2020 Election
Nov 19th 2020, 7:34 pm
#5746
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 13,103
Re: 2020 Election
Consider 1,000 original votes, with 80% of votes for Biden and 20% Trump - 800 Biden votes, 200 Trump votes. If you randomly pulled 100 votes from the pool of 1,000, statistically that would mean you'd pull 80 Biden Votes and 20 Trump Votes. The net result then would be
Biden: 800 - 80 = 720 votes remaining.
Trump: 200 - 20 = 180 remaining.
Old votes tallies: 200:800 = 1:4
New vote tallies: 180:720 = 1:4
Or, another way -
Old Votes tallies: 200 out of 1,000 for Trump = 200/1000 = 20% for Trump
New Votes tallies: 180 out of 900 for Trump = 180/900 = 20% for Trump
I love how numbers 'work' !
Last edited by Steerpike; Nov 19th 2020 at 7:41 pm.
Nov 19th 2020, 7:44 pm
#5747
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 13,103
Re: 2020 Election
What I don't understand is why each State has its own election rules, well I know why but it doesn't make sense. There should be uniform election rules which apply across all 50 States. One of which should be all ballots must be returned by close of election on polling day. Oregon has had only mail in voting since 1999, passed by a measure in 1998. Any ballot not received by a County elections office, or not in a ballot box by 8pm on polling day is void. It works, doesn't cause complaints and everyone knows to get their ballot in on time.
I think this time around there was more of a push to allow late arrivals (with appropriate postmarks) due to the anticipated surge due to coronavirus. And in part it was a counter-measure to known shenanigans with the post office.
But as others said, good luck on the 'federal standard' - states rights rule supreme!
Nov 19th 2020, 7:56 pm
#5748
You aint seen me, right?
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: US of A, TN
Posts: 3,573
Re: 2020 Election
Well of course, but the net effect would be balanced.
Consider 1,000 original votes, with 80% of votes for Biden and 20% Trump - 800 Biden votes, 200 Trump votes. If you randomly pulled 100 votes from the pool of 1,000, statistically that would mean you'd pull 80 Biden Votes and 20 Trump Votes. The net result then would be
Biden: 800 - 80 = 720 votes remaining.
Trump: 200 - 20 = 180 remaining.
Old votes tallies: 200:800 = 1:4
New vote tallies: 180:720 = 1:4
Or, another way -
Old Votes tallies: 200 out of 1,000 for Trump = 200/1000 = 20% for Trump
New Votes tallies: 180 out of 900 for Trump = 180/900 = 20% for Trump
I love how numbers 'work' !
Consider 1,000 original votes, with 80% of votes for Biden and 20% Trump - 800 Biden votes, 200 Trump votes. If you randomly pulled 100 votes from the pool of 1,000, statistically that would mean you'd pull 80 Biden Votes and 20 Trump Votes. The net result then would be
Biden: 800 - 80 = 720 votes remaining.
Trump: 200 - 20 = 180 remaining.
Old votes tallies: 200:800 = 1:4
New vote tallies: 180:720 = 1:4
Or, another way -
Old Votes tallies: 200 out of 1,000 for Trump = 200/1000 = 20% for Trump
New Votes tallies: 180 out of 900 for Trump = 180/900 = 20% for Trump
I love how numbers 'work' !
Nov 20th 2020, 9:34 pm
#5749
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Nova Scotia Canada
Posts: 27,078
Re: 2020 Election
A national uniform election for all 50 states and DC for federal offices would really require a constitutional amendment, and good luck getting that done.
Would be nice though if federal elections and state elections were separate.
Kind of like how Canada does it, federal elections are provincial elections are totally separate, heck even municipal elections are seperate.
Non-Partisan Elections Canada handles the federal elections.
Each province handles their own elections, BC has non partisan Elections BC that handles everything.
When it comes to ballots, counting, polling places etc, there is 0 political interference.
In BC we had a provincial election last month, one riding was super close like 70 vote difference, nobody cried foul, even when the winner was projected he made it clear the vote was close and needed to wait for the automatic judicial recount before it was official. He did win in the end once the judicial recount was done.
It's really refreshing, and no machines all done the old fashioned way, paper ballots and counted by hand. Heck in the provincial election my wife got a write in ballot since it was a snap election, didn't even need to write a candidate name, just the party you wanted to vote for.
Would be nice though if federal elections and state elections were separate.
Kind of like how Canada does it, federal elections are provincial elections are totally separate, heck even municipal elections are seperate.
Non-Partisan Elections Canada handles the federal elections.
Each province handles their own elections, BC has non partisan Elections BC that handles everything.
When it comes to ballots, counting, polling places etc, there is 0 political interference.
In BC we had a provincial election last month, one riding was super close like 70 vote difference, nobody cried foul, even when the winner was projected he made it clear the vote was close and needed to wait for the automatic judicial recount before it was official. He did win in the end once the judicial recount was done.
It's really refreshing, and no machines all done the old fashioned way, paper ballots and counted by hand. Heck in the provincial election my wife got a write in ballot since it was a snap election, didn't even need to write a candidate name, just the party you wanted to vote for.
"Canada’s federal election finance laws put limits on contributions to political parties and candidates. Only individuals — not corporations or trade unions — may donate.""Political parties and candidates face limits on the amounts they may spend during an election. Political parties may spend 73.5 cents for every voter in districts where they are running candidates. For their local campaigns, candidates may spend an amount based on the population of the district in which they are running, typically between $75,000 and $115,000. If the election campaign is longer than 36 days, as was the case in 2015, the limits for both parties and candidates are increased proportionately.
Groups or individuals other than political parties and candidates may spend no more than $150,000 to try to persuade voters during an election, and no more than $3,000 of that may be spent in any one district. Critically, all of these limits to spending apply only during the election period — between when the writs of election have been issued (when the election is officially called) and election day."
Nov 20th 2020, 9:44 pm
#5750
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: 2020 Election
The Citizens United Supreme Court decision effectively opened the floodgates on election spending in the US. "Free speech" baby...
Nov 20th 2020, 9:55 pm
#5751
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Nova Scotia Canada
Posts: 27,078
Re: 2020 Election
The whole idiotic concept of "Corporations are people" is retarded in the extreme. Talk about abusing the interpretation of the language of the constitution.
Nov 23rd 2020, 5:31 pm
#5752
BE Practitioner (Level 2)
Joined: Aug 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 1,403
Re: 2020 Election
Question for the brain trust: can Congress create direct legislation for campaign finance reform to categorically state that corporations are not people? Or will that die in the SC under stare decisis? Who comes out on top in that scenario?
Nov 24th 2020, 11:51 am
#5753
Often not so civil...
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: The Boonies, GA
Posts: 9,561
Re: 2020 Election
I see that the GSA head finally decided to do her job and issue the letter declaring Biden to be the presumptive winner. Only a couple of weeks late there.
Seems like Trump may actually have given in to calls saying he should back down, but of course he'll never actual concede. We don't need him to, we just need him to get out of the way.
Seems like Trump may actually have given in to calls saying he should back down, but of course he'll never actual concede. We don't need him to, we just need him to get out of the way.
Nov 28th 2020, 7:15 am
#5754
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Posts: 4,913
Re: 2020 Election
The really sad thing is that the "greatest country in the world" can't get all of the votes in a presidential election accurately and fully counted within 24 hours of the polls closing.
Nov 28th 2020, 7:46 am
#5755
MODERATOR
Joined: Sep 2009
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 29,848
Re: 2020 Election
I know that there were a number of states that weren't able to start processing these votes until polling day so that will have slowed things significantly.
I think in most previous elections though, the results were called within the first 24 hours after polls closed, even if not certified until later.
Nov 28th 2020, 10:39 am
#5756
Often not so civil...
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: The Boonies, GA
Posts: 9,561
Re: 2020 Election
You can't take 2020 as representative. COVID put paid to that. Frankly I think they did a bang up job considering the circumstances.
Nov 28th 2020, 12:39 pm
#5757
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,527
Re: 2020 Election
New York is one of the longest time scales, for instance. They’ve just finalized the vote counting here. Perfectly normal and uncontroversial. It’s just that you don’t often hear about the slow results here (NY) because the presidential result is usually not in question.
Nov 28th 2020, 1:03 pm
#5758
WTF?
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Homeostasis
Posts: 79,367
Re: 2020 Election
It's debatable which country is the "greatest country in the world" but the US never claimed that title based on how fast they turn in election results.
Nov 28th 2020, 4:58 pm
#5759
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 211
Re: 2020 Election
It's not the "country" that is counting the votes though is it? It's 50 states with varying levels of "greatness" doing the counting.
It's debatable which country is the "greatest country in the world" but the US never claimed that title based on how fast they turn in election results.
It's debatable which country is the "greatest country in the world" but the US never claimed that title based on how fast they turn in election results.
Nov 28th 2020, 5:30 pm
#5760
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: 2020 Election
It's not the "country" that is counting the votes though is it? It's 50 states with varying levels of "greatness" doing the counting.
It's debatable which country is the "greatest country in the world" but the US never claimed that title based on how fast they turn in election results.
It's debatable which country is the "greatest country in the world" but the US never claimed that title based on how fast they turn in election results.
