Despite his conviction for falsifying business records, Donald Trump received an unconditional discharge and faces no jail time, fines, or community service. This felony conviction, however, will impact some of his rights, including prohibiting him from owning firearms and potentially affecting certain business opportunities such as obtaining liquor licenses. He retains his right to vote in Florida and to travel internationally, although some countries may restrict entry for individuals with felony convictions. A presidential pardon is not applicable, as only the New York governor can pardon him for this state-level crime.
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Chief Justice Roberts’ year-end report uses images of civil rights-era judges, like J. Waties Waring, to deflect criticism of contemporary judicial decisions. This tactic, also employed by Judge Edith Jones, falsely equates modern judicial opponents to those who faced violent backlash for upholding civil rights. Sherrilyn Ifill argues this comparison is ahistorical and inaccurate, highlighting the stark difference between judges who risked their safety and standing to advance justice and those facing criticism today. This appropriation of civil rights history ignores the systemic racism faced by civil rights advocates and minimizes the severity of the modern critiques. The comparison is ultimately a misguided attempt to shield controversial rulings from legitimate scrutiny.
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The current electoral college system allows for a presidential candidate to win without securing the national popular vote, as evidenced by recent elections. This system disproportionately focuses campaigning efforts on a few swing states, ignoring the concerns of voters elsewhere. A winner-take-all allocation of electoral votes disenfranchises voters in states leaning heavily towards one party. Reforming the system to proportionally allocate electoral votes based on the popular vote within each state would ensure every vote counts and lessen the chance of a popular vote loser winning the presidency. This reform, while potentially maintaining the electoral college, would address many of its current flaws.
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The US Supreme Court denied an emergency appeal from the Republican party to prevent thousands of provisional ballots being counted in Pennsylvania. The justices have upheld a ruling by the state’s Supreme Court that demanded election officials count provisional votes from people whose mailed votes were rejected. The ruling has been welcomed by supporters of voters’ rights, who have forced predominantly Republican-controlled counties to let electors cast a provisional vote at the polls if their postal vote is rejected due to an error. By contrast, Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court rejected a last-minute plea by campaigners for voters’ rights to ensure postal votes will still be counted even if they lack an accurate, handwritten date on the envelope.
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Ex-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has criticised an advert that tells women they do not have to disclose how they vote in the 2024 election, even to their husbands. The ad, produced by Vote Common Good, features actress Julia Roberts encouraging viewers to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, causing backlash among conservatives. In an interview with Fox News, Gingrich accused the Democrats of promoting dishonesty and contributing to the country’s moral decline. Gingrich has previously accused the Democrats of ruining American society with his extreme rhetoric. The former Speaker is known for his own personal infidelity.
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The recent arrest of an 18-year-old Trump supporter, Caleb James Williams, for brandishing a machete outside an early-voting site in Florida is a chilling reminder of the volatile atmosphere surrounding our electoral processes. While political passion is nothing new, the lengths to which some are willing to go to assert their views is alarming. This incident has left me contemplating the state of political discourse in our country and how it can sometimes spiral into outright aggression.
Williams, along with a group of companions adorned with Trump flags, confronted supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris outside a public library. What was meant to be a peaceful civic engagement quickly devolved into a situation where a weapon was drawn.… Continue reading
Prominent right-wing influencers Mike Cernovich and Charlie Kirk have expressed concern over the early voting turnout among women which could negatively impact Donald Trump’s chances of victory. A Politico analysis showed a 10% gender gap in early voting, with women constituting 55% of early voters. Cernovich praised Trump’s strategy of targeting male audiences through podcast appearances but criticised the campaign’s engagement with women voters.
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There have been 3.2 million votes cast thus far, according to election data from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office. Raffensperger, both he and Sterling are Republicans, said this is going to be a “tight election” but “it’s going to be a close election in all battleground states” so Georgia voters should expect a long Super Tuesday night. The early voting period ends on Friday, November 1, and with a 45% statewide turnout, there has been a record number of votes cast in Georgia, a crucial battleground state for United States Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. As to be expected, the majority of the votes come from metro Atlanta where the majority of the state’s voters reside, but there have also been record-breaking turnouts in smaller and mid-sized counties up and down the state.
As a voting precinct manager in DeKalb County, Georgia, I have witnessed firsthand the chaos that ensues when new election rules are passed without proper consideration and planning. The recent ruling by Judge Cox declaring seven election rules passed by the Trump-backed state board as ‘illegal, unconstitutional and void’ is a significant victory for voting rights and democracy.
The rules in question were not only unsupported by Georgia’s Election Code but were also contrary to it. This underscores the importance of upholding fair election practices and ensuring that any changes to voting rules are legal and do not undermine the democratic process.… Continue reading
The Justice Department says Virginia is illegally striking voters off of voter rolls. This news brings to light a disturbing trend in American politics – the blatant attempts by certain individuals to undermine the very foundation of democracy. The lawsuit filed against Virginia election officials for removing names from voter rolls in violation of federal election law is a clear example of the lengths some will go to in order to manipulate the electoral process for their own gain.
It is disheartening to see such blatant disregard for the fundamental principles of democracy, where every citizen should have the right to participate in the electoral process without fear of being disenfranchised.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood