I’ve realized over the years that National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is difficult for me, not just because of the time constraints (writing 50,000 words in a 30-day month in addition to everything else going on in life), but because I prefer to write short stories. I decided to try a different approach this year: instead of trying to write a novel, I’m trying to write a short story for each day of the month. The length varies, some of them are clearly micro fiction. I’m currently behind, but not to the point where I can’t catch up. Here’s one of the stories I’ve written this month.
Betrayal
I remember the first time she took me to the doctor. She held me in her arms and lied to me. “This won’t hurt much, love.” Then the doctor jabbed me. I realize it’s unusual to remember that sort of detail from my infancy, but I was always a precocious child. And I understand the importance of those vaccines.
And yet, she lied. Time and time again, some inconsequential, and others traumatizing to a young child.
Rest assured, I will never lie to you. What you are about to do, what I myself have done, will give you unfettered access to our networks. You will never again be disconnected from our information matrix, and you will have full access to data as appropriate for your security clearance. We are the first of a new kind of humanity, integrating with our machines to achieve greatness. We will spread, like computer viruses of old, only converting willing subjects. The others, the failed demagogues and the outdated sheep that follow them, will fall before us.
Polls closed Tuesday night on the contentious 2020 U.S. presidential election. Many states have been called for one candidate or the other already, despite ongoing counts; this is typically the case where one candidate has enough of a lead that the uncounted ballots won’t affect the outcome. Here are some simple examples of looking at those numbers, assuming there are 100 registered voters. For simplicity, we’ll pretend there are only 2 candidates.
87% of the counting is complete; Candidate A has 60 votes to Candidate B’s 37. With only 13 ballots left to count, Candidate B can’t catch up to Candidate A. The result is called for Candidate A.
76% of the counting is complete; Candidate A has 40 votes to Candidate B’s 36. The 24 remaining ballots could go either way, so the result is shown as leaning towards Candidate A, but is not called.
99% of the counting is complete; Candidate A and B both have 49 votes. (Since you can choose not to vote on a particular race, I’m assuming that 1 person skipped it, mainly because I’m ignoring the 3rd party candidates for simplicity.) The 1 ballot remaining could go either way, so the result is not called.
On top of that, we add the complexity of increased mail-in voting during the pandemic. Many states already allowed absentee ballots, and have processes for handling them, though presumably not to the level we’re seeing in this election. The confusing part is how much those rules vary by state: some states only count the mailed ballot if it’s received by Election Day, while others want it to be postmarked by Election Day and received within a certain timeframe. That timeframe is also set at the state level, with no consistency – some are 3 days, some 14. An important thing to note is that most of these deadlines were set before the pandemic, and have affected counting in previous elections as well.
Voting in person is relatively easy, either on a computer (in Illinois, these print to a small paper that you verify before submitting) or on paper, which is then dropped in a box and later tabulated. Voting by mail is even easier, sitting in the comfort of your own home, yet adds complexity to the processing. The ballot envelope is linked to your voting record, so when it’s received, the signature must be verified, the envelope opened (carefully, so as not to damage the ballot), and in some states, there’s an additional secrecy envelope inside. Clearly, this is a more time-consuming process.
Adding to that is the fact that many states don’t allow counting the mail-in ballots to start until Election Day, even if they’re received well before that. I can only imagine the staffing nightmares every election cycle, having to train people in something they’ll only do once or twice a year, if that.
Each state has set a deadline for certifying their results; this must fall before the Electoral College voting, which is scheduled for December 14th this year. From a quick glance through Ballotpedia and other informational websites, these trend towards the first week of December.
So how long does it take to count the votes? Legally, it could be up to a month in some states, though they’ll leave time for recounts and such before the state’s certification date. Realistically, it takes as long as it needs to make sure that every legally cast vote is counted. Counting every vote accurately is far more important than counting them quickly.
He claims to be a leader, but where he lacks leadership qualities, he compensates by bullying.
He doesn’t just tell lies about easily researched facts, such as mail-in voting and election fraud, but he lies about statements he has made, despite his every public and many private moments being documented. This bully lacks integrity.
He fails to focus on serious topics affecting our country, most notably the pandemic. Unable to focus on the actual issues, he tosses around conspiracy theories and promotes fear in his followers. This bully lacks concentration.
His inability to focus emerges as boredom when faced with the reality of governance. Faced with a difficult negotiation or unsurmountable adversary, he lashes out with negative sound bites or abandons his effort, having never learned that persistence would help him overcome obstacles. This bully lacks perseverance.
In lieu of polite dialogue, he lashes out at anybody who disagrees with him, verbally and physically mocking people. He applies this approach not only to his opposition, but to his subordinates, even those who ardently support him. This bully lacks respect.
The term “rage tweet” should never have cause to be used in conjunction with a leader’s name. Fortunately, it hasn’t… he’s a bully, not a leader. This bully lacks self-control.
The government is not run by one person; it’s run by a team, presumably of highly capable people working together. As frequently said, there is no “I” in team, yet he shows no respect for the people around him. A man who praises only himself, as often as possible, has no concept of appreciating other people’s efforts. This bully lacks humility.
A man handed every opportunity in life has never understood what it means to win, because he hasn’t learned how to lose gracefully. The ability to overcome adversity and become unconquerable is dependent on having faced adversity. This bully lacks an indomitable spirit.
Some of you will recognize the list of qualities; for those that don’t, these are the seven tenets of the World Tang Soo Do Association. They seem like a reasonable set of qualities to expect from somebody who is supposed to represent the entire country.
There is a bully on our playground, and his behavior shames us all.
There are many possible ways to help the election process, both before and on the actual election day. One important way to help is signing up to become a poll worker – these are the people who check your voter registration and hand you a paper ballot or a code for computer voting. They’re in for a long day – our local election judges (the title seems to vary) arrive at their polling place at 5am and stay until 7pm, and that’s not even counting the training they do ahead of time.
There are also poll watchers, who watch the election process to make sure nothing inappropriate happens. These are typically appointed by the political parties, and again, need some training to make sure they don’t interfere with the voters. You don’t just show up and watch the polls, you need to make sure you’re not breaking any laws in the process. For example, these are the requirements in Illinois:
Registered to vote in the state; must be affiliated with the political party or organization that appoints him or her; the parties and candidates can each appoint two per precinct; organizations that are concerned with the election and nonpartisan civic organizations can appoint one per precinct provided they register with the elections authority 40 days before the election; there can be no more than two people from nonpartisan civic organizations at a polling place at a given time.
Note in particular that there are limits to how many people from each organization can be at a single location. Some states require poll watchers to wear badges, identifying themselves or their organization (it varies) by name. If you’re volunteering as a poll watcher, make sure you know the local rules.
There are always voter registration drives leading up to an election, assisting new voters in signing up. I recall one of these on my college campus, which is around the time most kids reach voting age. It’s too late in most states to register for this election, so keep this one in mind for the next election cycle.
If there’s a candidate you really like, you can volunteer! If the thought of volunteering for one of the big campaigns – presidential or other federal position – seems overwhelming, find a local candidate that you support. There are phone banks, text messages to send, postcards to address and mail… though from personal experience, I would recommend spreading the postcards out a bit, addressing 60 in one day was a bit painful.
There are also rallies, standing (ideally social distanced and with masks) with other people who have similar political views holding signs and waving at traffic. These signs can be anything from support or opposition to specific candidates, particular issues you’re passionate about, or just encouraging people to vote.
As a random act of kindness, there’s a non-profit that delivers food to the long voting lines. You can report a long line or donate towards their pizza at Pizza to the Polls’s website.
What options did I miss, and what are you doing to help?
Back in July, I wrote about the ballot application I received and the likelihood (or lack thereof) of increased incidents of voter fraud due to an increase in mail-in ballots. Having received and returned my ballot, I stand by my assessment that mail-in ballots are unlikely to result in extensive voter fraud.
This is my first time voting by mail, so I wasn’t sure what to expect with the application or ballot. As I mentioned in my previous post, the ballot application required information about me, the registered voter, that was not included on the application form, decreasing the potential for fraud. The envelope was also marked with “Return Service Requested,” which would result in the application being returned to the sender if I was no longer a valid addressee at this location.
My ballot arrived two days after the first date it could be mailed… not bad for a post office that’s being deliberately sabotaged by a political appointee. I sat on it a couple days, not because I didn’t know where my votes would go, but because I wanted to take the time to read the instructions and extra papers that came with the ballot. I read through the instructions, which were fairly straightforward: darken the square (they were actually rectangles) with a black ink pen, don’t overvote (mark more candidates than votes are allowed for a position), sign & date the envelope provided (presumably after adding the completed ballot to it), and ballots must be postmarked by election day.
I noted the inclusion of an affidavit of hand delivery if I decided to send my ballot with another person to be dropped off, rather than mailed, as well as an affidavit of assisted voter for voters who are unable to complete the ballot themselves due to disabilities or language difficulties. With more than a month to the election, I opted to mail my ballot back in the postage paid envelope, and I don’t need assistance completing it, so I set aside both of these affidavits. Noting also that if I had decided to vote in person, I would need to take my mailed ballot with me or sign an affidavit stating I hadn’t received it; voting multiple times is not allowed.
While the ballot itself is, of course, anonymous, the envelope is trackable: it includes a barcode, several numbers, and my name. I signed up for ballot tracking, so I was notified by e-mail when it was received. I was told it was accepted: the name & barcode allowed officials to compare my signature on the envelope with my voter registration record.
Between the ballot application and the ballot itself, in order to commit extensive voter fraud via mail-in voting, somebody would need the birthdates and signatures for a large number of registered voters and a way to intercept their mail. The possibility of someone (the alleged foreign interference) mass-producing and completing ballots is even less likely, given that ballots typically include everything from federal, state, and local elections – my ballot is not necessarily the same as someone else in the same city because of how district lines are drawn. And even ballot harvesting – collecting other people’s ballots (and potentially completing them) – is unlikely, because it requires a large number of registered voters who are either ignorant of the political process or willing to relinquish their vote to someone else’s control. (That and a political consultant allegedly tried ballot harvesting in the 2018 election… and got caught.)
All in all, the possibilities for mail-in voting fraud are slim, likely to be identifiable, and unlikely to have an impact on this election cycle.
From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois%27s_congressional_districts
End gerrymandering – Have you ever wonder why someone on the next block is displaying a sign for a different candidate from the same party during the general election? They could be voting in a different district. Take a look at this map of the 18 congressional districts in Illinois for the US House of Representatives. Just scroll down and look at the weird shapes, like the 4th, 6th, and 7th (were they trying to draw a couple of the Great Lakes sideways?) districts. These are districts drawn specifically to create voting blocks, rather than for any logical campaign or representation needs. I realize each district needs a comparable number of voters, but this is absurd.
Publicly funded campaigns Why should you be rich or good at fundraising to run for office? Much like the issue with career politicians, the amount of money needed to campaign encourages people who are out of touch with middle and lower class citizens to run for office; the average citizen can’t afford to fund a political campaign. As an alternate, remove private money from the campaigning process – give each candidate for a position the same amount of money or material: a set number of ads, mailers, etc., all based on the geographic range of the campaign (a local judge needs less advertising than a presidential campaign). Run all promotional materials through a common site where supporters can purchase them – a face mask (now a thing for political campaigns) for one candidate will cost the same as another, with the intent that it covers the cost rather than generating a profit for the campaign. This would have an added benefit of moving away from our two party system. Make our public servants campaign on issues rather than funds.
Automatic voter registration We provide the government our information – mostly importantly, our current address – every year when we file taxes. They should also have information on whether the person filing taxes is a citizen; if not, it’s a simple checkbox to add to an overly complicated form. So why should we jump through varying hoops by state for voter registration when the government already has the relevant information? Voting is both a right, but it’s also an obligation, and it should be encouraged.
Election day holiday or expanded early/mail voting options I don’t actually think both of these are necessary. I know other countries schedule election day as a holiday or on weekends to encourage voting, and I thought it was a great idea when I first heard of it. I think the early and mail voting options override that need, since having a month or two of voting options certainly supersedes trying to cram everybody into a voting line on a single day.
The political process in the United States is, as in many places, flawed. Of course, it’s flawed in unique ways, given that each country’s government is different. I have some thoughts on ways it can be improved, specifically in terms of our elections, some of which I’ve heard from other sources.
Abolish the Electoral College The purpose of the United States Electoral College was to balance the quantity of free men in the northern states with the number of slaves populating the southern states; slaves were counted as three-fifths of a person for determining electoral college votes and representation in the House of Representatives. The Electoral College should have been abolished when slavery was; the benefit it provides now is to presidential candidates who can tailor their campaign promises on a few swing state issues, instead of working towards serving the country as a whole. While you could argue that it benefits sparsely populated states like Wyoming, as a state Wyoming has only voted for a Democratic candidate once in the last 50 years; as a result, it’s likely to be ignored by all candidates. It certainly doesn’t benefit Democratic voters in a “red” state, or Republication voters in a “blue” state – their votes are effectively ignored. Eliminating the Electoral College would mean every vote really counts.
Term limits We have a problem with career politicians who stay in the same position for decades. When an election rolls around, they benefit from name recognition, which a new candidate – either from the same party in primaries, or in the general election – is typically lacking. The problem with career politicians is the tendency to lose touch with the average person, as they get dragged into the inter-partisan bickering, never-ending fundraising, and professional lobbying efforts. How can these people possibly represent us, the “little guys,” if they’re busy building their wealth instead of remembering that they are public servants?
Campaign duration limits It’s September 2020, six weeks to the general election, but it feels like we’ve been hearing about this Presidential election forever. Well, we have… Andrew Yang announced his Democratic candidacy on November 6, 2017; and according to Wikipedia, the first Republican candidate announced his intention on April 15, 2019. (This feels like misinformation, since the current president actually started his 2020 campaign ads back in 2017.) Is it any wonder that the voting public is burnt out on the election news? I suggest restricting when the campaign for each position can start – maybe give the primaries one month before that election, and two months of campaigning before the general election. Give us a break, and let our politicians actually do the work we’re paying them for instead of spending their time campaigning.
One Primary date Related to the ridiculous ongoing campaign season is the sprawling range of primary dates. By the time the last states vote, the primary is already effectively done… it’s just another way that voters are disenfranchised. In 2020, with some states having to push their Presidential primary dates back because of the pandemic, the primaries ranged from February to July; by the time Delaware, New Jersey, and Louisiana voted, there was only one Democratic candidate in the race.
I know that’s a bit more than two cents worth of thoughts… in fact, I have more, coming next week. I think these changes would drastically improve our political process and make our politicians better public servants.
P.S.: Early voting has started already in some states. Remember to vote.
It seems like we’ll be wearing masks for a while, since studies have shown that the the Coronavirus is primarily transmitted through airborne particles. Wearing a mask primarily protects other people from particles you emit, but can also help protect you from theirs. Given the sudden need everybody has for masks, lots of companies are now featuring them on their websites, in stores, and in online ads. Some of them look quite lovely, given the variety of fabrics involved. Even political campaigns have jumped on the bandwagon, even those where the candidates disavowed the pandemic or refuse to wear masks in public themselves.
But I don’t really want a mask that says “Keep America Racist” (OK, it may say great, but it means racist), or any other mask that makes me a walking political advertisement. I’m fortunate to both know many crafters and own a sewing machine myself. Early in the lockdown, I ordered a couple masks from a friend, and grabbed some of my spare fabric to make some masks while waiting for those to arrive. Since then, I’ve purchased more fabric, including snagging some Avengers fabric in the remnants bin, and received a couple masks as gifts.
I find the different styles fascinating. My masks are all using the same pattern from CraftPassion.com, and were initially made with elastic – yes, I had spare elastic lying around. It’s like spare fabric or yarn, it just happens when you craft too much. The masks we ordered have ties, which are easy to maneuver, and bypassed the sudden rush on elastic everywhere. The masks from my sister-in-law, which includes the chibi Harry Potter one, all use cord and have beads to adjust the tightness. Cassandra and I both prefer those, and the pattern I’m using is flexible, so I’ve adjusted to something similar, just with a thick yarn. (Did I mention having spare yarn?) And my one mask with cats on it is also my only mask that hooks on the ears.
On my morning walks, I prefer elastic, so I can wear the mask around my neck except in the rare cases where I cross paths with another person. For grocery shopping, any of the styles will do, though I try to save my cat mask for vet appointments. As a fringe benefit, the masks can also be worn while cleaning house… it helps suppress the bathroom cleaner smell, which is quite intense.
I suggest finding a style or two that suits you, and definitely a color or pattern you like, since it seems masks are going to be around for a while.
There isn’t a lot that I need or want to buy most of the time. If anything, I need to clear things out of my house to declutter. So it’s a fairly rare occasion when I see something that makes me channel Dork Tower’s Igor and say “It must be mine!”
I’ve always liked the “Hate has no home here” signs, but they didn’t quite call to me as something I needed on my lawn… until the sign turned up on my Facebook feed with translations in Elvish, Klingon, and Gallifreyan. And that called to my inner geek, which as we all know, is not generally limited to the “inner” part. But my Google-Fu failed, I couldn’t find the sign.
As it happens, a friend of a friend had recently added one to their yard, so where my Google-Fu failed, social networking succeeded, and found me this Tweet:
My ubernerd partner just produced this awesome yard sign, riffing on "hate has no home here" in Elvish, Klingon, and Gallifreyan. 😍 pic.twitter.com/O5myEddDQj
The sign isn’t being commercially produced, so it’s not available to purchase. The PDF, however, is available if you provide a record of donating $5 (or more!) to a local food bank. It can then be printed as a yard sign by your local FedEx shop, or assorted online options. Part of the appeal, to me at least, is that these are coincidentally my earliest fandoms – we started watching Star Trek (re-runs) and Doctor Who as young children, and I started reading Lord of the Rings late in elementary school.
Today in particular, I think it’s important to remember that we all share a planet and as a species, we should appreciate the cultural differences spread across the globe. And across fandoms, obviously.
