The huge number of people voting before Election Day and the difficulties too many people have trying to vote on Election Day call for a better way of conducting elections. Rather than declaring Election Day a national holiday, which would be opposed by most employers, make Veterans Day the official Election Day. That would get […]
elections
Posted inLetters, sj-web
Political ads cannot be trusted
I hate commercials, but I hate political advertisements even more. What upsets me so much is that the candidate should be telling us about who they are and reasons to vote for them. But the focus is more about discrediting in any way, fact or fiction, their opponent. That is a waste of everyone’s time […]
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Posted inNation / World
Donald Trump OKs sanctions for foreigners who meddle in elections
WASHINGTON (AP) —President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday authorizing sanctions against foreigners who meddle in U.S. elections, a move that counters critics who claim he has not taking election security seriously enough. The executive order covers not just interference with campaign infrastructure, but it also covers the distribution of disinformation and propaganda, national […]
Posted inOp-Eds, sj-web
Trump’s voter-fraud claims are the real fraud
In the Kafkaesque world of President Donald Trump, unsubstantiated widespread voter fraud accounts for the fact that he lost the 2016 presidential popular vote while substantiated Russian election campaign meddling, which may have facilitated his victory in the electoral count, is nothing but a “hoax.” Though it’s taken an intensive FBI probe, hearings by two […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
King worried 'deep fake' videos could undermine elections
LEWISTON — When the Senate Intelligence Committee, on which U.S. Sen. Angus King serves, began investigating how the Russians interfered in the last U.S. presidential election, it focused mostly on computer hacking. But Maine’s junior senator no longer thinks that is the big issue. Instead, King said, he has come to believe “the most important […]
Posted inPerspective, sj-web
In faint praise of Maine's September election tradition
If this were about any time before 1960 in our state’s history our election campaign would be almost over! For up until then, Maine elections had been held the second Monday in September. With a year of campaigning already behind us many might wish that this were still the case. The fact that it isn’t […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Voter suppression bill cites 2016 deception at Bates College
A congressional bill that refers to a 2016 effort to keep Bates College students away from the polls would make it a federal crime to willfully spread false information to try to keep people from voting. The penalty included in the bill submitted by U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., for engaging in deceptive acts includes […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Susan Collins backs measure to sanction Russia if it keeps meddling
A bipartisan measure that would require new sanctions against any foreign nation caught meddling in U.S. elections got the backing this week of Maine’s senior senator, Republican Susan Collins. The Defending Elections from Threats by Establishing Redlines bill would require extensive, tough sanctions within 10 days of a declaration by the director of national intelligence […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Federal voter fraud commission documents released
Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap was notified Wednesday that he will receive, within 24 hours, documents related to a presidential commission on voting integrity he served on last year. Dunlap, one of 11 members appointed by the Trump administration, sued the commission last year after he was excluded from information, including state voting data. A federal judge […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Donald Trump faults Obama for U.S. response to Russian hacking
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Saturday tried to blame the Obama administration for not responding aggressively enough to Russian hacking of Democratic targets in the 2016 U.S. election — cyberattacks underpinning the indictment of 12 Russian military intelligence officers. Trump’s first response to special counsel Robert Mueller’s initial charges against Russian government officials […]