I applaud all of you who braved eastern weather to vote!! However, I don’t understand why ALL states don’t go to a mail-in voting process. Why not? The historical data proves that you get a better overall turnout of voters compared to states that require you to vote in person. It’s less prone to electronic hacking. You don’t have to figure out time off of work to go to the polls (or worse yet…drag yourself there AFTER work). Employers don’t lose time/productivity assuring their employees they can take time off to vote AND it allows EVERYONE (especially those who are mobility impaired) the time and ease to cast their vote in the comfort of their own home… regardless of the weather! It’s so CONVENIENT and EASY!!! C’mon America…. Make it easy!!!! (Thank you Oregon!!)
I don't care if ice from hell rains down....I will vote! I don't care if an ice storm crosses my path, I will vote! Heavy rain and wind is nothing compared to what the ancestors went through just to get the vote!
If the weather is bad, think about climate change and hurry to vote!
Well, in my neck of the woods, there were thunderstorms around 11 am, and it hasn't been this crowded since Bush v. Gore.
I live in a vote by mail state. You get a paper ballot and fill in the bubbles, so there is a paper trail. You get the ballot a few weeks before the election. They have collection boxes, or you can mail them in. Don’t care about the weather.
I recall a time when the United States sent teams of observers to developing nations, emerging from colonial and military rule, to assist and ensure their election process was fair and truly democratic.
Today, we read that the Trumpublican candidate for governor in the Banana Republic of Georgia has pulled voting machines from districts with a significant African-American voting base, so it takes hours to get to a machine to vote. He has trumped up a phony 'Democrats hacked the election' conspiracy theory to inflame his 'base.'
Elsewhere, Trumpublicans pray for bad weather to keep the opposition away from the ballot boxes.
Perhaps it's time to ask for a U.N. peacekeeping force to oversee our elections. It has come to this.
It's not that difficult to run an election and make it a level playing field. Here in the State of Washington, we vote by mail. We have weeks to consider our choices and mail in ballots before the Election Day deadline. We do not have rampant fraud. We do have a high rate of voter participation - and paper ballots to document the vote if an issue arises. I can even go online and see whether my ballot was logged in and counted after I mail it in.
And why can't this be de rigeur throughout the U.S.? Ask Brian Kemp why. Ask Kris Kobach why. Perish the thought - it wouldn't allow Trumpublicans to put their thumbs on the scale, that's why!
If you can't win on the merits, cheat.
2
Minority voters typically do not turn out in as great a numbers in off year elections. Additionally, bad, rainy weather has been a deterrent to minority voting.
I have an image in my mind of third world voters walking miles and miles to get to a poll, then standing in a never-ending line, in order to cast their cherished vote.
This mental image is commonly desert-like, no rain in sight, but I'm sure they'd relish it.
I guess democracy has more significance when it is not a given.
7
Weather Drama. Look at a weather map radar ... rain moving in and out relatively quickly. Down here in the Deep, mostly overcast.
1
It was chilly and very windy this morning when i voted, and yet i saw young people coming out, and *way* many moms with little kids, babies in strollers, and those babies' grandparents coming along to vote.
Trump voters? I think not!
Remember, *your* vote is the one that counts! Come out and vote!
6
It rained hard and was miserable but I voted and it's a beautiful day
7
Not that the average reader of the NYT needs any encouragement to vote today, but as much as I appreciate the difficulties faced by some of the elderly in inclement weather, for anyone else not on a walker who is cowed by the weather.......... how about you take five and contemplate the soldiers who wintered at Valley Forge in 1777; the heroes who were beaten and slain in the civil rights movement to secure the vote for African Americans;those fighting the Republican led voter suppression efforts throughout this country. Umbrellas, hats and raincoats have been available for 2 centuries at least. GET THEE TO YOUR POLLING STATION PLEASE.
10
@Phil Thomas
And that Ladies and Gentlemen pretty much sums it up. Listen and read Phil's comment. If that doesn't inspire you, nothing will. People shed blood so that we may vote. Got it? Good, now go and cast your ballot.
As I walk around my large corporate HQ, I see I'm the only person wearing my "I voted" sticker. Hard to draw definitive conclusions, but I'm rather stunned that in a building w thousands of other employees, I've yet to see 1 other person displaying their voting badge.
2
I appreciate the observation. On the other hand, I never wore those stickers even though I voted. Always thought it was nobody else’s business.
1
No, it is everybody’s business.
At least the temperatures are not bad today.
That rain on election day deters Democratic voters more than Republican ones highlights the Democratic party's problems with their coalition of semi-engaged demographic groups.
3
R-kons don't need any help suppressing the vote and cheating. They are very experienced doing that---clever alternative to stuffing the ballot box in order to win.
How they hate democracy and their 'fellow' Americans.
We voted 2 weeks ago in Blue Boulder: took ballot to the court house.
3
The best time to carry an umbrella is when it's not raining.
1
One reason bad weather reduces Democratic turnout is most poor voters are dems, and they don't want to stand at the bus stop in the rain. Too bad Über and Lift did not better publicize the free rides they are offering to the polling stations. That would have been a big boost to the turnout of folks who don't own new SUVs.
7
For pity's sake there have been occasions here where Canadians down east have to vote when it is snowing and would be grateful if it was just raindrops.
Many of your friends and neighbours here are hoping for large turnouts and sanity to return to America.
Bonne chance and good luck to America today.
Best, Another British Columbian
8
“Not just whether to vote but how to vote can be influenced by the weather,” said the co-author, Yusaku Horiuchi, a professor of government at Dartmouth. “When the weather is bad, people’s mood is affected. People tend to be more risk-averse. When people become more risk-averse, people are more likely to be more conservative, and therefore they’re likely to vote for the Republicans instead of the Democrats.”
Feels like the author of that study is REALLY reaching for correlation without much causation. People become risk-averse because its raining? Come on...buy an umbrella and go vote for crying out loud.
6
Why is it that the groups most likely to be deterred from voting are those that tend to vote Democratic?
3
I would drive through a tornado, hurricane and flood all at one time to vote in this election.
8
If weather can stop you from voting then you haven't been paying attention to the crisis that this country is facing. Issues like mass shootings, racism/bigotry, worsening natural disasters and worsening income inequality. To effect change you need to voice your view that our current situation is not acceptable by casting your vote because apathy is the same as saying everything is okay.
6
Hasn't slowed anyone down in this neck of the woods! (PA, 6th)
3
Jacksonville here. 86 and sunny.
1
Get out and vote!! If we don't change course soon a little rain on Election Day will be the least of our weather-related problems.
By the way, I hate this narrative. You think that after two years of daily assaults by Trump and Republicans, Democrats are just going to staying home for fear of getting rained on? We have marched in the streets, crowded airports, and donated our time and money to support our candidates. Give me a break.
7
"When people become more risk-averse, people are more likely to be more conservative, and therefore they’re likely to vote for the Republicans instead of the Democrats.”
This theory needs to be shelved. Republicans under Trump have proven to be radical, risk-happy, and devil-take-all. Every day brings a new nightmare. If Republicans like rain it's more likely that it fits their gloomy picture of the world. Vote if it snows meatballs!
11
Buy an umbrella!!!!!
13
@W Saint
That's way too much effort for a Democrat exercising his or her sacred franchise to save the world from Trump and his depredations.
@W Saint Even with an umbrella, standing at the bus stop for 20 minutes or more in the rain isn't fun.
@Lance Its not supposed to be "fun" but it IS something critically, fundamentally important to our way of life as Americans. Its one day. Stand in the rain, snow or wind for 20 minutes and GO VOTE!!!
5
It's a beautiful day here in San Francisco, but regardless, I dropped off my ballot shortly after the polls opened this morning at 7:00 AM. Nothing short of death would have prevented my voting.
19
@Sarah Jahn "Dropped off my ballot"? In other states, the ballot is waiting for you at the polling station or you mail it.
I got to my polling place at about 10:30 this morning and it was packed. It took about 40 minutes to vote. When I left the line had wound around the hallway. The weather is not stopping people from voting in very blue Northern Virginia.
19
"Senator Robert Menendez, openly called the predicted rain 'Republican weather.' "
Republicans know that the ONLY way they can win elections and keep their "minority-majority rule" is to cheat, gerrymander, lie, suppress voters, and hope for things like bad weather, which disproportionately affects the ability of progressive voters to travel to voting locations and stand in long lines, lo a tins and policies which are usually a result of Republican election officials.
If we had fair elections that took place at easily accessed locations over many days, including weekends... if we eliminated the irrelevant electoral college, super delegates, electoral process... if we removed money from politics, repealed the sinister Citizen's United... if we made districts truly representative and ended gerrymandering... if we made voting mandatory and had a true popular vote, then Republicans would NEVER win.
Their policies and politics are broadly unpopular with the majority of Americans -- And they know it.
12
@Humble Beast Only one party has super delegates (look it up). And if both had them, we likely would not have a President Trump.
1
@Humble Beast
' "Senator Robert Menendez, openly called the predicted rain 'Republican weather.' "
Republicans know that the ONLY way they can win elections and keep their "minority-majority rule" is to cheat, gerrymander, lie, suppress voters, and hope for things like bad weather ... '
ah! that is why there is rain, those GOP cheaters, using rain to win. So low.
ps: out with the corrupt representative
@Humble Beast Just to be clear, the article clearly states that it was Bob Hugin, a Republican challenging the Democratic incumbent, Senator Robert Menendez, that
openly called the predicted rain “Republican weather.”
3
Don't let the bad weather stop you from voting. If you know of somebody, such as an elderly person, who will likely stay home because the weather , offer that person a ride.
16
@Anita van Asperdt Über and lift are both offering free rides to polling stations.
5
Come on, now, no weather excuses, just get out and vote.
And this might be a bit tangential to the discussion here, but I'm fairly pessimistic about the Connecticut gubernatorial race between Lamont and "Blow dry Bob" (my tag) Stefanowski.
I'm getting the exact same feeling on the ground here that I got two years ago when Trump shocked the country.
Nationally, it's being reported that a blue wave is imminent, but ironically in reliably blue CT I think we are going to buck that trend in our governors race.
People here have so much animus toward outgoing governor Malloy (almost if not as much as Bush in '08) that it's created a very real headwind for Lamont, who's been painted very effectively as "Malloy 2.0.".
And make no mistake, Lamont is not an inspiring candidate by any means. CT feels like it's going to vote with their pocket books and not to send a message about Trump.
Stefanowski is one of these real slick, faux sincere corporate operators who has the ability to bamboozle, and unfortunately I think a lot of people are falling for it up here.
I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think I am.
I think it is a close race, but Lamont will be helped by Trump backlash. Any other year it might go to Stefanowski. I'm going to my Democratic headquarters this afternoon to continue calling people.
2
@JayK, I voted for Oz, because Lamont is, whether you admit it or not, a continuation of Malloy's policies, while Stephanowski is a bit of a Romney-esque, Dickensian capitalist IMO
@JayK
Even if Stefanowski does 1/4 of the tax decrease he promises, that will be a bonus. In only one generation, CT has gone from no income taxes to the most indebted state per capita. The government unions have gorged on rich contracts that will bankrupt the state within a decade if the contracts are not redrawn. Malloy and the old school Democrats tried to tax their way to prosperity. Result: for each highly paid resident that leaves, a poorer one moves in ($30,000 yearly income differential). If Lamont wins, real estate drops even further, and it is already last in terms of recovery from the recession.
Bad weather is a direct cause for low turnout? Man, have the mighty Americans grown soft...
17
@VK If you drive a new SUV to the polls, rain won't be an issue. If you don't own a car and are faced with standing at the bus stop for 30 minutes in the rain, that's a bit different. Some people just decide "My one vote isn't a deal breaker, so I'll stay home and stay warm and dry."
2
@Lance
And they will be the first to complain about the state of politics. I tend to ignore people who don't vote over something as silly as the weather made them sit it out. Pure laziness.. If they were giving away a new IPhone X you be sure people would stand in line in a tornado for one.
My polling place was jammed in a blue bubble district. The rain meant nothing; not this time.
11
Quiet windy here today. There are lot leaves on the ground than last night. Winds of Change !!
I voted this morning, zero wait.
3
Pray for rain and disdain? Can't remember a time in my middle age life when our nation desperately needed the checks and balances of power in government. Unless you run into Noah's Arc out there, GO AND VOTE!
36
How about we become a more democratic society and hold voting on Saturday— and if it rains, add Sunday hours — and lower the voting age to 16 and give everyone who votes consistently a free passport? Austria allows voting at 16 and even Mexico has weekend voting and Australia requires voting yet the world’s greatest democracy holds voting on a work day and the party in power is holding for a low turnout due to rain . . . Folks, we can do better!
22
Yes, everybody in Europe votes on weekends, and in some countries is mandatory.
3
@Tom Ryan
Gee, in Florida and Tennessee, we have early voting and weekend voting, as they do in Georgia and the Carolinas.
Check the internet for those states that do and don't.
NY, the state where Democrats have virtual control, aren't at all concerned about voter turnout, because they generally win.
Which proves that the Democrat Party is undemocratic, relative to red states.
This election is like no other. The GOP would have the middle class and the poor eat dirt and die after they've hijacked the social net funding to cover the costs of permanent tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy.
The continued risks of an unchecked Trump are far more deadly than an afternoon rain easily remedied with umbrellas, slickers and Wellingtons.
Vote!
16
It's called Republican weather... it suppresses the turn out. Vote for better weather...
3
Sounds like the NYT is hedging already by offering an apology for low voter turnout, if the elections don't go the way it hopes.
7
@Robert
Actually not, Robert. The NYT provides this sort of information regardless of which direction it might point. And let's face it, Robert, these are two well researched sets of facts, given that the Eastern United States is forecast to have worse than usual election weather.
1. Dozens of studies for generations have shown that groups who mainly vote Democratic are more deterred by bad weather than groups who normally vote Republican. For example, in 2016 many who called themselves Christians considered it their religious duty to vote for the bigoted bullying lustful high avatar of the Lord of Lies.
2. The recent study this article cited, that in bad weather those who do make it to the polls become slightly more likely to vote Republican, is intriguing. I looked at it in detail and the methodology is good. It makes sense. Analysts have been noting that the GOP is campaigning on fear and hate. If the weather provides gloom and dread, that sets the tone for voting Republican.
This year more than any I can remember, we really don't know what the outcome will be. WE DON'T KNOW how many early voters have voted in which direction. But it's useful, and interesting, to analyze some of the factors leading up to that outcome.
4
@Robert
Responsible journalists are suject to a professional obligation to be non-partisan in their reporting.
Suppose a reporter has a sound understanding of American history, the normal operations of the three branches of the federal government and the provisions of the U.S. contitution.
The reporter is assigned to write an article on one of President Trump’s pep rally speeches.
When the reporter points out the exaggerations, inaccurate statements and obvious lies included in Trump’s extemporaneous remarks, the reporter is NOT working in the interests of the Democratic party or some “liberal agenda.”
The reporter is doing his/her job! That’s all.
When the president declares that he plans to take some action which, in truth, is outside the powers granted him by the constitution. It is the job of a responsible journalist to bring this matter to the attention of the general public.
There is no journalistic conspiracy here that I can see.
The New York Times reports daily news, related facts and the judgments of non-partisan fact checkers to what is going on.
Robert, the problem you describe is related to Donald Trump’s ignorance of politics, government, diplomacy and constitutional democracy. Not to prejudice on the part of the Times.
3
Did I miss a memo? Voting by mail is so easy, and requires only one "forever" stamp, and the good sense to fold the return envelope correctly (okay, I messed up on the first try...).
If one does not have a mailbox at the end of the driveway, there surely is a mail kiosk nearby. As for rural folk, the mailman comes every day, and will dutifully take your ballot to be counted.
It is a matter of commitment to being a part of decision-making, and not having transportation or having a little or a lot of rain is no excuse for not voting.
5
This is a New York paper. Vote by mail is not an option here... maybe it should be.
6
@Katherine Postage for mail in ballot in FL is way more than one forever stamp so if you only put that on your ballot it won't get counted and will be returned to you by mail. Did you get the email saying your ballot was received from the Bd of Elections if not GO VOTE in person.
1
Did soldiers during numerous conflicts wait for good weather to perform their patriotic mission? A little weather is a sad excuse for not voting.
27
I think that 2016 may have recalibrated a number of the old assumptions about who votes and who doesn’t.
Maybe this time it’s the elderly (not as excited about Trump as he might think) who decide the weather will keep them from heading out to vote.
Maybe young people and minorities (who Ted Cruz correctly said would walk over glass to vote) are the ones who will get out their umbrellas and head for the polls.
Donald Trump’s election turned this country around in circles. Maybe in this case for the better.
6
This is a fight for democracy. Bad weather will not keep those of us who are allowed to vote away.
26
"I hope it rains hard tomorrow".
And you think you are a worthy steward of American democracy? Shame on you, sir!
Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, they prayed for the sun to shine, and for everyone to vote.
33
@Andrew
Why are you blaming this man for commenting on the obvious? Research shows that dems don’t come out as they should in bad weather. You should really be asking yourself why this is. Very interesting question and one which went untouched in this article. Your criticism should be directed to the voter who is too easily deterred by bad weather, not the man who is stating the obvious.
3
@Phillip G
I understand that: it was the “I hope”, with its cynicism, that I found objectionable.
Surely there are more honourable ways of winning elections? Like having better policies? Like being a candidate of trust and integrity? Not “gee, I hope it rains hard tomorrow so the fair weather public don’t hold me to account”.
2
Tomorrows NYTimes headline:
"Rainy Weather Tilts Election To Republicans; Possible Russian Weather Manipulation Tactic."
14
Let’s be clear: The Republican Party doesn’t want people voting, because it disproportionately changes the outcomes of elections in which they have a substantial probability of losing.
The Democratic Party tends to want as many eligible voters to show up as possible, even when it means Democratic candidates wind up losing.
Perhaps this pattern is a sign that the Democratic Party is mentally deficient, or perhaps the Republican Party does actually depend upon bad faith to the extent that they exercise it.
Just picture Paul Ryan doing curls with ‘The Fountainhead’ in one hand, and ‘Atlas Shrugged’ in the other. Bad faith all the way down.
7
@ubique
'Let’s be clear: The Republican Party doesn’t want people voting, '
Yea, that is why they ordered rain to be delivered today, just for that.
1
@ubique
Democrats want people who vote Democrat to show up and vote. It infuriates them that Republicans routinely vote while Democrats don't. They can sometimes get their minions to vote by telling them the Republicans are trying to prevent them from voting, the reason for the false allegations about Republican voter suppression.
It is pure silliness to assert that Democrats are less able to vote than Republicans and speaks to the disdain Democrats have for the electorate.
Democrats lose elections because they are in the minority.
1
Sigh... what has happened to these people understanding that they are not there to do their *own* will... they are supposed to be representatives of the people..
They hope it rains eh? Why because they know that the will of the people they represent is not in agreement with their personal wishes, but they will 'win' if too many people stay home.
Really..... really.... maybe they should take a good, long, hard look about what they think being a public representative means and maybe think about stepping away when it becomes a selfish exercise of imposing their personal wants, needs and likes on a constituency, rather than being the embodiment of that community... It is a really cynical, is it not, to say I hope people stay home, because I like this power and if they don't vote I get to keep it..
12
Ha.
“This election is about who gets the vote out and who doesn’t,” Mr. Hugin said, “and I hope it rains hard tomorrow.” Might this be because he suspects his party is in trouble?
I'll be donning wet-weather gear and heading to my polling place shortly. It's just water. All right, so it's a lot of it at once.
Perhaps V.V.P. hacked North American weather systems for the day. But it's okay; I heard he got Mexico to pay for it.
5
Rain tends to favor Republicans, a more hearty lot, especially now in the age of Trump.
4
@Southern Boy I agree! I want the country to be punished as much as possible for voting for the GOP. We here in NYC...we will be AOK! I love seeing the farmers suffer due to Trumps tariffs, I relish in seeing thousands of people lining up for a free health clinic once a year in Oklahoma because they have no healthcare. It's actually quite laughable.
xoxo,
The 1%
2
@Southern Boy
CSA
Really? In the voting for the United States of America?
Traitors do not get to vote in the USA! America first!
I have been waiting for this day since November 9, 2016. Rain, sleet, snow, hail: nothing will stop me from filling out that ballot.
115
@jordank
Gee, if you lived in a red state, you've have had the opportunity to vote early. My brother and I voted two weeks ago, just in case we died before election day.
2
@jordank
I hope you are an inspiration to others.
Just more water to add to the blue wave.
14
That explains the steam clouds over angry voters lined up today.
4
Floridians, please vote!!
6
@Carol
I drove past 2 polling places on the way to work here in the Rosy Red Panhandle....both really crowded! Also a lot of signs out for the Democratic candidates. Not scientific, I know, but hopeful anyway!
2
How ironic. A cold front could help make it a cold day in Hell before you get to hear the truth about Trump's collusion.
6
The essence of contemporary Republican strategy is suppressing the vote among likely Democratic voters and simultaneously injecting fear into likely Republican voters. Not exactly what ‘greatness’ is made of, but what can you do when your philosophy is repellant to the majority?
7
Republicans prove time and again and again that they fear and oppose American democracy.
Republicans know that they will lose almost all fair and honest elections. That is why Republicans have been conspiring with Republicans to corrupt American elections.
9
In a normal midterm election, it is somewhat understandable to use any excuse not to vote.
But when the stakes are as high as this election -- a strong showing by the GOP would only serve to embolden the wanna-be-dictator-in-chief; I for one fear for the entire planet if they don't get the sound spanking they richly deserve -- it is absolute lunacy for ANYONE to contemplate not voting.
Get out and vote, people!
(Trump cult members can stay at home and watch reruns of The Apprentice and Roseanne.)
4
Umbrellas, people, umbrellas. My father served during WWII so you could whine about not voting because it rainy?
9
This is how democracy in America ends, with some bad weather.
Guess what Voter Suppression Party - it is pouring rain here in NYC and it just took me 2 hours to vote because as the poll workers kept telling us "this is the biggest turnout I have seen in my 20 years of doing this"
The weather will not stop America from putting an end to the hate you and Fox News have brought to our beautiful country
22
@Zenster Thank you!!
7
@Zenster
If it were a lovely day in Atlanta, [where people had early and weekend voting] the NYT would be asserting the Republicans were practicing voter suppression if it took two hours to vote on election day.
Big crowd at my polling place. I think people are uniquely motivated this year.
24
Early voting is the way to go. If elected officials really want people to vote, have this option available at convenient locations throughout the county. Otherwise, make absentee ballots freely accessible to all. This way weather would not be a factor.
11
@Dwight.in.DC "If elected officials really want people to vote" Well, it's clear that a lot of them don't want people to vote. Election Day would be a national holiday or moved to a Sunday (like in Japan) if maximizing voter turnout was the objective.
To New York State residents: Believe it or not, the rate of voter turnout in your state during the 2014 mid-term elections was among the lowest in the country. Only 29.5% of eligible voters in New York State bothered voting 4 years ago. The hardcore red states of Indiana, Texas, Utah, and Tennessee were the only states with lower rates of voter turnout. Data can be seen here: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/2014-midterm-election-turnout-lowest-in-70-years
So please do better in 2018! Pathetic and inexcusable that less than 30% of eligible voters in America's 4th most populous state didn't bother voting in the 2014 elections.
4
So is this article saying that Republicans are more royal to the party and will come out and vote in bad weather and Democrats are not ? In that is true, they rightfully deserve to win and have control our government.
2
@Pumpkin: Republicans don't deserve much at all, particularly don't deserve to have control of our govt. They have it now, and it is a nightmare!
2
@Pumpkin No, it's because Republicans are the party of the rich and have more resources to get there easily. When you can park outside and run in, it's easier than waiting on a bus stop in the rain.
5
Shame on anyone who lets their personal comfort take priority over their civic duty!
18
If a little rain proves too much of an obstacle for people to go and vote, that is really pathetic. And it's really a sad statement that democrats have to be begging fellow democrats to vote! What has happened to us?
19
@Martha Very good question. Maybe the most depressing facts about the years of Barack Obama's presidency were the very low rates of voter turnout in the 2010 and 2014 mid-term elections. The 2010 results enabled Republicans to take control of the re-districting process in dozens of states, since that was a census year. And of course, the 2014 results enabled Republicans to block President Obama's nominee from replacing Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.
7
@Martha I guess you've never been poor enough not to have a car as an adult. But, you must have an imagination, so imagine walking several miles in the rain, or sleet, or snow, to vote, and then several miles back home again. That will give you some idea what the challenge is like for some folks. And, I don't mean this in a mean way. I'm sure it's just something you probably never thought about a lot.
5
@Voter Frog, I am quite aware of what some folks have to go through in order to vote, and how many people without transportation, especially in rural areas, are disenfranchised. And it makes me angry that election boards controlled by republicans are being moved and closed in order to prevent minorities and poor people from voting. FYI, as far as my financial status, as an adult there was a time that I did not have a car and had to walk or rely on public transportation and even hitch hiking, but that is really beside the point, don't you think? Many people that aren't voting don't really have any good excuse, and it's a shame.
Americans may have been affected by bad weather in the past, but now that they've seen Trump's unsatisfactory response to major hurricanes and his continuing denial of climate change, I would say there's a hope for change in the air that favors Democrats.
Vote blue for better weather
26
A Hard Rain Is Gonna Fall—on Republicans
23
As we say in Seattle “There is no bad weather, only bad clothing”. Get out and VOTE!
37
I proudly saw higher than ever amounts of people at my local polling site this morning. the weather wasn't too bad, but I think people will turnout regardless of the rain during one of the most divided times in recent political history.
29
An analysis of why Dems are less likely to vote when weather is bad would be interesting. Is it just less affluent Dems? Same in city, suburbs and rural areas? A less ambitious or less disciplined Demographic?
2
@ehillesum I think it's probably due to higher reliance on public transportation, walking, and getting a ride from friends/family.
1
People shed blood so that we may have the right to vote.
A little water shouldn't stop anyone. Get out there and vote!
115
@L
Good on ya, L! Here's a couple extra recommends for you and us!
4
And there you have it - the spirit of the GOP in a nutshell: “This election is about who gets the vote out and who doesn’t,” Mr. Hugin said, “and I hope it rains hard tomorrow.”
The GOP is not about democracy these days.
67
I'm so sorry that, living across the river, I couldn't vote for Bob Menendez if only to spite covfefean lackey Bob Hugin.
Hugin is generally a disgusting fiend, who poses as an independent-minded politician and honorable Marine against a good Democrat in Menendez, when Hugin is actually the exact opposite of independent from "covfefe", his GOP, and Big Pharma as a CEO of an overpriced cancer drug's maker.
Perhaps it's to make voters confuse him with actual honorable Marine Robert Mueller.
Big Pharma Bob, you're NO Robert Mueller!
12
@Flaco
And if lousy weather afflicted predominantly red parts of the country today, liberals would be grateful. If Hugin were a liberal crowing about low turnout in Missouri, he would represent the height of political acumen.
Except that red state voters get out and vote regardless of whether they have to pull up their collars against the rain. Blue staters, not so much.
3
@Wine Country Dude Not everyone has a car and a driver's license. An awful lot of people rely on their feet and public transportation. That shouldn't make their vote less valid.
5
Democrats argue that requiring people to produce a simple photo ID--required for driver's licenses and many other purposes--or other proof of residence suppresses their voters. It appears that inclement weather depresses their voters.
Democratic voters are very passive. It must arise from their obsession with victimhood. If voting is important, then you darn well do what's necessary to get yourself out and vote.
9
@Wine Country Dude - "It must arise from their obsession with victimhood."
Funny, the Republicans have the biggest most aggrieved victims in Oval Office and newly installed on the SCOTUS - by their own admission.
7
@Wine Country Dude you have no idea what you are talking about - it is pouring rain here in NYC and the reports are the highest voter turnout in 20 years. I just witnessed it myself.
Stick to stepping on grapes.
5
@Zenster Wow - do you think there is a chance Democrats will make substantial inroads in NYC races?
2
Bad weather? Rain? Do the people that stay home when it rains melt when they get wet?
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@susan
Or use canes, crutches, wheelchairs? I have mobility issues and did plan ahead by requesting an absentee ballot, but it was easy with a computer and a printer. Many people in my neighborhood will need help getting to the polling station. Many are rightfully worried about slippery pavements. It's pouring here, Susan. You try managing a cane and an umbrella at the same time.
3
At least Hugin loudly proclaimed the perfidy of Republicans. (As if we didn't already know this about Republicans.)
Go vote and vote for Democrats only.
Our lives and our nation's continued existence depend on it.
30
Republicans will hold both Houses of Congress today. Take it to the bank.
3
@Richard The Cyprus Bank, Richard?
5
I was at the polls at 6AM this morning to volunteer as a greeter for a candidate. I was glad to see that the town hall parking lot was full, and that there was already a line out the door. It's been raining off and on all morning, and so far, turnout is strong, especially among women. People here seem very fired up to vote!
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“At a rally in Toms River, N.J., on Monday, Bob Hugin, a Republican challenging the Democratic incumbent, Senator Robert Menendez, openly called the predicted rain “Republican weather.”
“This election is about who gets the vote out and who doesn’t,” Mr. Hugin said, “and I hope it rains hard tomorrow.”
———
There you have it , American citizens, yet another Russian-Republican who can’t stand voter turnout and democracy cheering for voter suppression via the weather.
Republican politicians don’t have an American bone in their collective bodies.
D for democracy; R for a rigged vote.
VOTE in historic numbers.
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@Socrates
Probably need a full investigation into whether Russia caused this rain I guess huh? Maybe a Special Counsel to find out what methods they used to control the weather this way? Wait about 9 hours and you will start to call for it.
4
Sad that bad weather cooperates with Mr. Hugin. I voted to keep the ball of American Democracy going. I feel patriotic, walking in the autumn rain. My individual vote, adding to my fellow citizens ‘votes, does make a difference in “perfecting” my country’s power structure. May we all live in peace in the USA and on our home planet Earth.
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@Socrates
'voter suppression via the weather.'
oh my, I did not k ow we had the technology to make it rain on command.
Liberal logic, 'it's raining = GOP voter suppression via the weather.'
1
What does it say about a candidate like Hugin who thinks his best shot to win is suppressing voter turnout?
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@Bluntsage52
So now rain is suppressive? Seriously? No excuses VOTE regardless of the weather.
5
@Bluntsage It says if Americans don't want to get wet, then don't complain when they lose healthcare.
3
@Bluntsage52 Hugin said, in effect, bad weather favors Republican candidates. According to one study, rain favors Republicans candidates by 1% for each inch of rain. If you believe this study, Hugin is correct. But, Hugin is too far behind in pre-election polls to win according to this formula.
I voted two weeks ago by mail in the comfort of my kitchen. It cost me the price of a stamp and I was allowed as much time as I needed - as a sat sipping my coffee - to review the candidates and local initiatives being presented.
Why is not vote for mail the norm?
It's safer, faster, cheaper, and turns out more votes - not sliding on ice to get to the polling booth or missing it due to unexpected schedule conflicts.
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@ZigZag
"and turns out more votes..."
No Republican will ever vote for vote-by-mail for precisely this reason.
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@ZigZag
...and why not change election day to cover Saturday and/or Sunday so people won't have to hassle with missing work?
14
@Dave T.
Far be it from Republicans to suggest that there might be a minor inconvenience--affecting both sides equally--in requiring physical presence in a voting center close to the claimed place of residence.
It worked for more than a century, but that was then, and this is now. Hey, back then, a person who declined that minimal exertion was considered to have relinquished his vote. What a barbarity!
Minor inconvenience, as we know, disproportionately depresses Democrats seeking to exercise their all-important right to vote.
I vote in Ridgewood Queens--an immigrant neighborhood (Eastern Europe/Southern Americas).
Low to non-existent turnout this morning at 7:15am. No line. Maybe 4 people voting. 12 poll workers or so (all very gracious). Not what I wanted to see although I recognize this isn't a swing district.
2
Staying home because of the weather this year might just be the biggest mistake of your life. Get out there and vote because the future of the U.S. depends on it. The rest of the world hopes that you'll vote too because we are all in one big boat together whether or not we care to admit it.
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Unbelievable!
If voters are too lazy to go out in the rain to vote, they need to give up their right to complain.
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@JM Or for healthcare coverage. if the R's keep the House Mcconnell says he will hold another vote on getting rid of the ACA.
4
When calling voters, Democrats must ask if a ride to the polls is needed! Democrats MUST get the word out that rides to the polls are available.
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@Tom - "rides to the polls are available."
Unless you are a Republican Jefferson County (named after a traitor) in Georgia official caught up in a petty bureaucratic power play to stop a bus of elderly people from reaching the polls.
3