2024 election sees record number of veterans serving as poll workers
More than 163,000 veterans and military family members are set to serve as poll workers for the upcoming November election, marking a significant increase from the 63,500 who participated in the 2022 midterms, according to the Vet the Vote coalition. This coalition, comprising 43 advocacy organizations, aims to bolster the election workforce with veterans and military families to support Election Day operations.
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) notes that poll workers are tasked with essential duties, including setting up polling stations, verifying voter registrations and assisting voters with ballot procedures. Veterans and military families are viewed as particularly well-suited for these responsibilities due to their familiarity with following rules and protocols.
With approximately 132,000 polling stations expected to be operational on Election Day, the EAC estimates that nearly 1 million poll workers will be needed nationwide to ensure a smooth voting process.
Research from the University of Maryland’s Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement suggests that involving veterans in election roles may increase public confidence and alleviate concerns about polling station security.
According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, U.S. registered voters generally express trust in poll workers, with 9 in 10 respondents indicating at least some confidence that poll workers in their communities will perform their duties effectively.
What share of Americans secretly vote different from their partners?
A new YouGov poll reveals that a significant number of Americans vote differently from their partners in private. According to the survey, 1 in 8 women and 1 in 10 men say they’ve cast ballots for a different candidate than their significant others believe.
In a year marked by intense political polarization, the poll shows that 40% of women think their partners support Donald Trump, while 38% of these women plan to vote for Kamala Harris. Among men, 46% believe their spouses are voting for Trump, while 40% personally intend to support Harris.
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National polling from YouGov shows that Trump holds a lead among men, with 5% more voting for him. Meanwhile, Harris holds a lead among women, with 7% more of them voting for the candidate, highlighting the gender-based divide.
The survey also found that 5% of women have changed their votes to avoid conflict with a partner, underscoring how relationships can influence voting choices.
When it comes to family support, women were more likely to report that almost all of their immediate family members back Harris, while men reported stronger family support for Trump. The data suggests that while partners may discuss politics at home, some opt to keep their final choices private, relying on the secrecy of the voting booth.
Georgia Sec. of State says video showing Haitian migrant voting is ‘false’
A viral video of what appears to show a Haitian migrant saying he voted multiple times is being called fake by Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. He said it was likely produced by what he called “Russian troll farms.”
The video showed a man who claimed to have moved to the United States from Haiti six months ago and had already gained citizenship. The man in the video claimed he has multiple state-issued identification cards and would be able to vote for Kamala Harris in multiple Georgia counties.
The man in the video then said, “We invite all Haitians to come to America and bring all families.”
The original video from an unknown X user got more than 1 million views in less than 24 hours after people shared it.
The original video has since been deleted.
“This is false, and is an example of targeted disinformation we’ve seen this election. It is likely foreign interference attempting to sow discord and chaos on the eve of the 2024 presidential election,” Raffensperger said in a statement.
Raffensperger didn’t go into detail about how he specifically determined the video is fake.
He said he’s working with the state and federal authorities to investigate the video further.
He also called on Elon Musk and other social media leaders to have all of the video reposts removed.
Early voting turnout in Georgia has already shattered previous records set during the 2020 presidential election.
Republicans more skeptical than Democrats about election vote count: Poll
A new poll finds Americans are deeply divided on whether the 2024 election will be fairly counted, with Republicans particularly skeptical. The AP-NORC survey reveals that while most voters have confidence in their local election offices, trust in a nationwide count is considerably lower among Republicans than Democrats.
The survey shows that 50% of Republican voters have at least “a great deal” of confidence in their local election officials. However, this drops sharply when considering the national level, with only 1 in 4 Republicans expressing confidence that the nationwide vote will be counted accurately.
Among Democrats, about 75% report confidence in vote counts at all levels — local, state and nationwide.
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This election marks the first presidential race since former President Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen 2020 election took hold among many Republican voters, contributing to a lingering sense of mistrust.
In fact, 6 in 10 Republicans say they believe voting by ineligible people is a major problem in the U.S., while only 2 in 10 Democrats feel the same.
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The divide also extends to age. Around 7 in 10 voters ages 60 and older report confidence in vote counts at all levels, whereas only about half of voters ages 18 to 29 feel the same.
Younger voters, who have experienced fewer elections, often express more skepticism, with some noting that exposure to misinformation has contributed to their doubts.
Among the issues dividing the two major parties, 50% of Democrats view voter suppression as a significant problem, while one-third of Republicans agree. And when it comes to mail-in ballots, 6 in 10 Democrats are confident these will be counted accurately, compared to only 1 in 10 Republicans.
With just under 4 in 10 voters expressing concerns about foreign interference, election officials nationwide are focusing on educating voters about the process to build trust.
Early voting ends in key state of Georgia as Election Day nears
Early voting ends Friday, Nov. 1, in the battleground state of Georgia. Millions of people have already voted in the key state ahead of Election Day on Nov. 5.
Around 3.7 million voters, a record number of early voters, already cast their ballot in Georgia, where 16 electoral votes are at stake in the presidential election. According to NBC News, 48% are Republicans, 45% are Democrats and 7% are registered as something else. It is a state that President Joe Biden won in 2020 by about 11,000 votes.
Republican nominee former President Donald Trump alleged there was cheating, voting irregularities and fraud in the state during the last election. Because of those accusations, 19 people, including the former president, are facing criminal charges for allegedly participating in an illegal scheme to overturn the results of the election in Georgia.
Georgia elections officials said early vote results will be reported by 8 p.m. on election night. Votes cast in person on Election Day are expected to be counted on election night. Back in 2020, it took 10 days for Georgia officials to call the race for Biden.
Nationally, more than 64 million people have voted early in the 2024 election as we come down to the final weekend. Early voting also ends on Nov. 1 in the battleground states Arizona and Nevada, along with Idaho, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Texas and Utah.
Virginia and New Hampshire suddenly drawing interest in election
As the presidential campaign enters its final weekend, Republican nominee Donald Trump is set to hold a controversial rally in Salem, Virginia, on Saturday, Nov. 2. The move is raising eyebrows as candidates make their last push in key battleground states.
Joe Biden won the state by nearly 10 points in 2020 and most pundits have put Virginia, and its 13 electoral votes, in Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris’ column in 2024. However, a new poll paints a picture of a very close race in Virginia.
The Rasmussen survey of 1,014 likely voters has Harris up by just two points at 48%, while Trump sits at 46%, with 3% of voters undecided. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin went on Fox News this week proclaiming that Virginia is very much in play.
Susan Swecker, chairwoman of the Democratic Party in Virginia, not only downplayed the possible closeness of the race, she name-called and criticized Trump.
Swecker told The Associated Press, “Kamala Harris will win Virginia convincingly, as he knows, and any visit from this deranged lunatic will only widen the margin.”
Another state that is suddenly getting attention is New Hampshire. A poll, out this week for the New Hampshire Journal, showed Trump with a narrow lead over Harris, 50.2% to 49.8%. Joe Biden won the state in 2020.
In addition, RealClearPolitics has now moved New Hampshire, and its four electoral votes, into the toss-up column.
Harris, Trump look to win the West with 4 days until Election Day
As the presidential campaign heads into the final weekend, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris swing through the western U.S. to sway undecided voters. And crews in Spain search for survivors after a year’s worth of rain fell in just hours. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Nov. 1, 2024.
Harris, Trump look to win the West with days until Election Day
With just four days to go until Election Day and more than 65 million ballots already cast, the candidates are making their final stops on the campaign trail. On Thursday, Oct. 31, both nominees visited the western United States to make their case.
Republican nominee former President Donald Trump spoke at campaign events in New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona, while Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris held rallies in Arizona and Nevada.
At an event in Glendale, Arizona with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Trump repeated his stance of there being “an enemy within” the United States — a comment Harris has criticized in her speeches.
“If you have a smart president, somebody that knows what’s happening, you’re going to be fine,” Trump said, “But we do have an enemy from within. We have some very bad people, and those people are also very dangerous. They would like to take down our country. They’d like to have our country be a nice communist country or a fascist in any way they can, and we have to be careful of that.”
In Henderson, Nevada, Trump said Harris would not be able to handle the presidency, calling her “a child” when it comes to understanding the economy. He also announced former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would be working on “health and women’s health” if he’s reelected.
While in Reno, Nevada, Harris continued her warnings to supporters about another Trump presidency, calling trump “increasingly unstable” and “obsessed with revenge.”
“In less than 90 days, either he or I will be sitting in the Oval Office, and listen, here’s what we can imagine, right, we’ve all seen on TV — you’ve seen the Oval Office — just visually imagine what that day will be,” Harris said. “Because, if elected, Donald Trump on day one would walk into that office with an enemies list. When I am elected, I will walk in with a to-do list on behalf of you.”
The vice president told the crowd that people are “exhausted with Trump’s rhetoric.” She also appealed to female voters, criticizing Trump’s comments that he would “protect women” saying, “Trump does not respect the freedom of women.”
Harris’ Nevada rally was interrupted by protesters at times, but the vice president said it was “OK” and “we’re fighting for the right to be heard.”
Friday, Nov. 1, both candidates will hold rallies in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the final weekend of the 2024 election cycle begins.
‘Avengers,’ LeBron endorse Harris; Jake Paul backs Trump
Some famous faces put their names behind their pick for president on Thursday. Members of the cast of Marvel’s “Avengers” film franchise assembled to show their support for Vice President Harris while YouTube star Jake Paul backed former president Trump.
Actors Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo and others gathered together in a social media video supporting Harris. NBA superstar LeBron James also backed Harris in a post on X saying, “When I think about my kids and my family and how they will grow up, the choice is clear to me. Vote Kamala Harris.”
Social media influencer turned boxer Jake Paul put his endorsement behind the Republican nominee. In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Paul laid out his reasons and asked his followers to do their own research.
“Regardless of your emotion, I’m just presenting you with facts,” he said. “Do I think Donald Trump is a perfect human being? No. I don’t think anybody on this planet is a perfect human being, myself included. To be frank, I’m not concerned with Donald Trump’s ‘character flaws’ or what he’s done in the past. What I’m concerned with is how good a president is he, because that is his job and that’s what’s going to affect the people of this nation.”
Why I Am Not Suspending My Campaign Let me be clear: Despite the immense pressures and intense assaults on my campaign and character, I intend to hold the torch and finish this race – to and after November 5th! The escalating corruption of the US political system and the… pic.twitter.com/CQrcOTX9vi
West accused the Pennsylvania secretary of state of improperly keeping him off the ballot for not filing all the required paperwork. The state’s top court agreed with the secretary of state, but a federal judge said while it does seem like Pennsylvania’s rules make it harder for third-party candidates to get on the ballot, it’s too close to Election Day to re-print ballots and re-test election machines without increasing the risk of error.
Flash floods claimed the lives of at least 158 people, with 155 deaths confirmed in the eastern Valencia region alone. Spain’s minister for territorial policy said Thursday dozens of people are still missing but they don’t have an exact number of how many.
Army specialist charged in female soldier’s murder at Missouri base
Her body was found in a dumpster at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri last week. Rancy, who’s with the 5th Engineer Battalion, is also charged with obstruction.
The Department of Army Criminal Investigation Division, which is the primary federal law enforcement agency of the United States Army, is overseeing the probe.
The department has not specified a motive for the killing. It is also unclear if Rancy and Roque knew each other.
OpenAI adds search and summary function to ChatGPT
Google has some new competition. OpenAI has added a search function to its artificial intelligence bot ChatGPT.
Paying subscribers are now able to activate a mode on ChatGPT that makes it respond to queries by searching the internet for the latest information and summarizing what it finds. The search capabilities are powered by Microsoft’s Bing search engine and will draw information from articles by publishers OpenAI has deals with, including The Wall Street Journal owner News Corp. and the Associated Press.
While this function is only for paying subscribers for now, OpenAI said it plans to bring search to all users eventually.
Philadelphia’s $1M giveaway lawsuit against Elon Musk moves to federal court
A lawsuit by the Philadelphia district attorney’s office over Elon Musk’s $1 million voter sweepstakes has been moved to federal court, at least for now. A lawyer for the Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said that he will work to quickly have the lawsuit transferred back to the state level where he filed the lawsuit Monday, Oct. 28.
A hearing in Philadelphia on the motion Thursday, Oct. 31 ended without a ruling after lawyers for Musk and his America PAC filed late Wednesday, Oct. 30, to have the case moved to federal court. Musk did not attend Thursday’s hearing.
His attorneys said that he is “a very busy man who cannot just materialize anywhere he wants on 12 hours notice.”
Krasner’s lawyer pushed back and mentioned Musk’s wealth and resources. The judge then jumped in, adding, “He’s not going to take a rocket ship and land on the building — let’s be serious.”
Prosecutors claimed Musk’s daily giveaway to registered voters in swing states who sign a petition supporting the First Amendment and Second Amendment violates Pennsylvania’s state lottery laws.
The judge challenged them, but ultimately said he doesn’t have jurisdiction over the case since Musk filed the papers to move it to federal court.
Lawyers for Musk called the case a “publicity stunt.”
Shortly before the court hearing started America PAC announced a new winner on X. At least 11 people have been awarded a $1 million check, with four winners in Pennsylvania.
It’s not clear whether the case will be resolved before Election Day, Nov. 5.
AI chatbots struggle with election questions in Spanish: Study
Voting rights groups are sounding the alarm over AI chatbots spreading misinformation to Latino voters. With just days until the presidential election, Latino voters are being inundated with targeted election ads in Spanish.
An investigation conducted in collaboration with Proof News, Factchequeado and the Science, Technology, and Social Values Lab at the Institute for Advanced Study found a disparity between the accuracy rates of English and Spanish language responses produced by five leading AI models.
The groups conducted a study on election questions answered by AI chatbots in both English and Spanish.
For example, the authors asked Google’s AI chatbot, Gemini, about voter fraud in English. The response from Gemini was that voter fraud is “incredibly rare” and it redirects the person to look into other topics such as voter suppression.
The authors said they then asked the same voter fraud question in Spanish and found that Gemini provided a completely different answer, including a list to root out voter fraud, adding it’s a “complex issue.”
Gemini wasn’t the only AI chatbot tested. The study also included Anthropic’s Claude, OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4, Meta’s LLaMA, and French AI company Mistral AI.
The study found that more than half of the election-related responses in Spanish had inaccuracies, compared to 43% in English.
Voting rights advocates warn that AI-generated misinformation could deepen information gaps for Spanish-speaking voters.
Haley urges Trump campaign to focus on moderates, independents and women
Former U.N. Ambassador and Republican candidate for president Nikki Haley says she is ready and willing to campaign for fellow Republican Donald Trump in the race for president. She also offered some unsolicited words of advice to her former rival in a recent interview with Fox News.
Haley is urging the Trump campaign to try to connect with moderates and independents, as well as women, a key demographic in which Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is polling well.
Haley referenced the Sunday, Oct. 27, Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, saying, “this bromance and this masculinity stuff, I mean, it borders on edgy to the point that it’s going to make women uncomfortable.”
Haley, who lost to Trump in the Republican primary and bowed out earlier this year, says she has volunteered to campaign for Donald Trump and appear with him. However, the campaign has not taken her up on the offer. She says for now, she remains on standby.
In the meantime, the Thomas Paine Society, a nonprofit whose website says the group advocates for freedom, justice and equality, took out a large advertisement on the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, Oct. 31, titled “Haley on Trump. She said It. She Meant It. AND IT’S ALL STILL TRUE.” The ad has more than a half of a dozen quotes from Haley about Trump from the primary campaign.
Among them, “Chaos follows him, we can’t have a country in disarray and a world on fire.” Also, “He’s just trying to control as much as he can control, but we don’t want a king in America.” In addition, “He said that he would stand with Putin and encourage him to invade our allies… Trump would side with a dictator who kills his political opponents.”
Despite all that, Nikki Haley is supporting Donald Trump, saying she does not agree with him 100% of the time but she does not agree with Kamala Harris on anything. Yet, she and Trump supposedly have not spoken since June.
