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As election skepticism becomes hyper-local, state officials scramble for answers

(CNN). A former college professor and his spouse compiled a list of alleged election “vulnerabilities,” which was distributed to county officials in rural New Mexico. They included “Digital manipulation” of voter rolls. Voting machines that weren’t properly certified. “Ink anomalies” were found on ballots. David Clements stated that conspiracy to violate the election code carries liability to him. He then added, “Unless you do something.” They refused to certify the primary results of June 7, prompting a high-profile dispute between the all-Republican Commission and Maggie Toulouse Oliver, New Mexico’s Democratic Secretary. Two commissioners eventually gave in to the state Supreme Court’s order. This showdown is a good example of how election skepticism became hyperlocal in the past 20 months, and former President Donald Trump’s first attempts to promote the false claim of widespread fraud contributing to his defeat. As those who believe in election skepticism push their theories into obscure corners of American democracy and the state election officials are now trying to address these new challenges, These individuals warn that if they are not allowed to carry out the usual ceremonial functions of election certification, it could cause chaos in future elections. Read More “It’s in weeds that it is happening,” stated Jena Griswold (a Democrat), Colorado Secretary of State. It’s one of many indicators that democracy is at code Red. The extraordinary efforts of Trump and his allies in overturning the last presidential election have been exposed by public hearings by the House Select Committee investigating the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. These included moves to derail the process of voting certification in key states, to the unsuccessful attempt by the former President to have the Department of Homeland Security or any other federal agency seize voting machines. Griswold stated that even if a few counties refuse to certify results, it could set the groundwork for a future president talking to DHS about seizing voting equipment. All federal officials, election experts, and top federal figures, including the then-Attorney general William Barr, have stated that there was no evidence of widespread fraud which would have overturned President Joe Biden’s victory in 2020. New laws, contingency plans Colorado lawmakers recently passed a new law to protect against insider threats to electoral operations. It gives Griswold, or her designee, the power to certify election outcomes if a local canvassing committee refuses to sign off without a valid reason. According to Alex Curtas (a spokesperson for Oliver), state officials in New Mexico had to devise an ad-hoc plan. This included asking the state’s highest court to designate an alternative canvassing board to certify Otero results if the county commissioners refused to sign off on the court order. Curtas said election officials also are planning to ask the Democratic-controlled legislature to add language to state law, clarifying “what these county canvass boards are there to do” when lawmakers convene next year. The secretary of state’s office in Nevada is working on new regulations for hand-counting ballots. This comes after two rural counties in Nevada indicated that they would abandon ballot-tabulating machines. ReplayMore Videos…MUST WATCHCNN Report: 2020 election still the major motivator for many GOP votes 04:00Cross country crusade Clements is a former prosecutor. He claims he was fired in 2021 from his University of New Mexico teaching job for not complying to Covid-19 mandates. He has traveled across the country promoting his claims to the more 111,000 Telegram subscribers. His wife Erin Clements is also overseeing an Otero County election audit, which was authorized by the county commission. According to Commissioner Couy Griffin who claimed he brought the couple to his attention after Erin Clements offered him a job, their work is not paid. Crowd-funding site, which claims it was set up to support Clements after his firing by the University of the New Mexico, has raised more that $304,000. David Clements, who called CNN a propaganda network, refused to answer questions. He also declined to record an exchange with a reporter and post it online. Clements spoke with Jim Marchant, the Republican nominee for Nevada secretary-of-state, about the benefits of the county level approach. Clements stated that he had developed what we call the county commissioner strategy because of the inability to overcome bottlenecks. Marchant, who said he wouldn’t have certified Biden’s victory in Nevada 2020, successfully lobbied county officials in Nye County Nevada — a rural, north-of Las Vegas county — to vote to end the use ballot tabulators and return to hand-counting over the objections of the county’s long-serving Clerk Sandra “Sam” Merlino. Merlino has stated that she is retiring early due to the dispute. Friday is her last day. Marchant told Clements, “Just go to your county commissioners to let them know about the vulnerabilities of these machines.” The Otero commissioners in New Mexico have taken a similar stance and passed resolutions to cease the use of ballot drop boxes and voting machines. However, these actions were largely symbolic. For example, state law requires at least two drop boxes per County. Griffin, co-founder of Cowboys for Trump has been a key figure in the campaign to challenge New Mexico’s election processes. He was the only commissioner to vote to defy a court order to certify primary results. Griffin, a former rodeo cowboy from Disneyland Paris, was convicted earlier in the year of trespassing at the US Capitol grounds during January 6’s attack on the building. He was sentenced to 14 days in June with time served, fined $3,000, and given one-year supervised release with the condition that he does 60 hours of community service. Griffin stated in a CNN interview that he wanted to use the county’s certification power to demand greater transparency in voting systems. He also requested that a “forensics expert” be appointed to inspect Dominion Voting System machines. He said that he wasn’t going to say that China stole our election, but that it was concerning that he had to deal with technology and computers in a world run by hackers. Griffin stated that he encourages similar action in other countries, despite the setbacks at home. He said, “That’s our power at the local level.” Dominion Voting Systems has brought multiple lawsuits against individuals who they claim have spread conspiracy theories about the vulnerability of their voting machines. Kay Stimson, vice-president of government affairs at Dominion Voting Systems, said that the actions of counties like Otero are an example of how damaging lies have been to the company and our democracy. “I’m being attacked” The Otero County saga has also taken its toll on Robyn Holmes, the elected clerk. She said that she is frustrated by the constant hunt for fraud in elections she claims have been smooth. (Biden won New Mexico in 2020 but Trump took Otero by more than 25 percent. Holmes, a Republican who worked in Otero elections for almost 15 years, said that she feels like she is being attacked, especially by Commissioner Griffin. “In all the years I have been clerk, I have never had a commission question anything about our elections.” Holmes will be leaving office at the end 2024 with a term limit. She said, “I wish my term was over at the end of the year.” “This last year has been very frustrating.” Griffin’s term ends this year and he is not running for reelection. He survived a recall attempt in 2021, and is now trying to defend a lawsuit filed by a liberal-leaning watchdog organization that claims he should be removed and banned from running in future elections under a constitutional ban on insurrectionists being in office. Griffin stated that he is unlikely to run for elective office again. He said that he hopes for a Trump nomination to a federal job, possibly in forest management, if the former President runs again in 2024.

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‘One Nation, One Solution’, Get Rid of BJP Misrule in 2024: Kharge on Simultaneous Polls Panel

In his post, Kharge said, “This gimmick of forming a committee on ‘One Nation, One Election’ is a subterfuge for dismantling the Federal Structure of India.” “Drastic actions like ‘One Nation, One Election’ would sabotage our Democracy, Constitution and evolved-time-tested procedures. What can be accomplished by simple electoral reforms would prove to be a disaster, like other disruptive ideas of PM Modi,” he said

 

Amid the government’s push for simultaneous elections in the country, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said the people of India have “one nation, one solution” for 2024 and that is to get rid of the BJP’s “misrule”.

In a post on X, Kharge termed the high-level committee constituted by the Centre to examine the feasibility of ‘One Nation, One Election’ a “gimmick” and alleged the Modi government wants to slowly replace democracy in India with dictatorship.

The government on Saturday notified an eight-member high-level committee, which will be headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind, to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats.

Hours later, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the lone opposition leader in the panel, wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah declining to be a part of the committee, saying its “terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions”.

In his post, Kharge said, “This gimmick of forming a committee on ‘One Nation, One Election’ is a subterfuge for dismantling the Federal Structure of India.” “Drastic actions like ‘One Nation, One Election’ would sabotage our Democracy, Constitution and evolved-time-tested procedures. What can be accomplished by simple electoral reforms would prove to be a disaster, like other disruptive ideas of PM Modi,” he said.

Till 1967, the Congress president said, neither did India have so many states nor did it have 30.45 lakh elected representatives in panchayats.

Noting that India is the world’s largest democracy, Kharge said, “We have lakhs of elected representatives, and their future cannot be determined in one go, now.” “For 2024, people of India only have ‘ONE NATION, ONE SOLUTION’ – To get rid of BJP misrule,” he said.

Kharge said at least five amendments to the Constitution and a massive change in the Representation of the People Act, 1951 would be required to hold simultaneous elections in the country.

The constitutional amendments shall be required to truncate the terms of the elected Lok Sabha and state assemblies, as also at the level of local bodies so that they can be synchronised, he said.

“Essential questions:- Without undermining the wisdom of any individual, is the proposed committee best suited to deliberate and decide on perhaps the most drastic disruption in Indian electoral process? “Should this huge exercise unilaterally be undertaken without consulting the political parties at the National level and at the State level,” asked Kharge, who is also the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha.

He further asked if this exercise should take place without bringing the states and their elected governments on board.

“This idea has been extensively rejected by three Committees in the past. It remains to be seen whether the Fourth one has been constituted with a pre-decided outcome in mind,” he said.

He also expressed surprise that the committee does not include a representative of the Election Commission (EC).

Kharge claimed the EC incurred an expenditure of around Rs 5,500 crore on elections between 2014-19 (including the 2019 Lok Sabha polls) and it is only a fraction of the government’s expenditure budget. This makes the cost-saving logic “penny wise, pound foolish”, he said.

“Similarly, if the Model Code of Conduct is a problem, it can be changed either by shortening the length of the moratorium or by relaxing the kinds of developmental activities permitted during the election season. All political parties can reach a wider consensus in this regard,” he said.

“The BJP has a habit of overthrowing elected governments by disregarding the mandate of the people, which has added considerably to the total number of 436 by-elections since 2014 for parliamentary and assembly constituencies alone,” the Congress president said.

“This inherent greed for power in the BJP has already vitiated our politics and has rendered the anti-defection law toothless,” Kharge said.

Besides, Congress’ Chowdhury, the government named Home Minister Amit Shah, former leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission chairman N K Singh, former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash C Kashyap, senior advocate Harish Salve and former chief vigilance commissioner Sanjay Kothari as members of the high-level committee.

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will attend the meetings of the committee as a special invitee, while Law Secretary Niten Chandra will be the secretary to the panel.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI) 

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‘Squad’ Dem faces backlash for smearing Israel as ‘racist state’: ‘Truly disgusting’

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., was blasted on social media Saturday after she told a protester that Israel is a “racist state” and called for a two-state solution.

 

A member of the “Squad” of far-left House Democrats received backlash over the weekend on social media after she accused Israel of being a “racist state.”

The condemnation of Israel from Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who heads the Congressional Progressive Caucus, came in response to outbursts from pro-Palestinian protesters who interrupted a panel she spoke on.

“As somebody who’s been in the streets and participated in a lot of demonstrations, I want you to know that we have been fighting to make it clear that Israel is a racist state, that the Palestinian people deserve self-determination and autonomy, that the dream of a two-state solution is slipping away from us, that it does not even feel possible,” Jayapal said at the far-left Netroots Nation Conference in Chicago.

“It is people that are literally trying to make sure that we do not take the positions we take, that the rest of the progressive caucus has been pushing and pushing,” she added.

 

HOUSE DEM JAYAPAL GRILLS FBI’S WRAY ON COLLECTING AMERICANS’ DATA, WARNS OF ‘DIFFICULT’ FISA REAUTHORIZATION

The video of the exchange quickly went viral, with a wide variety of criticism toward Jayapal.

“A disgraceful statement that’s particularly tone deaf when thousands of Israelis are in the streets protesting to protect their democracy,” Jason Brodsky, the policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, tweeted. “#Israel’s previous government included Ra’am in the coalition. That’s not what a racist state does.”

“You can never be extreme enough for these people,” Miranda Devine, a New York Post columnist and Fox News contributor, tweeted.

“[Rep. Jayapal], you are despicable,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., tweeted. “This is truly disgusting, especially coming from a member of Congress.”

Several members of the “Squad” have announced they will boycott Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s address to Congress this week. Jayapal has repeatedly called for a two-state solution in the region.

“There is no way in hell I am attending the joint session address from a President whose country has banned me and denied [U.S. Rep. from Michigan] Rashida Tlaib the ability to see her grandma,” Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said in a series of tweets. She also said the U.S. government should not have invited him to speak in the first place.

“Pramila Jayapal is on stage, slandering Israel, and by extension the Jewish people’s right to freedom and self-determination as ‘racist.’ This is anti-Semitism,” tweeted Caroline Glick, a senior contributing editor at the Jewish News Syndicate.

REP JAYAPAL CLASHES WITH CNN HOST OVER AMERICANS SUPPORTING SPENDING CUTS AS PART OF DEBT LIMIT DEAL

 

“Calling the only nation state of the Jews ‘racists’ when offers all its citizens, including Arabs & Muslims equality rights, is something I would expect to hear from the Ayatollahs in Iran or members of the mullah regime “parliament”, NOT a member of Congress! FOR SHAME JAYAPAL!” Karmel Melamed, a journalist, tweeted.

ILHAN OMAR SAYS ‘NO WAY IN HELL’ SHE’S ATTENDING ISRAELI PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS NEXT WEEK

 

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Jayapal released a long statement on Twitter and on her office’s website Sunday afternoon in an attempt to clarify her comments on Israel, saying she does not “believe the idea of Israel as a nation is racist.” However, she accused the “extreme right-wing government” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of pushing “outright racist policies.”

“I have always worked toward a two-state solution that allows both Israelis and Palestinians to live freely, safely, and with self-determination alongside each other and that is still what I am absolutely committed to,” Jayapal said. “I also know that the many policies of the current Israeli government, including rampant settlement expansion, make it extremely difficult for Palestinians who simply want the same rights as their Israeli neighbors to believe such a solution is possible.”

 

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‘Thank You, Kharge Ji…’ Delhi CM Expresses Gratitude to Congress for Support on Ordinance Issue

The Delhi CM left for Bengaluru earlier today to attend the second mega meeting of the opposition parties to be held on July 17-18 to chalk out a strategy to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls

 

Arvind Kejriwal on Monday thanked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for standing with the people of Delhi(File Image/PTI)

The Delhi CM left for Bengaluru earlier today to attend the second mega meeting of the opposition parties to be held on July 17-18 to chalk out a strategy to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls

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Delhi CM and AAP National Convenor, Arvind Kejriwal on Monday thanked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for “standing with the people of Delhi” over the ordinance issue.

“Thank u Kharge ji for standing with the people of Delhi. This ordinance is anti-India and anti-national and ought to be fought tooth and nail,” Kejriwal said in a tweet. The Delhi CM has left for Bengaluru to attend the second mega meeting of the opposition parties to be held on July 17-18 to chalk out a strategy to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

On asked about the Congress party’s stand on AAP in Delhi and Punjab, Kharge said, “This is not about just one person. If the democracy and Constitution of the country suffer a blow, it becomes our responsibility to unite and work together to save democracy & Constitution. No individual is bigger than the country.”

Following a meeting of the AAP’s political affairs committee (PAC) at Kejriwal’s residence, party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha welcomed the Congress’s decision to oppose the Centre’s ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi.

“The Aam Aadmi Party’s political affairs committee met today and held an extensive discussion. On the party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s call, TMC, RJD, JD(U), DMK, BRS, NCP, SP, Shiv Sena (UBT), CPI, CPI(M), JMM – all these parties raised their voice against the black ordinance and assured of their support in defeating (the bill on it) in Parliament,” he said.

Congress extended its support to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the Delhi ordinance issue a day before the big opposition meeting.

“I think they (AAP) are going to join the meeting tomorrow. As for the ordinance (on control of services in Delhi), our stand is very clear. We are not going to support it,” Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said on Sunday.

The Congress party’s stand on the Delhi ordinance issue was a major point of contention in the first opposition meeting held in Patna on June 23. The AAP had criticized the Grand Old Party for not supporting the Delhi government over the ordinance issue.

 

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BJP’s Review Meet After Bengal Panchayat Poll Seeks to Corner TMC on Violence; Shah’s Visit to Bolster Efforts

Party sources said all leaders and cadre have been asked to focus on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls now. The BJP has also planned a mega rally on July 19 with people who were forced to flee their house due to poll-related violence

 

BJP will felicitate the winning candidates to increase their confidence. (Shutterstock)

Party sources said all leaders and cadre have been asked to focus on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls now. The BJP has also planned a mega rally on July 19 with people who were forced to flee their house due to poll-related violence

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The BJP launched into introspective mode on Sunday as top state leaders reviewed the party’s performance in the West Bengal panchayat elections. BJP won 22 per cent votes in the polls, which is less than what it won in Lok Sabha elections but more than the 2018 vote share.

The meeting, which had four important aspects and included leaders such as Mangal Pandey and Sunil Bansal, also discussed the alleged violence during the elections as is set to raise the issue as a national campaign.

Amit Shah to Visit in August

Party sources said all leaders and cadre have been asked to focus on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls now. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit Bengal in August. Sukanto Majumdar, BJP’s state president, earlier met Shah in Delhi and submitted his report on the poll performance.

Support Post-Poll Violence Victims

In 2021, BJP went to court and ensured a CBI investigation into the post-poll violence. However, there were allegations that party leaders did not stand by victims and hence, this time sources say most of the top brass is travelling to meet and understand the grievances of the people.

Felicitating Winning Candidate

Party sources said it was not easy to win any seat in panchayat polls, given the TMC’s “manipulation”. The leaders therefore feel the winning candidates must be felicitated to increase their confidence. Candidates who lost polls will also be recognised for their efforts.

Protest Against Violence

Sources say BJP has planned a mega rally on July 19 with people who were forced to flee their house due to violence during the polls and after the results.

The party has also increased its organisational districts from 42 to 43, with Jadavpur area — which used to fall under south Kolkata — now being considered a separate district.

BJP leaders will keep up the pressure on the state government, stating that law and order is in a bad shape and the Centre’s intervention is required.

After BJP leaders Shantanu Thakur and Sukanto Majumdar hinted that the Bengal government might fall, the TMC reacted strongly and tweeted: “Today, @DrSukantaBJP made suggestive remarks implying that the Government of West Bengal could collapse at any time, and MLAs might consider supporting someone else. His comments reek of a nefarious plot to topple the state government and serves as another indictment of the worrying trend under the BJP regime, that thrives on engineering defections.

“It is now a well-established fact that @BJP4India’s pan-India growth has come on the back of defections and central agencies. A 2020 report by ADR found that since 2014, 405 MLAs defected from their parties, 182 (44.9%) of whom joined BJP. Recently, nine NCP MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, which was hardly surprising given that @AjitPawarSpeaks, @ChhaganCBhujbal, @praful_patel and @mrhasanmushrif all face money laundering charges and are under the @dir_ed lens. It appears from Sukanta Majumdar’s comments that the BJP is hatching a similarly sinister plan in Bengal.

“The shame and guilt of losing in his own backyard, Dakshin Dinajpur, must be a bitter pill for Sukanta Majumdar to swallow! Facing a humiliating defeat in the Panchayat election, their hateful and divisive politics rejected by the people, the @BJP4Bengal karyakartas have dropped all pretense and are now making no attempts to even conceal their sinister agendas.”

The BJP for now seems to be in election mode and Shah’s visit in August is likely to bolster the morale of the workers further.

 

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OBC Leader and Ex-Samajwadi Party MLA Dara Singh Chauhan Joins BJP

Previously, Chauhan was the minister for forest and environment under the Yogi Adityanath govt before resigning from the Council of Ministers in January 2022

 

Ex-Samajwadi Party, now BJP Leader Dara Singh Chauhan. (FIle: News18)

Previously, Chauhan was the minister for forest and environment under the Yogi Adityanath govt before resigning from the Council of Ministers in January 2022

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OBC leader and former Samajwadi Party MLA Dara Singh Chauhan on Monday joined the BJP at the party office in Lucknow.

Chauhan joined the saffron party in the presence of Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary and ministers Girish Yadav and Baldev Singh Aulakh.

Earlier in the day, Chauhan met Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Satish Mahana at the latter’s office and handed over him his resignation letter. On Saturday, Chauhan, who was the MLA from Ghosi in Mau district, had tendered his resignation from the UP Legislative Assembly.

An Other Backward Classes (OBC) leader, Chauhan was the minister for forests and environment in the previous BJP government headed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He resigned from the Council of Ministers on January 12, 2022.

Chauhan represented the Madhuban Assembly constituency in Mau district from 2017 to 2022. He also represented the Ghosi seat in the 15th Lok Sabha for the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, he was defeated by BJP candidate Harinarayan Rajbhar by more than 1.4 lakh votes.

Chauhan had joined the BJP in 2015 and was appointed the party’s OBC Morcha president and fielded from the Madhuban Assembly constituency.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)

 

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