Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020
Final Day to Vote, Races to Watch & Election Day Freebies
All the news in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp.com/newsworthy
Story Summaries
All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want to read the latest happenings...
Final Presidential Campaign Stops
Today is officially Election Day. Both President Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden are making their final pitches to voters today. Trump will be visiting his campaign headquarters in Virginia, then hosting family and friends at the White House. Biden is making two campaign stops in Pennsylvania as part of a get-out-the-vote effort. Yesterday, Trump held five rallies in four states: North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Biden went to Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Read More: AP, The Week, NY Times, Reuters, WSJ
Early Voting Totals
Nearly 100 million ballots have already been cast through early and mail-in voting. U.S. Elections Project says so far, Democrats have cast 45% of ballots. Republicans have cast about 30% of ballots. However, Republicans are expected to show up today in person in greater numbers than Democrats. The final polls before the election continued to show Joe Biden ahead in enough swing states to win. However, it’s still anyone’s race.
Read More: CNN, Reuters, Elect Project
How Long Will Vote Counting Take?
Most states will not have enough election results tonight to make a call about a winner. The pandemic is mostly to blame for the influx in early and mail-in voting and those votes can take longer to count. That’s because some states have rules that say mail-in ballots must be counted last. Some state election offices say they’ll likely still be working to confirm all the ballots, even after Thanksgiving. Election results could be taken to court too. President Trump told reporters, “as soon as the election is over, we’re going in with our lawyers.”
Other Races to Watch
There are quite a few House and Senate races the whole nation will be watching closely. In the Senate, there are 35 seats up for grabs. 23 of those currently belong to Republicans. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is one of them. His competitor, Democrat, Amy McGrath, has raised more money than him. However, analysts say it’s unlikely he’ll be voted out of office. In the House, Democrats are expected to expand their majority. GOP strategists say if Republicans can keep Democrats’ gains to single digits, they’d consider that a victory.
Vulnerable U.S. Senate, House Seats: CNBC, CNN, USA Today, NBC News, WSJ
State Legislature Seats at Stake: NY Times, NPR, AP, NBC News
Controversial Ballot Issues
Voters will have to decide upon more than 100 statewide ballot measures around the country. Recreational marijuana is up for consideration in four states: New Jersey, Arizona, Montana, and South Dakota. In Florida, voters are considering whether to raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026. California will consider whether ride-share and food delivery drivers should be treated as employees or stay independent contractors. Colorado voters will decide if abortions should be banned after 22 weeks.
States Considering Cannabis Legislation: CNN, Politico, Newsweek
FL Considering $15 Minimum Wage: WaPo, WSJ, CBS News
More Ballot Issues: NY Times, CBS News, The Hill, Politico
Voter Guides and Sample Ballots: USA.Gov
Find Your Polling Place, Rules: Vote.Org
Hurricane Eta Latest Track
Eta is now a powerful Cat. 4 hurricane. It’s set to make landfall early this morning on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. The storm is packing 150 mile-an-hour winds. It could bring 25 inches of rain to a lot of Nicaragua. The storm surge, flooding, and landslides could be life-threatening. More than 3,000 families who live in low-lying areas evacuated yesterday. The government also shipped in emergency supplies and food for residents and rescue workers staying behind.
Vienna Terror Attack
There is now a manhunt underway for a suspected terrorist in Austria. Police say two gunmen randomly opened fire in Vienna yesterday. Three people were killed. At least 15 others were hurt. One of the attackers also died in a shootout with police. Austria’s interior minister said police found evidence he was an ISIS sympathizer. Law enforcement officers are still searching for the 2nd attacker. So far, no motive has been released. Top officials from the United States, European Union, UK, and more expressed shock and sorrow.
Read More: AP, BBC, Reuters, WSJ, Vienna PD
States Ready the National Guard
Thousands of National Guard members are ready for election duty around the U.S. Some are just being used to help poll workers in 10 states. Others will be used to respond to possible post-election violence, if needed. Just yesterday, Massachusetts and Oregon announced they were bringing in the National Guard in case of civil unrest. Texas already announced 1,000 troops would be on standby there. It’ll be up to the governors of each state to decide when, and if, they’ll need to deploy troops.
Read More: WaPo, NY Times, Military Times
Election Betting Could Break Records
Thousands of people are placing bets on who will win the presidential election. This is happening overseas since the U.S. doesn’t allow election betting here. $1 billion could change hands by the time the election is all said and done. For perspective, that’s double the amount waged during the 2016 election. Betting and gambling companies say most bettors are leaning toward a Trump victory, even though most polls in the U.S. indicate Biden is in the lead.
Read More: USA Today, Fox Business, The Guardian
Election Day Freebies
A bunch of nationwide chains are serving up freebies for Election Day. You don’t even need your “I voted” sticker to claim them. Krispy Kreme is giving away free glazed donuts. Boston Market is handing out free siders after 9 p.m. ET. Planet Fitness is giving away free workouts and massages. If you need a ride to the polls, Uber and Lyft have half-off deals. However, there are exclusions, so don’t forget to read the fine print.
Read More: USA Today, AJC, CNN
Trivia Tuesday
Q: How many U.S. presidents have been elected for a 2nd term?
Play along on today’s Instagram Stories Quiz. We’ll also have the answer right here next week.
Last Week’s Trivia Tuesday Answer
Q: How heavy was the biggest pumpkin ever grown in North America?
A: 2,528 pounds
Read More: Boston Globe, TIME