Today's elections: KY Gov, VA Senate both looking to go Democratic

Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 24, 2011
Messages
12,854
Reaction score
3,057
Location
Not where you last saw me.
<snip>
Beshear = 709,846
Bevin = 704,760
John Hicks = 28,422
Total = 1,443,048
Difference = 5086
Percentage = 0.35%


US Election:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-States-Presidential-Election-Results-1788863
Clinton = 65,844,610
Trump = 62,979,636
Total = 128,824,246
Difference = 2,864,974
Percentage = 2.22%

So, Clinton loses presidential bid by nearly 3 million votes (granted we used the electoral college there, but that's another battle to fight) and the push then was to recount in several states because of a percentage difference of 2.22%. Are we really going to cry foul when Bevin wants a recount when the difference is 0.35%? Hell, if the numbers were switched, I'd ask for a recount if I was Beshear. If Bevin wants to fight to retain the seat, I'd say let him. The numbers aren't going to change that much and the Repubs end up looking even worse for it after all is said and done, which helps Dems in the long run. (Assuming of course the decision doesn't move to the state legislature...) Just my 2¢

Interesting aside...
I also just hafta say that in looking at that map and how red it is versus where the blue vote is: not sure I'd wanna be blue in that state! Of course there are also theories as to media bias and why the colors are drawn the way they are (Red for Republicans and Blue for Democrats) for psychological effect too, but that's also another story. Repubs claim it's psychological warfare, but the media says it's just an alliterative decision (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-republicans-were-blue-and-democrats-were-red-104176297/).

How do you get that "Clinton loses presidential bid by nearly 3 million votes" when she garnered 2.8 million more votes than Trump?

A request for a recount in Kentucky is not the problem, that it will likely go to the state legislature for decision is.
 
Last edited:

Jason

Ideas bounce around in my head
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 26, 2016
Messages
6,011
Reaction score
1,036
Location
Nashville, TN
Last edited:

Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 24, 2011
Messages
12,854
Reaction score
3,057
Location
Not where you last saw me.
I'm not the room mod so I have no preference, though I don't think it's necessary. jmo

But I would suggest changing #48 above to #45 'cause, yanno, reasons. :)
 

Helix

socially distancing
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 31, 2011
Messages
11,698
Reaction score
12,083
Location
Atherton Tablelands
Website
snailseyeview.medium.com
So, Clinton loses presidential bid by nearly 3 million votes (granted we used the electoral college there, but that's another battle to fight) and the push then was to recount in several states because of a percentage difference of 2.22%. Are we really going to cry foul when Bevin wants a recount when the difference is 0.35%? Hell, if the numbers were switched, I'd ask for a recount if I was Beshear. If Bevin wants to fight to retain the seat, I'd say let him. The numbers aren't going to change that much and the Repubs end up looking even worse for it after all is said and done, which helps Dems in the long run. (Assuming of course the decision doesn't move to the state legislature...) Just my 2¢

I'm a bit vague on this, because the intervening three years have been packed with shenanigans and I can't keep up, but weren't the recounts requested by Jill Stein and others, not the Democratic Party? Clinton conceded on the night.

+ the difference of 2.2% was in Clinton's favour.

+ the margins in the disputed state were all less than 1%
 

MaeZe

Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Messages
12,775
Reaction score
6,485
Location
Ralph's side of the island.
A recanvass seems like a preliminary recount or rather a recount of county totals. It may be reasonable to look for math errors and related mistakes.

What is the definition of a recanvass? How is it different from a recount?
What is a recanvass?
A recanvass is essentially a review of the vote totals in each county. County clerks will review the absentee votes and check the printouts to make sure the numbers were correct when they were transmitted to the State Board of Elections.

State law allows for recanvassing only if a county clerk or a county board of elections notices a discrepancy or if a candidate makes a written request to the secretary of state.
There's more specifics about this recanvass on the link.

Another step that a candidate could take is a formal election contest with the state legislature, which must be filed within 30 days of the last action by the state board of elections. The state board is scheduled to certify the results of the race for governor on Nov. 25.

Under this contest, the candidate challenging the results must specify the grounds for the action, such as a violation of campaign finance rules or specific problems when it comes to how ballots were cast.

Such an election contest is covered under Section 90 of the state constitution, which addresses a "contest of election for Governor or Lieutenant Governor."

Section 90 states: "Contested elections for Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall be determined by both Houses of the General Assembly, according to such regulations as may be established by law."
If that allows the GOP governor to make any claim he can get away with and have a GOP legislature overturn the election results, Kentucky needs to change its laws.
 

Jason

Ideas bounce around in my head
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 26, 2016
Messages
6,011
Reaction score
1,036
Location
Nashville, TN
I'm a bit vague on this, because the intervening three years have been packed with shenanigans and I can't keep up, but weren't the recounts requested by Jill Stein and others, not the Democratic Party? Clinton conceded on the night.

+ the difference of 2.2% was in Clinton's favour.

+ the margins in the disputed state were all less than 1%

Yeah, Ari mentioned it upthread - my head got turned around in the write-up. Nothing else to add then, so never mind...(this dog has sufficiently been kicked, tyvm :) )
 

Unimportant

No COVID yet. Still masking.
Staff member
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 8, 2005
Messages
19,533
Reaction score
22,772
Location
Aotearoa
talktidy said:
The electorate has a sound grasp of the principal of the guy who comes in first.
I...am not sure I agree with this.
Also, ahem: principle.

(I shall now go back to marking exams and weeping in despair.)
 

Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 24, 2011
Messages
12,854
Reaction score
3,057
Location
Not where you last saw me.
"Some in Kentucky GOP warn Bevin against election challenge"

GOP state Rep. Jason Nemes agreed the recanvass is appropriate but said an election contest isn’t appropriate without proof of enough fraud to reverse the outcome.

“You have to show, in order to overturn an election, that you have the goods,” he said Thursday on WHAS-AM. “And it doesn’t look like we have them.”

“If the Republicans in the (state) General Assembly tried to undo an election, that’s kind of what we’ve been criticizing the Democrats in Washington of trying to do with this baseless impeachment inquiry,” Comer said.

I'd be surprised if Bevin heeded their very good advice.
 

MaeZe

Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Messages
12,775
Reaction score
6,485
Location
Ralph's side of the island.
It suggests at least some of them still have a sense of rule of law in this country.

Bevin is going through the stages of denial. He thought he would win and now has to change gears and recognize he didn't.
 
Last edited:

frimble3

Heckuva good sport
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 7, 2006
Messages
11,574
Reaction score
6,396
Location
west coast, canada
Who can say, maybe a recount will show that he lost by even more than originally thought. The state GOP might be onto something.
 

Paul Lamb

Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 12, 2019
Messages
550
Reaction score
417
Location
American Midwest
Website
www.paullamb.wordpress.com
Remember when Al Franken won the senate seat in Minnesota and his opponent, the incumbent, did everything he could to delay Franken taking the position? I wish he was still in the Senate now.