copperbadge:

sleepyheathen:

xkcds:

There were actually some good reasons for those laws, but IMO they now do more harm than good. Which raises a question: If there’s a ballot measure to strike them down, how can I resist the urge to take a picture of my “yes” vote?

Ballot Selfies [Explained]

From Wikipedia:

Most state laws making it a crime to photograph marked ballots were enacted as reform efforts in the early 20th century, as part of a broader campaign that saw the introduction of the secret ballot and the enactment of “other laws intended to prevent voter corruption and intimidation.”[19] Many such laws remain in force even though “the outright buying of votes has receded as a significant issue.”[19]

Jurisdictions that currently prohibit ballot selfies are

  • Alabama 
  • Alaska
  • Colorado 
  • Florida
  • Georgia 
  • Illinois
  • Kansas
  • Massachusetts 
  • Michigan
  • Mississippi 
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico 
  • New York
  • North Carolina 
  • South Carolina 
  • South Dakota
  • Wisconsin 

Illinois’s laws are the strictest of all. While most states with anti-ballot selfie laws make the offense a misdemeanor punishable by a fine, in Illinois, taking a ballot selfie is a felony punishable by 1–3 years in prison.[25][26]

Jurisdictions that currently allow ballot selfies or do not enforce laws against them are

  • Connecticut
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Indiana
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Minnesota
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • New Hampshire
  • North Dakota
  • Oregon
  • Rhode Island
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
  • the District of Columbia.

[25][26]

Jurisdictions where the law is currently unclear are

  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Delaware
  • Iowa
  • Maryland
  • Missouri
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Pennsylvania
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • West Virginia.

[25][26]

Well, today I learned a thing….

kawuli:

seldnei:

Okay, look, I know it seems kinda scary because Election Day IS ALMOST HERE and EARLY VOTING HAS STARTED, and now we get all the analysis of early voters and all that razzmatazz. Here are my thoughts so far:

1. Fuck the media. Like, seriously, I read WaPo and the Times and I like my mainstream news, but, still, fuck them. They’re after clicks and readers just like the rest of the internet. Ignore the news; go vote.

2. Ya know, they talked about early voting being in favor of the Democrats in 2016, and look how well that worked out. Seriously, fuck that. Just vote.

3. The GOP only has a 1 in 7 chance of taking the House? Yeah, Trump had a 1 in 4 chance of winning the presidency and he managed that shit, so don’t get complacent, go vote.

4. The Dems only have a 1 in 7 chance of taking the Senate? Yeah, Trump had a 1 in 4 chance of winning the presidency and he managed that shit, so don’t lose hope, go vote.

FUCK THE POLLS, FUCK THE MEDIA. JUST GO FUCKING VOTE.

Seriously, unless you are some kind of political operative, polls and early voting stats and all that shit? Is not something you need to care about. Vote. Get your friends and family to vote. And ignore the nonsense.

reverseracism:

NOVEMBER 6th (Midterm Election) IS FAST APPROACHING!

*this is a gentle reminder from moderator susie over at @reverseracism to register to vote and/or check your voter registration status*

Click RIGHT HERE to find out what you will need to bring along with you when you go to vote in person on November 6th, 2018. Every State differs in voting procedures and it would be a terrible shame to travel all the way to your voting poll only to be turned away for something obscure.

Last days you can register to vote for the 2018 midterms in all 50 states:

overherewiththequeers:

bylillian:

janes-gang:

Alabama: OCT.22rd

Alaska: OCT. 7th

Arizona: OCT. 9th

Arkansas: OCT. 9th

California: OCT. 22rd

Colorado: Election day.

Connecticut: OCT. 30th

Delaware: OCT. 13th 

D.C: OCT. 16th

Florida: OCT. 9th

Georgia: OCT. 9th

Hawaii: OCT. 9th

Idaho: OCT. 12th

Illinois: OCT. 9th

Indiana: OCT. 9th

Iowa: OCT. 27th

Kansas: OCT. 16th

Kentucky: OCT. 9th

Louisiana: NOV. 17th

Maine: OCT. 16th

Maryland: OCT. 16th

Massachusetts: OCT. 17th

Michigan: OCT. 9th

Minnesota: OCT. 16th

Mississippi: OCT. 9th

Missouri: OCT. 10th

Montana: OCT. 9th

Nebraska: OCT. 19th

Nevada: OCT. 9th

New Hampshire: NOV. 6th

New Jersey: OCT. 16th

New Mexico: OCT. 9th

New York: OCT. 12th

North Carolina: OCT. 12th

North Dakota: Election Day.

Ohio: OCT. 9th

Oklahoma: OCT. 12th

Oregon: OCT. 16th

Pennsylvania: OCT. 9th

Rhode Island: OCT. 7th

South Carolina: OCT. 9th

South Dakota: OCT. 22rd

Tennessee: OCT. 9th

Texas: OCT. 9th

Utah: OCT. 7th

Vermont: Election Day.

Virginia: OCT. 15th

Washington: OCT. 8th

West Virginia: OCT. 16th

Wisconsin: OCT. 17th

Wyoming: OCT. 22rd 

Please register online if you aren’t already. Check your registration and your friends. Lots of people don’t have much time left to register! Don’t wait until the last minute! 

Register to vote ONLINE NOW!

Memes are all very good, but to get the assholes out, you have to VOTE.

Anyone who follows me is just gonna have to get used to seeing this a lot until election day. 

Last days you can register to vote for the 2018 midterms in all 50 states:

bylillian:

janes-gang:

Alabama: OCT.22rd

Alaska: OCT. 7th

Arizona: OCT. 9th

Arkansas: OCT. 9th

California: OCT. 22rd

Colorado: Election day.

Connecticut: OCT. 30th

Delaware: OCT. 13th 

D.C: OCT. 16th

Florida: OCT. 9th

Georgia: OCT. 9th

Hawaii: OCT. 9th

Idaho: OCT. 12th

Illinois: OCT. 9th

Indiana: OCT. 9th

Iowa: OCT. 27th

Kansas: OCT. 16th

Kentucky: OCT. 9th

Louisiana: NOV. 17th

Maine: OCT. 16th

Maryland: OCT. 16th

Massachusetts: OCT. 17th

Michigan: OCT. 9th

Minnesota: OCT. 16th

Mississippi: OCT. 9th

Missouri: OCT. 10th

Montana: OCT. 9th

Nebraska: OCT. 19th

Nevada: OCT. 9th

New Hampshire: NOV. 6th

New Jersey: OCT. 16th

New Mexico: OCT. 9th

New York: OCT. 12th

North Carolina: OCT. 12th

North Dakota: Election Day.

Ohio: OCT. 9th

Oklahoma: OCT. 12th

Oregon: OCT. 16th

Pennsylvania: OCT. 9th

Rhode Island: OCT. 7th

South Carolina: OCT. 9th

South Dakota: OCT. 22rd

Tennessee: OCT. 9th

Texas: OCT. 9th

Utah: OCT. 7th

Vermont: Election Day.

Virginia: OCT. 15th

Washington: OCT. 8th

West Virginia: OCT. 16th

Wisconsin: OCT. 17th

Wyoming: OCT. 22rd 

Please register online if you aren’t already. Check your registration and your friends. Lots of people don’t have much time left to register! Don’t wait until the last minute! 

Register to vote ONLINE NOW!

Memes are all very good, but to get the assholes out, you have to VOTE.

dendritic-trees:

lotus0kid:

thunderboltsortofapenny:

cheskamouse:

pervocracy:

HEY!  US Citizens over 18!

The upcoming midterm elections are poised to be incredibly important for the future of our country.  You need to vote in them–the primaries and the general.

Are you registered to vote?  If you think you are, take a moment to check your registration well ahead of voting day.  Make sure you know your voting dates, polling place, how to get an absentee ballot if you need one, and any ID requirements.

If you aren’t, register right now!  Many states require registration before a deadline some time in advance of voting day, so don’t wait.

(Vote.org is reputable, but if you don’t want to use them, just Google “[state] voter registration” for information.)

And I don’t want to get too partisan on this post, but… if you have any reservations about voting for a “lesser evil,” get over them now.  Our voting system requires strategic voting, and that sucks, but since it’s true, vote strategically!  Vote your heart in the primaries, but in the general, vote for the lesser evil.  It’s a hell of a lot better than sitting on the sidelines patting yourself on the back for purity while the greater evil wins.

California! Voter registration deadline for the primaries is MAY 21ST 2018. Get registered!

The GOP is 100% depending on young people and minorities not showing up.  Don’t let the crusty bigots of the last generation continue to destroy this country for another term.

I try not to badger people about American politics, because I’m not American and after a point it just gets frustrating for everyone involved.

But please vote American friends.

I know it probably feels like voting isn’t really enough, but you can vote and then do other stuff.

mswyrr:

“I hate ‘we’re fucked.’ I mean, I don’t want to shame anyone who has said it, thought it, or posted it. I have too. But as a philosophy, as a statement of belief, I hate it. Because it means you’ve given up. We are absolutely NOT fucked. Things are so bad. This country has taken a turn that I could never have predicted. It is absolutely fascist, nativist, and extremist. It’s every bit as scary as it seems. But we are not fucked. I read a long-form article on the Russia hacks in the New Yorker not long ago. However much you think that influenced the outcome, it was an instructive piece of journalism. There is very little indication that there was a specific political agenda that was being wished for. The goal was simple: Sow chaos and undermine the faith of Westerners in their own institutions. This is really important to think about right now. I have a high regard for Mueller and I think his investigation will
have some influence. But don’t wait on him to save us. He can’t. And
don’t wait on impeachment. I would support it fervently, but it is
nothing to bank on. And especially don’t assume Trump can’t win again. He absolutely can. Our best bet – better, even, than all of our protests and actions – is actually voting. It’s so square. It’s so old-fashioned. Many of us involved with the hard-left or anarchist scene have been trained to disregard it. Fucking don’t. NOT NOW, guys. It is the best tool at our disposal. Yeah, you can say that they will
sabotage it, reject it, whatever. “Sufficient to the day is the evil
thereof.” In other words, don’t create troubles before they exist.
Anything seems possible to me right now, but it remains the case –
despite hacked voting machines and gerrymandering – that there is no known mechanism by which our government can deny massive voter turnout. Take back the House in November. Then take back the Presidency in 2020. The worst thing we could do is pretend that these are givens. I never,
ever, ever thought that this piece of shit could sit in the Oval Office.
I was so humbled by my error. Therefore I assume he could take it again- I know he could – unless we accept the threat as real. When we say, “We’re fucked,” we roll over. We defeat ourselves. We do their job for them. Don’t do that. We are NOT fucked. We are in a fight. It sucks. It’s hard. People are suffering. The earth is suffering. It will get worse. You know, since everyone loves the Nazi comparisons,
there were people during the HEYDAY of the Third Reich who NEVER said, ‘We’re fucked.’ They said, ‘We’re in a fight.’ And you know what’s interesting? Nazi Germany went from the worst regime in the world to a liberal democracy within a lifetime. Look at Japan. Take the historical view. Stop pretending that the worst of what’s happening now is what is going to always happen. This is what is happening RIGHT NOW. That’s all you know. If you think it’s going to be this way forever, read a book. Countries slide into fascism for long periods. It happens. Countries also have short-term extremist right-wing governments. Happens in Europe all the time. They get voted out. The threat remains. The threat of fascism will remain in America in a way it never has before. It’s a real movement. But we’re not fucked. Not even close. We can get off the ropes in the mid-terms and knock them out in 2020. But only if we stop saying that we’re fucked, and start seeing this as a fight. I’m no Pollyanna. Things are so unutterably bad that I walk around in a constant state of nausea and horror. But you have to take the historical view, and you can’t lie down and say we’re doomed, or else they have beaten you. Again, I don’t want to shame anyone who says, ‘We’re fucked’ as an emotional reaction. I get it, I really do. But if you say that as a historical reality, then you SHOULD be ashamed. We are so far from being fucked. It’s time for that warrior spirit, from everyone. Our best bet, actually our only realistic bet, is to mobilize the vote. There has always been a silver lining to this situation. I have always hesitated to state it, for fear of sounding like I am not taking the horror seriously. Fuck that; I do. But there has always been the possibility, there remains the possibility, that this is a time when our country faces up to its worst reflection, sees it truly, and breaks the fucking mirror. A time when the last bastion of white power and male supremacy and oligarchy attempts to enact fascism, but the antibodies of the American system and American multi-culturalism kick in to reject it. Where do you want to stand in that equation? As someone who rolled over because we’ve have had two awful years of shit that much of the world has already experienced many, many, many times over, so you decided that we’re finished and done for? Come on. Look at Europe, look at Africa, look at Asia. Back and forth with this shit, and much worse. I have your back. Get up. Here’s my hand. Let’s fight. It can’t become hip to give up. It can’t become hip to say we are fucked. Look at history. People have been so much more fucked than us, and won. If you truly believe we are finished, I’m sorry, but you were the first to fall. Stick a fork in you, turn you over, you’re done. I don’t want to see you do that, if only for the selfish reason that we need you. Do all the protests, do all the direct action, make all the phone calls, then mobilize in October and November. That’s when we can get off the ropes and start punching again. Take the long view, my sisters and brothers. Don’t let them take you out of the fight. And if you need me for anything, I am here.”

— allegedly by Will Stenberg, i found it here
(via queenofattolia)