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The woman who accused Hegseth of assault broke into tears when asked about the matter by CNN reporters last week and declined to comment. The report, which identifies the accuser as “Jane Doe,” summarizes police interviews with Doe, Hegseth, conference attendees and a hotel employee, and includes descriptions of video footage from the hotel viewed by police. There, a conference attendee told police that Hegseth had touched her knee and invited her to come to his hotel room. Doe told police that her next memory after the argument was being in a hotel room with Hegseth. He said that he was “buzzed” that night after drinking beer and remembered going back to his hotel room with Doe.

Persons: Pete Hegseth, “, Hegseth, Donald Trump, I’ve, ” Timothy Parlatore, Jane Doe, ”, Doe, Facebook Doe, Hegseth “, Hegseth ejaculating, didn’t, Doe “, “ ‘, ‘, CNN’s Yahya Abou, Ghazala Organizations: CNN, Trump Cabinet, Fox News, California Federation of Republican Women, Hyatt Regency Monterey, Trump, Republican, Hyatt Regency Monterrey, Hegseth, ” Police Locations: California, Monterey , California, Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel, Spa, Monterey, Monterey County, Doe

☆ Pennsylvania Democratic official apologizes for comments about ignoring election laws
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Sara Murray | Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A Democratic election official in Pennsylvania offered an impassioned apology Wednesday for claiming “precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country” to justify counting about 600 faulty ballots in defiance of state Supreme Court rulings. “I made a mistake, and because I am an elected official, I am held to a far higher standard than everybody else. Her prior comments about flouting court precedent took off on social media and were promoted widely by Trump allies like Elon Musk. In response to a lawsuit from the McCormick campaign, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Monday ordered counties to abide by its past rulings about the undated ballots. Patricia Poprik, chair of the Bucks County Republican Party, on Wednesday said the board’s actions overshadowed the hard work of county election workers.

Persons: CNN —, Diane Ellis, Marseglia, “, ” Ellis, Donald Trump –, Ellis, ”, Elon Musk, Democratic Sen, Bob Casey, Dave McCormick, Robert Harvie, Roe, Wade, McCormick, Josh Shapiro, ” Shapiro, Patricia Poprik, Poprik, ” Poprik, it’s, ” CNN’s Danny Freeman Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Trump, GOP, Republican, Bucks County Republican Party Locations: Pennsylvania, Bucks

Trump nominated Wray in 2017 after firing James Comey, but he began to sour on him before he left office in 2021. The 10-year term is designed to keep the FBI director position insulated from political whims. “Kash is frightening at the bureau,” one source familiar with internal deliberations about the role of FBI director. Trump also briefly considered installing Patel as deputy FBI director in the closing weeks of his first administration. The deputy FBI director job is a career position, and not a political appointee, and Attorney General William Barr helped talk Trump out of putting Patel at the bureau.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kash Patel, Christopher Wray, Patel, Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard, Trump, Mike Rogers, Mark Morgan, Jeff Jensen, Louis, Mike Flynn’s, he’s, –, John Ratcliffe, Wray, James Comey, “, Elect Trump, ”, Karoline Leavitt, Vance, Jensen, Rogers, Morgan, “ Kash, ” Patel, Steve Bannon’s, Devin Nunes, Nunes, Gina Haspel, – Patel, William Barr, Wray isn’t, CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Manu Raju Organizations: CNN, FBI, Republican, Customs, Trump, intel, DOD, CIA, House, National Security Council Locations: Mar, Lago, Trump’s, Russia

☆ In Georgia, it’s Republican vs. Republican as election misinformation spreads
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Sara Murray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The deep mistrust between conservatives and Republican election officials in Georgia is hampering efforts to slow the tide of election misinformation swirling in this pivotal battleground state. Our systems are secure and our people are ready.”The best sources of accurate and timely election information have been state and election officials. But plenty of conservatives simply don’t believe what election officials are sharing, even when it is backed up by other sources. We have safeguards to protect elections from fraud.”Among Georgia state officials, there’s obvious frustration with the local conservative agitators. Janice Johnston, one of the conservative members of the Georgia State Election Board, recently posted “Danger!

Persons: Brad Raffensperger, Kylie Jane Kremer, Gabriel Sterling, Raffensperger —, Donald Trump —, Joe Biden, ” Raffensperger, ”, Karli Swift, Amy Kremer, Kylie Jane Kremer’s, Sterling, “, ” Sterling, Trump, ” Cleta Mitchell, Steve Bannon’s, Janice Johnston, that’s, ” Johnston, Johnston Organizations: CNN, Republican, Trump, Infrastructure Security Agency, Peach, Georgia GOP, CNN Conservatives, Republicans, Republican National Committee, Board Locations: Georgia, Russian, Atlanta, DeKalb County, ”, Fulton County, Gwinnett, Fulton

☆ How Donald Trump is laying the groundwork to dispute the election results – again
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-03 | by ( Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

Election officials warn they’re outmatched and struggling to combat the wave of falsehoods coming from Musk and his platform. Manipulating early voting numbersIn 2020, Trump attacked early voting and mail-in voting, claiming they were used to cheat. Election officials have been inundated with threats of violence since the 2020 election. But Trump and his allies have been laying the groundwork to try to dispute the election should he lose. In Georgia, conservatives sought to allow county election officials to refuse to certify the election results, though the effort was blocked by a state judge.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, He’s, he’s, Kamala Harris, “, ”, Ben Ginsberg, you’re, they’re, Justin Levitt, ” Levitt, hasn’t, Elon Musk, they’re outmatched, Musk, it’s, –, Kathy Boockvar, Boockvar, Athena, doesn’t, Elon, what’s, Jocelyn Benson, ” Musk, Benson, Lara Trump, CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan, Ruth Greenwood, Harris, Michael Morley, ” Trump, Glenn Youngkin, They’ve, Andy Harris, Hurricane Helene, Ginsberg, ” CNN’s Yahya Abou, Ghazala, Sarah Boxer, Pamela Brown, Ethan Cohen, Marshall Cohen, Zachary Cohen, Devan Cole, Daniel Dale, Curt Devine, Danny Freeman, John Fritze, Brian Fung, Majlie, Puy, Holmes, Lybrand, Sean Lyngaas, Sara Murray, Paula Reid, Fredreka Schouten, Tierney Sneed, Donie O’Sullivan, Casey Tolan Organizations: CNN, noncitizens, Republican, Loyola Law School, Biden White, Elon, Democrat, Benedictine, Republicans, Republican National Committee, Trump, Harvard Law School, RNC, Democratic, Florida State University College of Law, ” Republicans, Virginia Republican Gov, Justice Department, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Capitol, Maryland GOP, North, GOP, Republican National Locations: American, Florida, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, Allentown , Pennsylvania, Lancaster County, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Erie County, Erie, Bucks, Michigan, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Allegheny County, Portland , Oregon, Vancouver , Washington, Maryland, North Carolina, Hurricane

Election officials in pivotal battleground states including Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona have all tried – and largely failed – to fact-check Musk in real time. Election officials say they are simply outmatched up against Musk’s followers and the X algorithm. “Election officials, they have a very hard job – their job is to be election officials not to be Tweeters,” said Renée DiResta, an expert in disinformation and an associate research professor at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. Election officials in Pennsylvania are similarly attempting to fact-check Musk’s false claims on X but acknowledge those efforts are unlikely to stymie the spread of election lies. In Georgia, election officials see little point in trying to engage with Musk directly, instead turning to the method they relied on in 2020 to beat back misinformation: Regular press conferences with election officials rebutting the latest election falsehoods.

Persons: CNN — Elon, CNN they’re, “ I’ve, ”, Stephen Richer, “ We’ve, ” Richer, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, –, Jocelyn Benson, ” Benson, Musk, Benson, “, Renée DiResta, Georgetown University’s, DiResta, “ It’s, Nina Jankowicz, I’d, Elon Musk, Jim Jordan’s, they’ve, ” Jankowicz, I’ve, ” Sen, Mark Warner, X, Nick Pickles, Pickles Organizations: CNN, Republican, Trump, Georgetown, Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public, Musk’s America PAC, American Sunlight, Meta, Republicans, Democrats, Capitol, Virginia Democrat, Global Affairs Locations: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Maricopa County, Wolverine, Georgia

☆ Steve Bannon is released from prison in time for the last-week push to Election Day
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-29 | by ( Sara Murray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Steve Bannon was released from federal prison Tuesday, according to a source with knowledge, emerging just a week before Election Day to retake the helm of his weakened right-wing media platform. “War Room,” which frequently appeared in Apple’s Top Podcasts before Bannon reported to prison, fell off the charts by early July, according to data from Podchaser. Peltz still predicted Bannon would be a prominent voice for election denialism if it appears Trump is coming up short after Election Day. On the “War Room” podcast, a cast of fill-in hosts cheered Bannon’s return. In May, Bannon claimed on his podcast that “they’re going to do everything to steal this election,” as he reiterated the baseless claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

Persons: Steve Bannon, Bannon, Donald Trump’s, Maureen, Bannon’s MAGA, we’ve, ”, Madeline Peltz, Trump, “, ” Peltz, Bannon’s, Mike Lindell, Stephen K, MAGA, ” Natalie Winters, Winters, “ It’s, “ Bannon, “ There’s, CNN’s Sabrina Shulman, Maria Aguilar Prieto, Maria Sole Campinoti Organizations: CNN, Trump, Capitol, Apple, Media, Edison, Media Matters Locations: Connecticut, Podchaser, New York

During a special election in Wisconsin over the summer, a group of partisan poll watchers showed up at a handful of precincts in Glendale, a suburb of Milwaukee, and created chaos by contesting every absentee ballot that was cast. After they were reminded repeatedly about the rules against making meritless ballot challenges, the groups of poll watchers “turned disruptive,” according to Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy. They didn’t, and the police were called,” Kennedy told CNN, adding that once police arrived, the observers left peacefully. Some context: Poll watchers are a key component of election transparency, and both Democrats and Republicans have built out their ranks of volunteers and lawyers to observe polling places and vote counting centers. Read more about how election workers are preparing for poll watchers here.

Persons: “, Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy, ” Kennedy, —, Trump, Joe Biden —, Read Organizations: Glendale Mayor, CNN, Republicans, battlegrounds Locations: Wisconsin, Glendale, Milwaukee

CNN —US intelligence has assessed that Russian operatives were behind a fake video purporting to show someone destroying mail-in ballots in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, that circulated on social media Thursday. CNN reported earlier Friday that US investigators suspected that Russian operatives were behind the fake video, according to two sources briefed on the matter. The Board of Elections in Bucks County, north of Philadelphia, was quick to debunk the video on Thursday. But the video was hatched by Russian operatives, according to Darren Linvill, an expert on Russian disinformation campaigns at Clemson University. Russian operatives have tried to denigrate Harris’ campaign, Iranians have tried to undercut Trump’s, while China has largely focused on down-ballot races.

Persons: ”, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Darren Linvill, “, Linvill, denigrate Harris, Tim Walz, Patricia Poprik, ” Poprik, Poprik, “ It’s, it’s, Harris, Tim Lister Organizations: CNN, IC, Intelligence, National Intelligence, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Infrastructure Security Agency, stoke, Bucks County, Russian, Clemson University, Storm, Democratic, Microsoft, Bucks County Republican Party, Facebook, Trump Locations: Bucks County , Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, Bucks County, Philadelphia, Bucks, Russia, Iran, China, Trump’s, Russian

☆ Election workers prepare to handle ‘concerning list’ of poll watchers who could disrupt the vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Sara Murray | Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

After they were reminded repeatedly about the rules against making meritless ballot challenges, the groups of poll watchers “turned disruptive,” according to Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy. For the vast majority of Americans, it’s pretty smooth.”Across the country, election officials are also vowing voters will be able to safely cast their ballots. This year’s crop of election observers is set to include people who have denied Trump’s 2020 election loss. Hilby stressed that it’s often important for poll watchers to understand what they’re seeing. “The best way to combat it is to just be as transparent as possible, and election officials really are committed to doing that.

Persons: “, Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy, ” Kennedy, –, Trump, Joe Biden –, Justin Levitt, ” Levitt, ”, Kennedy, Mark Amick, William Bradley Carver, Carver, Salleigh Grubbs, CNN “, Stephanie Jackson Ali, Grubbs, ” Danielle Alvarez, ” Alvarez, Amick, Michael Whatley, you’re, Cleta Mitchell, who’ve, ” Dana Remus, Kamala Harris, Monica Guardiola, Elena Hilby, Hilby, Sun, ” Hilby, “ We’re, – it’s, ” Amy Cohen, ” Cohen, Lisa Deeley, ” Deeley, we’ve, they’re, Dana Nessel, ” Nessel, “ You’re, ” Jackson Ali Organizations: CNN, Glendale Mayor, Republicans, Loyola Law School, Biden White, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Republican Party, Trump, Republican, New, ”, Trump Campaign, RNC, White, Republican National Committee, ” Conservative, Network, “, Association, National Association of State, Democrat, Philadelphia City Commissioners Locations: Wisconsin, Glendale, Milwaukee, battlegrounds, Georgia, Cobb County, New Georgia, Sun Prairie, Philadelphia, ”, Michigan

• Harris’ media blitz: Vice President Kamala Harris will sit down with Fox News anchor Bret Baier on Wednesday. • Trump town halls: In a pre-recorded Fox News town hall airing Wednesday, former President Donald Trump called himself the “father of IVF” while speaking to an all-female audience. Later today, he will participate in a town hall hosted by Univision in Miami as he looks to gain ground with Latino voters. • Early voting: Early in-person voting is kicking off today in Iowa, Kansas, Oregon, Rhode Island and Tennessee. • What to know before you cast your vote: Read CNN’s voter handbook to see how to vote in your area, and read up on the 2024 candidates and their proposals on key issues.

Persons: • Harris, Kamala Harris, Bret Baier, Harris, •, Donald Trump Organizations: Fox News, Fox, Univision, CNN, Trump, • Locations: • Trump, Miami, Iowa , Kansas , Oregon, Rhode Island and Tennessee, Georgia

☆ ‘We are fed up’: Ballot drop boxes are dividing neighbors in Wisconsin
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-16 | by ( Casey Tolan | Sara Murray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Still, that’s far lower than the 528 drop boxes that the commission was aware of in 2020. PoolNick Ramos, the executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a voting rights group that has pushed for more drop boxes, said he was discouraged by the number of municipalities that had decided not to use drop boxes this election. “Drop boxes are safe, they are reliable and secure.”Changing legal statusFor years, ballot drop boxes were legal in Wisconsin with little controversy or attention, and in 2020, they became a key tactic for municipalities to encourage safe voting during the coronavirus pandemic. A conservative group filed a lawsuit to ban drop boxes in Wisconsin, and the state Supreme Court’s conservative majority sided with them in 2022, banning drop boxes except ones inside clerks’ offices. In Milwaukee, most drop boxes are in front of libraries, and in Madison, the state capital and a Democratic stronghold, officials decided to locate almost all of their drop boxes in front of fire stations.

Persons: Donald Trump, Dale Schmidt, Trump, Nick Ramos, “ We’re, ” Ramos, “ It’s, Joe Biden, Doug Diny, Diny, ”, “, I’ve, Jeff Mandell, Nancy Stenzel, Robin Vos, Scott Fitzgerald, Vos –, Janet Protasiewicz, Protasiewicz, Dylan Brogan, Schmidt, ” Schmidt, Eric Hovde, “ We’ve, ” Hovde, Catherine Engelbrecht, ” Engelbrecht, Mandell Organizations: CNN, Wisconsin county, “, Trump, Commission, Madison, Wisconsin Democracy, Wausau, Republican, City Hall, Department of Justice, Council, State Assembly, GOP, Democratic, USA, Conservative, US, Washington Post, WIRED Locations: Wisconsin, Dodge County, Milwaukee, Dodge County , Wisconsin, Juneau , Wisconsin, Wausau, ”, Hall, Madison, Kenosha

☆ What to know about early voting in Georgia and North Carolina
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Sara Murray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Two critical battleground states – Georgia and North Carolina – are kicking off early in-person voting this week. In Georgia, voters can head to the ballot box beginning on Tuesday and in North Carolina, early in-person voting begins on Thursday. “I don’t want to discourage people from using drop boxes by any means, but I can see why people would think it’s easier to show up in person.”Meanwhile, the opportunities to vote early in-person have expanded: Georgia law mandates two Saturdays of early voting and allows for two Sundays of early voting if a county desires. When it comes to early voting sites, the 25 western counties most impacted by Helene had planned for 80 early voting sites. “In this day and age, everyone’s taking selfies, even people in the boomer generation like me,” Phillips from Common Cause North Carolina said.

Persons: Hurricane Helene, ”, Kristin Nabers, Larry David, –, Donald Trump, Helene, “, Bob Phillips, I’m, ” Karen Brinson Bell, Brinson Bell, ” Phillips, That’s, CNN’s Tierney Sneed Organizations: CNN, State, Carolina, State Board, North Carolina State Board Locations: Georgia, North Carolina, Hurricane, Both Georgia

☆ Judge pauses rule that would require Georgia counties to hand-count ballots
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Sara Murray | Devan Cole | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A judge in Georgia has paused a new rule from the Georgia State Election Board that would have required officials to hand-count the number of ballots cast at each polling place, criticizing state election officials for approving it so close to Election Day. The hand-count rule is the subject of litigation on multiple fronts and a separate hearing on the matter is set for Wednesday. Passed by the Donald Trump-backed Republican majority on the state election board, the rule would require officials at a polling place to match the number of ballots tallied by voting machines with a hand-count of the number of ballots cast. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, has noted the state took several steps to speed up the reporting of results in Georgia this year. He has said the hand-count rule could delay the reporting of results, foster an atmosphere for misinformation and present chain of custody issues for ballots.

Persons: CNN —, “, Robert McBurney, SEB, wouldn’t, Harris, Donald Trump, Brad Raffensperger, McBurney, ”, ” McBurney Organizations: CNN, Board, Democratic National Committee, Democratic Party of Georgia, Republican Locations: Georgia, ” Fulton County

CNN —A record number of early votes have been cast in Georgia on Tuesday as residents headed to the polls in a critical battleground state that is grappling with the fallout from Hurricane Helene and controversial election administration changes that have spurred a flurry of lawsuits. More than 300,000 ballots were cast Tuesday, Gabe Sterling of the Georgia secretary of state’s office said on X. Georgia election officials say absentee ballots went out by the US Postal Service as scheduled and were not impacted by the storm. It’s also possible that the state could continue to see high numbers of early votes given that Georgia law now mandates two Saturdays of early voting and allows for two Sundays of early voting if a county desires. Legal fights continueMeanwhile, state judges are scrutinizing a number of new rules passed by the Trump-backed Republican majority on the State Election Board that Democrats warn could inject post-election “chaos” into the Georgia.

Persons: Hurricane Helene, Gabe Sterling, Sterling, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, “, ”, Brad Raffensperger, It’s, Raffensperger, ” Raffensperger, Robert McBurney, McBurney, they'll, Harris, Fay Ainsworth, we’ve, Joseph Henry King Jr, Kareem Rosshandler, Jill Stein, “ We’ve, ” Rosshandler, Mounira Elsamra Organizations: CNN, Republican, Corine, US Postal Service, Biden, Trump, Peach State, Legal, Board, Democrats, GOP, Green Party, Israel, Electoral College Locations: Georgia, Hurricane, Atlanta, Corine Canada, Southeast . Georgia, Trump’s crosshairs, Peach, Fulton County

And they’ve kept up a drumbeat of dubious claims about voting, along with the lie that the election was stolen in 2020. Prosecutors allege that the Trump campaign used similarly aggressive tactics in Philadelphia to force confrontation with election officials, which Trump and his allies used to claim his supporters were denied access to observe the count. Election officials have been operating in an increasingly hostile environment as GOP skepticism of election administration has climbed. Among them: shifting numbers of noncitizens Trump allies claimed had voted in the 2020 election. In Georgia, state courts are reviewing new rules from the State Election Board that Democrats say give county election officials broad authority to delay certification of the results in search of purported election irregularities.

Persons: Donald Trump, They’ve, they’ve, ”, Sean Morales, Doyle, Brennan, ’ playbook, Jack Smith’s, Trump, Hannah Fried, Smith, Rebecca Cook, Brooks, Republican Al Schmidt, Schmidt, “, You’ve, Michael Whatley, Whatley, Zach Manifold, Joshua Lott, noncitizens Trump, hasn’t, Cleta Mitchell, –, “ I’ve, ” Lisa Posthumus Lyons, ” Posthumus Lyons, Jocelyn Benson, Patrick T, Fallon, Mike Pence, Pence, Trump’s, Smith’s, Adrian Fontes, ” Fontes, It’s, Morales, ” CNN’s Marshall Cohen, Fredreka Schouten Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Republican, Trump, GOP, TCF Center, Detroit’s TCF Center, Prosecutors, Republican National, RNC, Guadalupe, Washington Post, Getty, Republicans, America, Legal Foundation, United Sovereign Americans, Center, Fox News, Republican Party, Board, Arizona, Brennan Locations: Detroit , Michigan, Florida, Philadelphia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Gwinnett County , Georgia, ”, Gwinnett County, Guadalupe Mercado, Guadalupe , Arizona, Kent County , Michigan, Swing, Georgia , Michigan, Maricopa, AFP, Georgia, Arizona, Cochise County

☆ Democrats aim to show a judge how pro-Trump Georgia election board could spark certification ‘chaos’
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | Sara Murray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Disputes across the country are brewing over the role of local election boards and how much power they have to question – or even throw out – election results. In Georgia, for instance, Trump-backed members of the state election board recently passed controversial rules that could allow local election boards responsible for certifying results to conduct investigations that threaten to delay certification. One of the Georgia rules, the “Reasonable Inquiry Rule,” would allow election officials to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying election results. The petitioners in the case argue that the rule would give partisan board members a wide ability to cast doubt on, or even reject, election results. In some cases, the threat of legal action has been enough to deter officials from pursuing challenges to the certification process.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, ”, Ben Berwick, ” “, ” Berwick, –, Mike Pence, Robert Froman, Joe Biden, Froman, ” Froman, State Francisco Aguilar, Aguilar, Gideon Cohn, Postar, “ It’s, ” Cohn, Trump, Ronna McDaniel Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Trump, Democratic National Committee, Georgia Democratic Party, Democratic, Democracy, Republicans, Georgia Republicans, Republican National Committee, Republican, Michigan Department of State, Detroit News, ACLU, State, Arizona voters, Institute for Responsive Government, Republican National, Commonwealth and Pennsylvania Department of State Locations: Georgia , Michigan, Nevada, Wisconsin, Georgia, Kalamazoo County , Michigan, Michigan, canvassers, Washoe, Washoe County, Reno, Arizona, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, North Carolina, Michigan’s, Wayne County, Detroit, Otero County , New Mexico

☆ Election experts raise alarms about vote counting delays in battleground states
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( Fredreka Schouten | Sara Murray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Election observers worry that delays in counting mail ballots could give the public a false sense of who’s winning the election. In Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, election officials are still barred from beginning to process mail ballots before 7 a.m. on Election Day – even though election workers in both states have clamored for change. Georgia's State Election Board members discuss proposals for election rule changes at the State Capitol in Atlanta on September 20, 2024. The new law could delay by an hour or more – depending on the county – the posting of unofficial early results, state election officials have said. In Maricopa County, the general election ballot covers both sides of two pages – twice the length of the ballot voters encountered four years ago.

Persons: CNN —, Seth Bluestein, Ann Jacobs, “, Al Schmidt, Donald Trump, Chris McGrath, Joe Biden, Donald Trump baselessly, Rudy Giuliani, Biden, Trump, ” Jacobs, parroting, Daniel Acker, ” Schmidt, ”, Jacobs, David Becker, Sen, Jeremy Moss, Moss, Mike Stewart, Harris, “ It’s, Karen Brinson Bell, I’ll, won’t, Robyn Beck, Stephen Richer, ” Richer, Katie Hobbs, Jennifer Liewer, Liewer, “ We’ve, ” CNN’s Ethan Cohen, Marshall Cohen, Jason Morris Organizations: CNN, Republican, Democratic, Keystone State, ” Police, Philadelphia Convention Center, White, Democratic Milwaukee, Biden, Wisconsin State Assembly, Trump, Reuters, ”, Workers, US, Department, Election Innovation, Research, National Conference of State Legislatures, Democratic Detroit, Capitol, Michigan Senate, State Capitol, North Carolina State Board, Getty, Republicans, Gov, Democrat Locations: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, “, Wisconsin, Georgia, Keystone, Democratic, Kenosha , Wisconsin, Michigan, Detroit, Atlanta, North Carolina, Phoenix, AFP, Arizona, Maricopa County, Maricopa

CNN —Suspicious packages were sent this week to election offices in more than 20 states, leading to an FBI investigation, triggering evacuations and rattling staff, according to a CNN survey of state offices and Associated Press reporting. Karen Brinson Bell, the executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, told CNN that that the battleground state was also targeted this week. Officials in Kansas and New York said in statements and interviews that, after the letters were noticed, they evacuated their offices. Postal Inspection Service are investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to election officials in several states,” the FBI said in a statement. A source involved with a group that coordinates with election officials across the country told CNN the 2023 incident led many of these offices to step up precautions and safety measures, so they were better protected this time around.

Persons: Brad Raffensperger, “ We’re, ” Raffensperger, Karen Brinson Bell, Bell, ” Bell, “, ” David Becker, ” Becker, Democrats ”, ” Organizations: CNN, Associated Press, US Postal Service, North Carolina State Board, Election Innovation, Research, Democrats, FBI, U.S . Postal, Service Locations: Alaska , Arizona , California , Colorado , Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana , Iowa , Kansas , Kentucky , Massachusetts , Mississippi , Missouri , Nebraska , New York, North Carolina , Ohio , Oklahoma, Rhode Island , Tennessee, Wyoming, Fulton County, Kentucky, Kansas, New York, Oklahoma, Takoma Park , Maryland

☆ Georgia election board requires ballots be hand-counted despite warning from key GOP state officials
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Marshall Cohen | Jason Morris | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Allies of former President Donald Trump who control the Georgia State Election Board approved a controversial new rule Friday requiring counties to hand-count the number of ballots cast at polling places on Election Day, despite bipartisan objections from election officials and poll workers. State Election Board member Janelle King, one of the three Republican members of the state election board who was praised by former President Donald Trump last month, told reporters before the meeting that the changes are necessary. “The overwhelming number of election officials that have reached out to me have been opposed to this,” State Election Board chairman John Fervier an independent who opposed the move, said before the vote. The state election board in Georgia does not certify the results of any election. The state election board also investigates election irregularities.

Persons: Donald Trump, Chris Carr, ” Elizabeth Young, Young, Brad Raffensperger, “, ”, we’re, it’s, Janelle King, ” King, John Fervier, Trump, Sara Tindall Ghazal, King, Raffensperger, CNN’s Sara Murray, Mounira Elsamra Organizations: CNN — Allies, Trump, Democratic, GOP, Republican, Georgia, CNN, Board, Peach State Locations: Georgia, ”, Peach

CNN —A judge on Thursday threw out three charges in the sweeping Georgia election subversion case, including two charges that former President Donald Trump faces. In a separate ruling, Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee also upheld the marquee racketeering charge in the case, which Trump is also facing. In the ruling, McAfee also threw out a separate count of filing false documents, which Trump was charged with. Trump was only named in two of the three charges that McAfee threw out Thursday. The awkward ruling from McAfee comes as he has only partial jurisdiction over the 2020 election meddling case.

Persons: CNN —, Donald Trump, Trump, Scott McAfee, Steve Sadow, ” Sadow, “, ” McAfee, McAfee, John Eastman, Sen, Shawn Still, Fani Willis, Willis, Willis ’ Organizations: CNN, “, Trump, Georgia, Fulton, Eastman, Still, Democrat, Peach State Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, Peach

☆ How certification fights are already cropping up in battleground states
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Sara Murray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The dustup in Fulton County is just one example of the election certification fights already cropping up in battleground states, from Georgia to Michigan to Nevada this year. Certification fights also popped up in 2022 and in 2020, though certification ultimately moved ahead in each of those instances. “They don’t like me.”But by early 2024, she was being sworn in to serve on her local election board. “The other issues that are going on or have gone in Fulton County I think are irrelevant.”Representatives for Fulton County declined to comment. The State Election Board is also considering changes that could allow board members to conduct inquiries and demand documents before certification.

Persons: Julie Adams, Adams, ”, Stephanie Jackson Ali, Mike Berry, “ Miss Adams, ” Berry, ” Adams, they’re, they’ve, “, you’re, Cleta Mitchell, Mitchell, “ She’s, ” Mitchell, Steve Bannon’s, Matt Rourke, —, Berry, –, Miss Adams, stokes, Megan Bellamy, Nadine Williams, Adams pored, CNN’s Kimberly Berryman Organizations: CNN, Fulton County, Registration, New, New Georgia Project, Washoe, Trump, Policy, Republican Party, Republican, Pennsylvania, Conference, ”, South East, South East Georgia Republican Assembly Locations: Georgia, Fulton, Fulton County, Michigan, Nevada, New Georgia, Washoe County’s, Delta County , Michigan, “, Camp Hill, Pa, Fulton County’s, Savannah, South East Georgia

CNN —Rudy Giuliani’s trip to Milwaukee for last week’s Republican National Convention was bankrolled by the media platform started by “My Pillow Guy” Mike Lindell, Giuliani’s lawyer told a bankruptcy court that is scrutinizing the former New York City mayor’s finances. Lindell told CNN on Tuesday that Giuliani is an employee of the media company, but declined to say how much he was being paid for the job, which he said started July 1. Judge Sean Lane of the federal bankruptcy court in White Plains, New York, is expected to issue a ruling any day on how to move forward. Lindell told CNN on Tuesday that he paid for Giuliani’s travel because the former New York mayor was hired on July 1 as a host for Lindell’s right-wing broadcast platform, FrankSpeech TV. Giuliani said he had “no regrets at all” about how he treated Moss and Freeman during the 2020 election.

Persons: Rudy Giuliani’s, “, Guy, Mike Lindell, Giuliani’s, Giuliani, Donald Trump, Lindell, Ruby Freeman, Shaye Moss, Sean Lane, ” Lindell, “ It’s, “ We’ve, ” Giuliani, Frank Speech, Gary C, Fischoff, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Moss, Biden ”, Hunter Biden, ” “ They’re, Collins, Freeman, ” Organizations: CNN, Republican National Convention, New, Lindell, RNC, Trump Locations: Milwaukee, New York City, Georgia, Palm Beach , Florida, White Plains , New York, New York

CNN —The Biden-Harris campaign on Sunday formally amended filings with the Federal Election Commission to rename its principal committee and declare Kamala Harris a candidate for president. The move means that should she remain on the ticket for the general election, according to the Campaign Legal Center, Harris could assume control of the Biden-Harris campaign account, which had nearly $96 million cash in hand at the end of June. It’s possible the Biden campaign will need to ask the Federal Election Commission for guidance, in the form of an advisory opinion, in the coming weeks, Engle added. That could allow Harris to start a new campaign account, revisit donors who had already maxed out contributions to the Biden-Harris campaign and hit them up again, one election attorney said. “I think the general consensus view is, because Harris’s name is already on the paperwork, she can accept it for the general election.

Persons: CNN —, Harris, Kamala Harris, “, Biden, ” Trevor Potter, Joe Biden, ”, “ Harris, Hans von Spakovsky, Dara Lindenbaum, Lindenbaum, Harris wouldn’t, von Spakovsky, Sean Cooksey, ” Craig Engle, ” Engle, there’s, Engle, Derek Muller, what’s, ” Muller, CNN’s Fredreka Schouten, Matt Holt Organizations: CNN, Biden, Sunday, Federal, Commission, Democratic, Legal, United States, Heritage Foundation, Democratic Party, Fox News, Republican, Democratic National Committee, University of Notre Dame

Judge Aileen Cannon had been on the federal bench for little more than a year when a senior judge offered to preside over one of her first criminal trials in her isolated south Florida courthouse. “It’s very lonely,” Senior Judge Paul C. Huck told CNN of Fort Pierce, a small fishing and citrus community on the edge of the Southern District of Florida where Cannon is the only federal judge. They also said Cannon’s lack of trial experience, both as a lawyer and a judge, is apparent. In her seven years as a Justice Department attorney, Cannon participated on the trial teams of just four criminal cases. And on the bench, she’s only presided over a handful of criminal trials — and Huck took over one of them.

Persons: Aileen Cannon, ”, Paul C, Huck, Cannon, “, Donald Trump, She’s, she’s, Trump, Read Organizations: CNN, Southern, Southern District of, Justice Department Locations: Florida, Fort Pierce, Southern District, Southern District of Florida, America

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