ily, menswear guy

powerpoint night with the gaang

everyone in my replies rn like “uhhhhhhm well actually 🤓☝️ toph couldn’t make a powerpoint ☝️ because she’s blind 🤓☝️🤓☝️” first of all, shut the fuck up. second of all, you know nothing

This episode was gold

The upside is that there was an absentee ballot recount in our most populated and very blue county and it pushed us over for a blue Senate win. So yay for that because I was fucking miserable seeing the Republican win there too.

Btw, this is another reason to call your county clerk and make sure that your absentee ballot was counted! Even if we get another Trump presidency, which is very likely, those absentee ballots make a huge difference when it comes to the Senate, the House, governors, and other federal and state officials who can completely change the balance of their governments. My state's electoral votes may be going to Trump and the majority of the elections went red, but we still got a Dem Senator and that win still means a lot.

Reblogging this for the day crowd. Even if you don't think your ballot is enough to help sway the presidential election, there are still so many elections happening that CAN be changed with a recount.

Someone in the tags said that they couldn't find out the race that this was about but hoped it was true so, I'll be a bit stupid.

This post was about the Wisconsin Senate election. It was initially Eric Hovde (R) who was declared the winner and then Milwaukee did an absentee ballot recount and it put Tammy Baldwin (D) just barely over the top. This is a MASSIVE win for Wisconsin, especially with so much of the state being red, and for the rest of the country to have another Dem in the Senate. And it happened because of an absentee ballot recount.

So yeah. There is the tangible proof you need that recounts DO make a difference and are worth demanding, especially in situations where polling places were closed due to threats or a bunch of absentee ballots were conveniently declared ineligible.

Source, for those wondering! it's true!

mitigate!

Y'ALL THE HOUSE IS STILL IN PLAY REMEMBER HOW BIG A DEAL IT WAS TO WIN THE HOUSE IN 2018 IT'S STILL POSSIBLE

Of the seven swing states, five allow ballots to be cured in at least some circumstances:

Arizona: In Arizona, ballots can be tossed out if an election official determines that the signature on the envelope containing the ballot doesn’t match the signature in a voter’s registration record. State law, however, requires election officials to “make reasonable efforts to contact the voter, advise the voter of the inconsistent signature and allow the voter to correct.” The voter has until the fifth business day after the election to correct the signature.

Georgia: In Georgia, a ballot can be rejected for a number of reasons, including if the voter incorrectly writes their driver’s license number when they submit their ballot. If a ballot is rejected, state law says election officials “shall promptly notify the elector of such rejection.” The voter then has three days to cure the ballot, although what they are required to do to cure it varies depending on what caused the ballot to be rejected.

Michigan: In Michigan, ballots can also be rejected due to a signature matching problem. To cure the ballot, the voter must fill out a cure form and return it by 5 pm on the third day after the election.

Nevada: Nevada also can reject ballots because of signature-matching problems. According to state law, if that happens, “the clerk shall contact the voter” and inform them of what they need to do to cure the ballot. The voter then must cure the ballot by 5 pm on the sixth day following the election.

North Carolina: North Carolina ballots can be rejected for a variety of clerical errors. Should that happen, state law says “the county board of elections shall promptly notify the voter of the deficiency and the manner in which the voter may cure the deficiency.”

Source:

Planet's Fucked: What Can You Do To Help? (Long Post)

Since nobody is talking about the existential threat to the climate and the environment a second Trump term/Republican government control will cause, which to me supersedes literally every other issue, I wanted to just say my two cents, and some things you can do to help. I am a conservation biologist, whose field was hit substantially by the first Trump presidency. I study wild bees, birds, and plants.

In case anyone forgot what he did last time, he gagged scientists' ability to talk about climate change, he tried zeroing budgets for agencies like the NOAA, he attempted to gut protections in the Endangered Species Act (mainly by redefining 'take' in a way that would allow corporations to destroy habitat of imperiled species with no ramifications), he tried to do the same for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (the law that offers official protection for native non-game birds), he sought to expand oil and coal extraction from federal protected lands, he shrunk the size of multiple national preserves, HE PULLED US OUT OF THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT, and more.

We are at a crucial tipping point in being able to slow the pace of climate change, where we decide what emissions scenario we will operate at, with existential consequences for both the environment and people. We are also in the middle of the Sixth Mass Extinction, with the rate of species extinctions far surpassing background rates due completely to human actions. What we do now will determine the fate of the environment for hundreds or thousands of years - from our ability to grow key food crops (goodbye corn belt! I hated you anyway but), to the pressure on coastal communities that will face the brunt of sea level rise and intensifying extreme weather events, to desertification, ocean acidification, wildfires, melting permafrost (yay, outbreaks of deadly frozen viruses!), and a breaking down of ecosystems and ecosystem services due to continued habitat loss and species declines, especially insect declines. The fact that the environment is clearly a low priority issue despite the very real existential threat to so many people, is beyond my ability to understand. I do partly blame the public education system for offering no mandatory environmental science curriculum or any at all in most places. What it means is that it will take the support of everyone who does care to make any amount of difference in this steeply uphill battle.

There are not enough environmental scientists to solve these issues, not if public support is not on our side and the majority of the general public is either uninformed or actively hostile towards climate science (or any conservation science).

So what can you, my fellow Americans, do to help mitigate and minimize the inevitable damage that lay ahead?

FINALLY SOMEONE TALKS ABOUT THIS

A 2nd trump presidency will basically be one of the last nails in our coffins, as the US, one of the biggest polluters, is going to be no longer have no qualms over fucking over the entire planet.

I get people's immediate priority isn't this, so they aren't talking about it, it's their rights and livelyhoods, it is totally understandable.

But talking to one of my professors today really showed me that the scientific community really is panicking and the planet is on its knees.

HOWEVER,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, we cannot lose hope, bc climate doomrism is as bad as climate denial

Take this time, while these issues are fresh on our minds, to educate yourself. Get involved. Share news with others. Call out misinformation. Do everything you can, while we still can.

if you voted by mail now is the time to make sure your ballot was accepted

mine looks like this for example:

NEVADA FOLKS KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR PHONES

[Image ID. Post by DTwyman (@ dtwyman.bsky.social). In Nevada, the GOP is succeeding in throwing out the votes of thousands of young people. If you're in Clark or Washoe county, answer your phone tonight. It may be election officials, calling to cure the defect in your mailed-in ballot. Posted November 5, 2024 at 6:23 PM. End ID.

Plain text ID. Nevada folks keep an eye on your phones . End ID.]

if any of you guys voted for trump or stein… unfollow me

did some head studies of great ape babies

The election doesn’t start tomorrow, it ends tomorrow.

If you haven’t already, please make sure you are registered to vote and know where your polling place is (vote.org is a great and easy way to get that information). Additionally, please make sure you have a way to get to your polling place. Uber and Lyft often give free or discounted rides to the polls, and this year the car rental company, Hertz, is allowing free one-day rentals to get to the polls. More information on that here.

EDIT: NAACP has a discount code to use for Lyft, valid for two rides up to $20 ($40 total). Use code: NAACPVOTE24

The following states allow same day registration for general elections, ie: the presidential election:

Note: North Dakota does not require formal voter registration, and upon presenting valid identification at a polling place, eligible citizens receive their ballot to vote.

all info here

The following states are required by law to give you time off to vote (between one and three hours):

*Most states requiring employers to permit voting leave also require that this time is paid. Among the above, the following do not: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Dakota. (info here)

Again, it is your right to vote. If you are in line when the polls close, stay in line. It is your legal right to vote.

If you are turned away at the polls, say the following verbatim: “Give me a provisional ballot with a receipt as required by law.”

If you make a mistake on your ballot, you have the right to ask for a new ballot. Don’t cross anything out, simply ask for a new one.

Poll workers are required to make reasonable accommodations for voters who need, including ballots in other languages or translators.

Canvassing is not allowed at polling places, and no one is allowed to threaten or intimidate voters. You have the right to report anything of the like.

All info taken from here

Some tips:

Don’t wear political merch to the polls.

Don’t engage with anyone about your politics at the polls.

Don’t take phone calls inside your polling place — it can wait, please be respectful.

Research who is running locally and see what their policies are. Additionally, research any local propositions that may be on the ballot. The language on ballots is made to be purposefully confusing, so make sure you read everything carefully in addition to your research.

If you’re able to get up early on Election Day, go right when your polling place opens to beat the line.

REMEMBER: IT IS YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE!

Here are a list of state-by-state voter protection hotlines, as well as hotlines in various other languages:

Please vote tomorrow if you have not already. It’s so important, and choosing not to vote or voting for a third party is a vote for extremist measures. Vote down the ballot, and do not let anyone bully you into voting one certain way.

What we are seeing throughout this election cycle (and the last two election cycles) is entirely abnormal. The bullying we see from a certain side and its supporters is childish and dangerous. They spew false information, make racist remarks, and sexualize and discriminate fellow candidates. No single presidential candidate is completely and wholly good, so criticize accordingly.

Vote with those you love in mind, vote with your safety in mind, and vote for those who will be affected for decades to come. Vote for someone who speaks coherently, not for someone who is, let’s be honest, not cognitively alright — and that is the bare minimum of the issue.

If you have anything to add to this post, please do. If anything is incorrect, please let me know and I will gladly change it.

Vote. Vote. Vote.

Have we done this one yet this year