could share a link to an image of it on social media or a cloud. Here's mine.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cso-lK_c1R10r7JKdTSPWemqAJJhJaGk/view?usp=sharing

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John Payne's avatar

That worked! “Be the Vote” indeed

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Beth Kephart's avatar

Beautiful day here in suburban Philadelphia. Retention of our judges seems to be a real possibility. I'm working the polls this later afternoon and evening. We're voting to fortify leadership in our schools, in addition to the judges, among other things. And we shall prevail.

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Moishe Swift's avatar

NJ Updates from Elections Joe - https://bsky.app/profile/electionsjoe.bsky.social

Breathe deeply.

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Moishe Swift's avatar

It's been getting bluer all morning. Let's keep this going!

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Moishe Swift's avatar

Turnout is high.

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Nicholas Behm's avatar

High despite apparent bomb threats to polling stations: https://newrepublic.com/post/202657/new-jersey-election-day-bomb-threats.

Truly, the deranged folks, including MAGA pedofuhrer, who threaten Americans demonstrate a complete obliviousness to the history of our country and the will and strength of the American people. As people all over this country are showing, particularly in Evanston, the greater Chicagoland area, CA, etc, threatening only strengthens the resolve of patriots.

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Lisa Iannucci's avatar

thanks, I was not aware of this BlueSky account!

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BeeBeeinNYC's avatar

I went to my desk this a.m. and, of all the crap covering it, my eyes fixed on a gift from a friend, years and years ago: a plaque in bold capital letters that spells out

THE FUTURE IS FEMALE.

Here's to a great day.

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BonMot's avatar

FINAL PUSH DONATION: Mikie Sherrill. I had the pleasure of speaking with my granddaughter in NJ about Mikie and her career as a Navy pilot. I figured she could relate since she was going out on Halloween as Danica Patrick (former NASCAR driver). WOMEN can do anything! Good luck, Mikie and NJ

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RP2112's avatar

Great costume!! Danica drove both Indy Car and NASCAR-- which is amazing in itself. Only woman to win an Indy race in (2008), and only woman to lead the Indy 500 at any point. She was pretty amazing.

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Lisa Iannucci's avatar

Unfortunately, she's pretty MAGA. But props for leading in a male-dominated sport.

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Ted Murphy's avatar

VA resident. Voted early. Doing my annual volunteer lawyer poll observer gig. Very long day (5:45 AM until votes counted after 7 PM) Hoping we get the big blue sweep I've wanted since I last volunteered in 2024.

Quiet but steady voting here today in northern fringes of Alexandria. No ICE. No Republican party counterpart for me to theoretically battle against (let em try :-))

This is the fourth time that I've done this and it's always a low-key inspiring and impressive experience. Folks coming out to exercise their constitutional rights. Volunteer election workers faithfully following the rules It all drives home how totally absurd and malicious the other side's constant claims of election fraud are. This process is dull. But it's implemented honestly by people who take it seriously and deserve everyone's respect.

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Nicholas Behm's avatar

Thank you for protecting democracy and sharing your expertise in this essential way!

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John Payne's avatar

Thank you so much. And a great description voting in America 🇺🇸

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Average Joe's avatar

Remember!! Vote YES to retain the three Democratic judges on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

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kitkatmia's avatar

super important!!!

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Catherine Giovannoni's avatar

Simon, thank you for the good polling news. I'm very hopeful for this evening's election results.

I'm back from a few days in Virginia's beautiful blue ridge where the trees were at absolute peak color. Restores my spirit.

Today, I called my Maryland State Senator and told her how disappointed I am at the decision of Maryland's state senate president to pass on redistricting. I contacted Senator Schumer and Leader Jeffries to urge them to stand strong in the budget battle.

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Cleveresq's avatar

As a first time local candidate running against an incumbent who won by +40 2 years ago, I would be happy to shrink the margins. I will say I was not prepared for how gratifying it is to hear so many people say “you have my vote” and “I voted for you.” 🙂

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Catherine Giovannoni's avatar

Thank you for running!

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Nicholas Behm's avatar

Thank you for putting yourself out there to serve your community and the country!

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Kate's avatar

Thank you! Win or lose, you put the other side on notice that they cannot take the position you’re running for for granted. And you have given hope to your local Dems.

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Cleveresq's avatar

So much this! Local Dems feel isolated. No one has built a group here. That is my goal, win or lose today: to grow our community and take back some power. We really do need to do this in every corner of the country. 💙🇺🇸🗽

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Anne Bear's avatar

This is so great.

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RP2112's avatar

Mad respect. Thank you!!

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SaltandVinegar's avatar

We need more people willing to jump into races and challenge incumbents, especially ones who haven’t been challenged in years. This awesome!

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Michael G Baer's avatar

Run everywhere, win anywhere. Thankyou for helping make it si !

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Lisa Iannucci's avatar

Speaking of which, Chair Martin was great on Saturday night for Sherrill rally!

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Simon Rosenberg's avatar

great work and thank you!

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N  Zweng's avatar

Reading Cheney’s obituary, it reminded me again that many of the most heinous actions by the US government have happened when Republicans have political power: McCarthy witch hunts; Watergate; Iran/contra; torture and illegal domestic surveillance under Bush 2; and the long list of horrors Simon catalogues under Trump. If you need motivation to work hard today, remember that record!

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SaltandVinegar's avatar

But have you considered that President Obama wore a tan suit and ate his sandwich with Dijon mustard?

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Lisa Iannucci's avatar

I usually try to be kind - and Liz Cheney and her family have experienced a loss today - but I am really just going to keep my mouth shut beyond that, bc if you can't say anything nice....

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Matt C's avatar

I live in Utah but visiting my 88 year old mom in PA. We just got back from her voting -- straight blue and YES on retaining the Supreme Court judges. Even though it wasn't my vote, it felt good!

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Madam Geoffrin's avatar

Take a victory lap! You brought a voter to the polls. Thanks!!

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kitkatmia's avatar

feeling chipper and hopeful this am, goe dems! gave to audacious fund to expand our party!!

vote blue everyone!!

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Nancy Bruski's avatar

Hope everyone saw my community, Evanston, IL, featured on Rachel Maddow last night. It was a detailed story of the siege we are living through here and the courage of our residents who are coming out in force, organizing, and doing everything we can to protect people here. Our mayor, Daniel Biss, was interviewed, and as always, he was smart, articulate, and passionate. He’s also one of about 12 or 14 people running for a Congressional seat being vacated by our longtime representative Jan Schakowsky who is retiring. Daniel has been supportive of my work on the Resolution of Condemnation and today I actually have a phone call scheduled with one of the aldermen I’ve been attempting to get to introduce the Resolution.

It is true that the City Council here has been very preoccupied with the ICE invasion and how to respond, figuring out how to work more effectively with our local police dept in attempts to get them to be a bit more active in providing protection…they are somewhat between a rock and a hard place re dealing with federal agents, but when federal agents disobey local traffic laws and commit violence against innocent protesters, many of us feel they should be subject to direct police intervention…it’s a tough situation all around.

At the same time, I have reminded the two alderman whom I was told would be the most supportive of my effort that, in Obama’s words, legislators need to be able to multitask, and “walk and chew gum at the same time.” I hope the fact that I’m finally having a phone call with one of them might be a good sign that there is some interest in moving forward with the Resolution. I can’t imagine a better time to pass it, given what we are living through here!!!

I have also planned a Stand Strong N.U. Demonstration for Monday, Nov. 17th from 11:30 to 1pm, to support/urge/thank Northwestern U faculty who have already organized against the Trump admin, and urge that the administration protect student and faculty free speech rights on campus as well as not obey in advance nor kow tow to Trump admin demands. The university is in the process of hiring a new president, and I want them to know that the residents of Evanston care about what happens to and on their campus.

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Nicholas Behm's avatar

As a fellow Chicagoland resident, thank you for doing this critical work!

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Martha Joan's avatar

Thank you for all your hard work my good friend. I am in the west burbs and not far from Broadview. Our church friends have been gassed by ICE while peacefully protesting.

Faith over Fear.

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mark haskin's avatar

Is ICE still hiding behind masks? Calif passed a law outlawing masks on ICE. No word yet

on what's happening here.

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Pamela Frazier's avatar

The California ban doesn’t have an effective date until the start of the new year.

I think the idea was to allow time for litigation over its legality to get done before enforcement starts. Team Trump is expected to make a probably-BS claim that it’s invalidated by the supremacy clause. (One problem with that argument is that federal agents masking isn’t a matter of law; it’s a matter of (bad) policy).

But apparently team Trump might be waiting for enforcement to start before launching legal challenges. Which is typical team Trump: go for the strategy that will cause maximum chaos. This is another example of what I was saying yesterday about how Democrats govern while Republicans stage spectacles.

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Eileen Nadolski's avatar

I live in Maryland but some family members live in Glenview, IL. Loved hearing Rachel Maddow report on the stellar efforts the Evanston community is doing. Bravo!!!

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kitkatmia's avatar

thx to rachel for sharing evanston with her viewers. very uplifting segment. they got this!!

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Rachel Poliner's avatar

Yes, I watched the Rachel Maddow segment last night -- in horror! What you're living through is unbelievable. They are obviously trying to get a reaction and an excuse to escalate. Beyond disgusting.

I hope today's elections and recent and upcoming court cases prompt a shift. I don't expect Trump et all to change behavior of their own accord, but I can hope a few more Rs in Congress will force it. Ending Trump's violence against residents has to be a high priority immediately.

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Anne Fitzpatrick's avatar

I did see the MSNBC segment on Evanston and was very impressed! It sounded like in some cases, they cased ICE off empty handed. And the mayor was great - offering the 'playbook'.

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Betsy's avatar

I did watch Rachel last night and saw the segment on Evanston. It did my heart good.

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Fisher's avatar

zogby dropped a poll with sherill beating jack c solidly, conducted over the weekend. people criticize zogby, but his results align with others and is not an outlier; we crushed it in the early vote, better than last year. of course joe scarborough thinks she is in trouble....i think guys like him, from the old guard, are just desperate for a normal looking republican these days, and they think ciatarelli is it. doesn't look like people are buying it. fingers crossed, feeling good, we have a top notch candidate who doesn't get criticized for having the nerve to smile....if ya'll remember the harris criticism...see you all tonight, hope we can pop the corks.

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Lisa Iannucci's avatar

counting the hours till 8 pm poll close!

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Veronica's avatar

That's great! I'm on a phone bank to call last-minute voters to vote for Sherrill! Then, later today, Prop. 50!

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David Glaser's avatar

I feel like I have reason to be very upbeat and excited for this election. Cheers to everyone for their time, hard earned money, and constant efforts to retake our democracy.

A special and important thank you to Simon. In a time of despair you fill my tank up each day! I get smarter reading your posts and listening to you.

Our wheels are getting a lot of traction now. I’m excited to really start pressing on their necks in the coming year. Let’s keep this up! Our democracy is still at stake.

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mark haskin's avatar

While on my mind, let's call the followup to "NO KINGS" protest just one word: "IMPEACHMENT".

I think No Kings was more than 7 million when considering parking problems or people who just couldn't make it.

I'm in Los Angeles and hoping for a resounding victory for Prop 50 after which we campaign for other Blue states to follow.

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Deborah Potter's avatar

Conviction!!!

(thinking past a third impeachment in the House to a trial and conviction in the Senate, then removal from office and disqualification from holding office in the future)

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Jayne M's avatar

YES! Followed by the "BANISHMENT" protest in which we insist he, his family and his administration (those not imprisoned) are all sent to another country without ever being able to return here nor being able to directly communicate with the American public ever again.

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BeeBeeinNYC's avatar

They love him in the Middle East. It's like David Hasselhoff and Germany.

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Susanna J. Sturgis's avatar

Then we get the much younger JD Thiel in what's left of the White House, with Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires propping him up and whispering in his ear. Since the Supreme Court is hopelessly compromised for the foreseeable future, I believe that huge majorities in both houses of Congress are our best hope till January 20, 2029. Coordinated efforts by Democratic governors are also crucial. Most Republican-run states are "takers": they get more from the federal government than they put in. Here's hoping that gets through to more red-state voters, especially the white ones.

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BeeBeeinNYC's avatar

I often catch myself fantasizing about what accountability might look like post-MAGA-in-Control. I am scared to let myself go that far into it, lest the disappointment devastate me.

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Laura Camp's avatar

It was more than 7 million. Anecdotally our local protest in California was called 3 million but organizers I trust know it was 12 million based on real analysis including drone coverage.

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Moishe Swift's avatar

YouGov (a generally "A" polling company) reported that 8% of respondents said they attended a No Kings rally. Mathematically, that means (assuming that it is limited to US adults who responded) approximately 21.6 million people attended, not counting folks <18.

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Rachel Poliner's avatar

Which might mean that 21.6M people attended or wished they had, which hopefully means they will indeed attend next time if they didn't yet.

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