Lehigh County voter registration workers sort mail-in ballots Nov. 5, 2024, at Lehigh County Government Center in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. (Matt Smith / For Spotlight PA)Matt Smith
HARRISBURG — County elections officials in Pennsylvania rejected more than 11,000 mail-in ballots for technical reasons in the November election, including thousands that were determined to violate the much litigated requirement that voters provide accurate, handwritten dates on the return envelopes.
Data from the Department of State released this week shows about 2,600 were turned down for having the wrong date and nearly 2,100 for having no date at all.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court said in mid-January it will rule on whether the envelope date requirement violates a state constitutional mandate that elections be free and equal, the latest development in a string of court cases since mail-in voting was widely expanded under a 2019 law.
The elections agency also said about 3,000 votes didn’t count because the voters failed to put their ballot into a secrecy envelope and more than 3,500 were thrown out for lacking a signature. In addition, nearly 7,000 mail-in ballots that counties rejected in November had arrived to be counted after the cut-off time of 8 p.m. on Election Day, when polls closed.
The county workers who run the nuts and bolts of Pennsylvania elections do not use the outer envelope date for any practical purpose — they time stamp ballots when they arrive and know when they were sent out. Republicans who have advocated for the dates consider them an added layer of security.
The 11,000-plus votes rejected for wrong dates, no dates, no signatures or no security envelopes is a jump from the comparable figure in the November 2023 election, when about 8,000 votes were rejected for at least one of those four categories. However, 2024 was a high-turnout presidential election with a contested U.S. Senate race, while 2023 had less voter participation and only statewide judicial contests at the top of the ballot.
“Every vote is precious — a single vote being rejected is intolerable,” Secretary of State Al Schmidt said Friday. “So that’s why we have done all that we can to minimize the opportunity for voters to make mistakes.”
The Department of State redesigned mail-in ballot envelopes twice last year and engaged in a voter education effort, aiming to reduce the rejection rate. The percentage of returned mail ballots that were rejected fell from about 2.4% in the April primary to about 1% in November, the agency announced.
“We wanted to minimize opportunities for voters to make mistakes, whether they’re elderly or whether they’re filling this out when they’re sending their kids off to school in the morning,” Schmidt said.
There has been progress but there is more that counties can do to further reduce the rate of rejected mail ballots, said ACLU of Pennsylvania lawyer Vic Walczak.
“It’s 11,000 too many, so it’s better than the rejection rate before that,” said Walczak, who is involved in the pending state Supreme Court case. “It’s welcome and should be celebrated, but we shouldn’t be declaring victory yet.”
Some 2 million Pennsylvanians cast votes by mail this fall, and about 88% of the mail ballots that were sent out were returned by voters.
“Voter education isn’t something you do once, it’s something you always have to do,” Schmidt said. “And any ballot that is rejected — a single ballot in Pennsylvania that’s been rejected — feels like a failure to anyone who really cares about democracy.”
Pennsylvania’s top elections official, Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, is touting the state’s progress in reducing the rejection rate of mail-in ballots. In a recent statement, Boockvar highlighted the improvements made to the mail ballot process, which have led to a significant decrease in the number of rejected ballots.
According to Boockvar, the rejection rate for mail-in ballots dropped from 1.5% in the 2020 election to just 0.2% in the 2021 primary election. This improvement is attributed to a number of factors, including enhanced voter education efforts, improved ballot design, and increased communication with voters about potential issues with their ballots.
Boockvar emphasized the importance of ensuring that every eligible voter’s ballot is counted, and praised the efforts of election officials and volunteers in achieving this goal. She also encouraged voters to familiarize themselves with the mail ballot process and to carefully follow all instructions to ensure their vote is counted.
Overall, the progress made in reducing the rejection rate of mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania is a positive development that reflects the state’s commitment to fair and accessible elections. As the state continues to refine its mail ballot procedures, voters can have confidence that their voices will be heard in future elections.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — County elections officials in Pennsylvania rejected more than 11,000 mail-in ballots for technical reasons in the November election, including thousands that were determined to violate the much litigated requirement that voters provide accurate, handwritten dates on the return envelopes.
Data from the Department of State released this week shows about 2,600 were turned down for having the wrong date and nearly 2,100 for having no date at all.
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Pennsylvania elections chief, Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, has recently announced significant progress in reducing the mail ballot rejection rate in the state. In a press conference held earlier this week, Boockvar highlighted the efforts made by the state to address issues that have historically led to high rejection rates for mail-in ballots.
According to Boockvar, Pennsylvania has implemented new procedures and guidelines to ensure that mail-in ballots are properly completed and submitted in accordance with state laws. These measures include providing voters with clear instructions on how to fill out their ballots, as well as implementing enhanced verification processes to confirm voter identities.
As a result of these efforts, Boockvar reported that the rejection rate for mail-in ballots in the recent primary election was significantly lower than in previous elections. This improvement is a promising sign for the upcoming general election, as mail-in voting is expected to play a crucial role in ensuring that all eligible voters can safely participate in the democratic process.
Boockvar emphasized that the state will continue to work towards further reducing the mail ballot rejection rate and ensuring that every vote is counted. She also encouraged voters to familiarize themselves with the guidelines for mail-in voting to help prevent any issues that could lead to their ballot being rejected.
Overall, Pennsylvania’s progress in reducing the mail ballot rejection rate is a positive development that underscores the state’s commitment to upholding the integrity of its elections. With the general election rapidly approaching, voters can feel confident that their mail-in ballots will be processed efficiently and accurately.
Belarus elections ‘a total sham,’ EU commission spokesperson says
European Commission spokesperson on foreign affairs, Anitta M. Hipper, has just been asked about Belarus at the commission’s daily press briefing.
This is what she said:
This is an exercise that is totally undemocratic. These elections are a total sham. It is not elections if you already know who is going to win.
The EU is continuing to support the Belarusian people. We are also continuing to put pressure on the regime. We have done so last December with the latest package of sanctions, targeting those responsible for human rights violations.
We have also continued to raise awareness on all political prisoners and those unjustly detained. We are calling on the authorities to release all … people facing repression.
When it comes to our support for the Belarusian people … we have adopted a package of 30 million euros in support of the civil society. This brings our total EU support to 170 million euros mobilised since 2020.
Key events
“No practical actions” from Ukraine or the West on peace talks, Russia’s Lavrov claims
Meanwhile, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said today that he saw “no practical actions indicating that Kyiv and the West are really ready” for peace talks about Ukraine, despite US president Donald Trump’s comments that he wanted to bring the war to an end.
According to a transcript of questions and answers on his ministry’s website, accessed by Reuters, Lavrov said:
On the contrary, Western military supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces are continuing, ultimatums to Russia are being worked out, there is a (Ukrainian) legal ban on negotiations, and the issue of the legitimacy of the Ukrainian authorities is not being resolved.
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov speaking at a press conference in Moscow earlier this week. Photograph: Alexander Nemenov/APPortraits of candidates are displayed on an election poster at a polling center during an early voting in presidential elections in Belarus. Photograph: Pavel Bednyakov/AP
Back to Belarus, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders has said it had filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court against Alexander Lukashenko over alleged “crimes against humanity as journalists continue to be overwhelmingly targeted by his regime.”
Here is what the watchdog’s head for Eastern Europe, Jeanne Cavelier, said about this Sunday’s election:
The electoral farce will likely proceed without a hitch, free from the counterweight of independent media, ensuring Lukashenko’s victory over four puppet candidates.
For five years, the Belarusian regime has systematically persecuted independent voices, starting with journalists.
To combat this glaring impunity, RSF is filing a complaint for crimes against humanity committed against Belarusian journalists.
The RSF’s findings include allegations about “589 cases of arbitrary arrests of independent media professionals in a country that had about 2,000 journalists just five years ago.”
In September, Lithuaniaalso said it had asked the court to probe alleged crimes against humanity by Lukashenko.
EU foreign policy chief Kallas invites US secretary of state Rubio to Brussels
EU’s Kaja Kallas speaking in Brussels earlier this month. Photograph: Johanna Geron/Reuters
Back in Brussels, the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, has issued an open invitation to the new US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to attend a meeting with the bloc in Brussels, officials said.
“In my letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, I offered an open invitation for his participation in one of our meetings at his earliest convenience,” Kallas wrote to EU foreign ministers, AFP has learned.
Officials said there had so far been no response.
Oops.
The latest attempt to engage with the new US administration comes as Donald Trump ramps up his criticism of the EU. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos yesterday, he raised several about what he sees as imbalances or unfair approach from the EU, and said he would “do something about it” (yesterday’s blog 17:43).
There is also plenty to talk about regarding Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, but also China and the Middle East, among others.
So far, the only chat we know of between a senior US administration official and a senior EU official was Rubio’s phone call with Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski, which the Pole revealed in a social media post.
715,000 premises in Ireland without power after Storm Éowyn
Storm Éowyn hits in Clontarf, near Dublin. Photograph: Damien Eagers/Reuters
Speaking of Ireland, here is the latest as the country battles Storm Éowyn from our weather blog.
Over 715,000 homes and business were without power as a result of the storm.
Unsurprisingly, a large number of flights scheduled to operate to, from or between airports in Ireland and the UK have been cancelled, too. Dublin was the worst affected airport, with 119 departures and 109 arrivals cancelled, the PA news agency reported.
You can follow live updates from Ireland and the UK here:
And here’s a news story from our Lisa O’Carroll in Dublin:
A shed at a farm destroyed in Galway, Ireland. Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters
Irish government appointments
All smiles! Photograph: Maxwell’s/PA
As promised, let’s also catch up on the new Irish government after yesterday’s delayed confirmation of Micheál Martin as the country’s new prime minister.
Of the 15 senior ministers, it’s worth noting some of the key appointments:
Martin’s direct predecessor, Simon Harris, takes on the role of minister for foreign affairs, defence, and trade. Under the terms of the coalition arrangement, he will get the top job again in 2027.
Other notable names include finance minister Paschal Donohoe, who also chairs the Eurogroup, health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, and home and justice minister Jim O’Callaghan.
Helen McEntee, well known on the international stage having burnished her credentials as Europe minister during the Brexit crisis, is the new education minister.
However, the Irish media pointed out that only three out of 15 senior jobs went to women, with the Irish Independent noting that “the number of women at the table has actually reduced, down one in comparison to the outgoing government.”
Aldagh McDonogh, chair of the Women for Election group, said “this decline in women’s representation is concerning.”
It is perplexing that the taoiseach and tánaiste would reject the opportunity in forming the Cabinet to ensure that women’s expertise and lived experience are equally represented at the heart of government decision-making.
This comes after the last year’s election resulted in the lowest proportion of female parliamentarians in western Europe, with a 75:25 ratio of men to women.
Pjotr Sauer
Before we look at some other events in Europe today, here’s my Guardian colleague Pjotr Sauer’s story on this Sunday’s vote:
In 2020, accusations of electoral fraud triggered months-long demonstrations, drawing hundreds of thousands of Belarusians to the streets. The authorities detained more than 35,000 people, many of whom were tortured in custody or forced to flee the country.
Since then, the Lukashenko regime, backed by Vladimir Putin – whom Minsk in turn supports in the war in Ukraine – has intensified its repression of even the smallest acts of dissent, charging critics with extremism and terrorism for actions as minor as leaving critical comments on social media or following so-called extremist Telegram channels.
… and if you wonder what Lukashenko makes of all of all this criticism and what he does in the final days of the campaign, he is… just busy.
“To be honest I don’t follow it. I simply don’t have time for it,” he told factory workers last week.
Ah, of course.
Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko holds a tool as he speaks to employees of the Minsk Automobile Plant earlier this week. Photograph: Belarus’ Presidential Press Service/AP
Belarus elections ‘a total sham,’ EU commission spokesperson says
European Commission spokesperson on foreign affairs, Anitta M. Hipper, has just been asked about Belarus at the commission’s daily press briefing.
This is what she said:
This is an exercise that is totally undemocratic. These elections are a total sham. It is not elections if you already know who is going to win.
The EU is continuing to support the Belarusian people. We are also continuing to put pressure on the regime. We have done so last December with the latest package of sanctions, targeting those responsible for human rights violations.
We have also continued to raise awareness on all political prisoners and those unjustly detained. We are calling on the authorities to release all … people facing repression.
When it comes to our support for the Belarusian people … we have adopted a package of 30 million euros in support of the civil society. This brings our total EU support to 170 million euros mobilised since 2020.
Earlier this week, European lawmakers urged the European Union and the international community to “not recognise the legitimacy of incumbent dictator Alexander Lukashenko as president after the vote.”
categorically reject the upcoming elections in Belarus and the run-up campaign as a sham, as they do not meet minimum international standards for democratic elections.
The parliament also condemned “the ongoing grave violations of human rights,” which it said “have further intensified in the run-up to the so-called presidential election.”
It also called out “the systematic repression … which includes arbitrary arrests, torture, harassment, ill-treatment of detainees, persistent impunity and a structural lack of respect for due process and fair trials,” the text said.
European lawmakers during a session of the European Parliament this week. Photograph: Pascal Bastien/AP
Ukraine war briefing
Speaking of Ukraine… here is our daily war briefing for you:
Russian crews were responding to an air attack in the Ryazan region south-east of Moscow over Thursday night.
Donald Trump has told the Davos World Economic Forum conference that he wants to meet Vladimir Putin soon and “stop this ridiculous war”.
“We do really welcome such strong messages from President Trump and we believe that he will be the winner. And we believe that we have an additional chance to get new dynamic in diplomatic efforts to end this war,” said Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha.
Read in full:
People clear the rubble inside St. Andrew’s Cathedral which was damaged by a Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine last week. Photograph: Kateryna Klochko/AP
Tsikhanouskaya also spoke about concerns in Belarus that the country “might be given as a consolation prize to Putin” after any potential peace talks on Ukraine.
“That at the moment of negotiation we might save Ukraine on some terms but Belarus will stay in the status quo and it will postpone changes in Belarus for many, many years.”
She said the talks, if they happen, should look at the withdrawal of Russian troops not only from Ukraine but also from Belarus, including nuclear weapons.
A woman walks past an election billboard ahead of presidential elections in Minsk, Belarus. Photograph: Pavel Bednyakov/AP
Belarus vote has ‘nothing in common’ with democratic elections, exiled opposition leader says
Tsikhanouskaya speaking to Reuters earlier this week Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters
Tsikhanouskaya, the head of the exiled Belarusian opposition, spoke with Reuters earlier this week.
Here is what she said:
“What in the democratic world you call elections has nothing in common with this event in Belarus. Because it’s mostly like a ritual for dictators, when they are reappointing themselves.”
She argued that Lukashenko was playing his “usual game” of drip-feeding prisoner releases in the hope of winning rewards from the West.
She said the exiled opposition was counting on further support from what she called the “democratic world” in its efforts to weaken Lukashenko and bring change to the country.
“Our fight is not just only for Belarus, it’s a fight against dictatorship,” she said. “We need allies in this fight.”
If you are not familiar with her story, here is her profile from 2023:
Here’s more from Reuters on Lukashenko’s pardons this morning:
Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is assured of winning a new five-year term on Sunday. The exiled opposition says the vote is a sham because all his leading critics have been jailed or forced to flee the country.
Mass protests nearly swept Lukashenko from power after the last election in 2020, when Western governments backed the opposition’s assertion that he falsified the results and stole victory from its candidate, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. He used his security apparatus to crush the demonstrations, arresting tens of thousands of people.
Human rights group Viasna, which is banned in Belarus as an extremist organisation, says there are about 1,250 political prisoners in the country, even after the release of more than 250 in the past year. Many of those freed were sick, elderly or close to the end of their sentences.
A woman walks past an election poster ahead of presidential elections in Minsk, Belarus. Photograph: Pavel Bednyakov/AP
Lukashenko issues pardons on eve of election
A police officer walks past an election billboard ahead of presidential elections in Minsk, Belarus. Photograph: Pavel Bednyakov/AP
So let’s go straight to Minsk, where Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 15 prisoners in what state media called a humanitarian gesture, two days before an election in which he is set to extend his 31-year rule.
State media said Lukashenko had pardoned eight people convicted of extremist activity and seven sentenced for drug crimes. It did not give any of their names. Earlier this week, he signed a decree raising pensions by an average of 10%.
Political analysts say Lukashenko is hoping to use the election and successive batches of prisoner releases to try to repair relations with the West, which has imposed waves of sanctions on Belarus over its human rights record and support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
His efforts have become more urgent, they say, as he contemplates the likelihood of Ukraine peace talks this year and tries to secure gains for himself and Belarus if the conflict comes to an end, Reuters reports.
Morning opening: Stay safe Ireland and focus on Belarus
Jakub Krupa
A tree lies on a road during Storm Eowyn in Rathangan, Ireland. Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters
Over 700,000 premises are currently reported to be without power in Ireland this morning as Storm Éowyn, expected to be one of the most dangerous in history, makes landfall.
The entire island of Ireland is under a red weather warning this morning. Later today, tricky weather conditions could also affect parts of continental Europe, including northern France.
We are covering the weather situation on our special blog:
Elsewhere in Europe, it looks like a fairly quiet day, which, given the intensity of the world this week, is good news.
We will take a look at Belarus, where Alexander Lukashenko will undoubtedly hail another hollow victory on Sunday.
I will also keep you up to date on:
the Irish government formation process,
the situation in Germany, where the campaign heats up ahead of next month’s parliamentary election,
and all other key news stories from across the continent.
It’s Friday, 24 January 2025, and this is Europe live. It’s Jakub Krupa here.
If you are in Ireland, let us know – email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com or message on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social or on X at @jakubkrupa.
Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, pictured at at a meeting in Russia last month. Photograph: Gavriil Grigorov/Reuters
The European Union has strongly condemned the recent presidential elections in Belarus, labeling them as a “total sham” and calling for the release of all political prisoners in the country.
The EU’s criticism comes after President Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory in the August 9th election, which many international observers have deemed fraudulent. Protests erupted across Belarus following the announcement of the results, with thousands of citizens taking to the streets to demand fair elections and an end to Lukashenko’s 26-year rule.
In a statement, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said, “The elections were neither free nor fair and did not meet international standards. The European Union does not recognize the results presented by the Belarus authorities.”
The EU has also announced that it will be imposing sanctions on individuals responsible for the election fraud and the violent crackdown on protesters, further isolating Lukashenko’s regime on the international stage.
As the situation in Belarus continues to unfold, the EU has reiterated its support for the Belarusian people’s right to peaceful protest and their aspirations for a democratic future. The world will be watching closely as events in Belarus continue to unfold.
Tags:
Europe live, Belarus elections, EU, Belarus news, European Union, Belarus election fraud, Europe politics, EU statement, Belarus government, EU criticism, Europe current events
News headlines at the end of 2024 appeared to be all bad for the left in the U.S. as Donald Trump cruised to an electoral victory, and, in a reversal from 2016, handily won the popular vote as well. Some drew sweeping conclusions about the political direction of the country as Republicans kept control of the House of Representatives and retook the Senate, handing them trifecta control of the U.S. government.
Many Democrats were quick to point the finger at their party’s supposed embrace of progressive policy for its ballot box woes. Longtime party strategists blamed “woke era” politics for Democrats’ losses, while members of the party attacked leftist slogans. Never mind that Kamala Harris had neither promulgated policies like “defunding the police,” nor had she adopted any of the leftist rallying cries that blame-casting Democrats were quick to denounce after the election.
It’s undeniable that Democrats suffered major losses at the national level. The situation at the state and local level is more complicated, however, and thus deserving of a more nuanced analysis. And, as progressives continue to pursue gains at the ballot box, victories are appearing in some very unexpected places.
One of the biggest surprises of the last few years, and a trend that continued through 2024, was the popularity of progressive ballot measures (and the commensurate unpopularity of right-wing ones). This trend held true in both blue and red states, pointing to the viability of progressive policy across partisan contexts.
In Kentucky, almost two-thirds of voters rejected Amendment 2, which would have allowed the state to spend tax dollars to fund private, charter and religious schools. Despite so-called “school choice” measures having long been a part of the Republican Party platform, Amendment 2 failed spectacularly in a state that Donald Trump won by over 30 points. This loss exposes the unpopularity of right-wing policy, and shows it can lose when separated from the candidates who promote it.
This pattern was also evident in states where abortion access was on the ballot. Since Roe was overturned in 2022, states dominated by Democrats and Republicans have already constitutionally enshrined or expanded abortion access, and the results in November were no different. Ten states had abortion-related referenda on their ballots, and seven of those ten voted for measures maintaining or expanding abortion rights. Of those seven, Donald Trump won the popular vote in four. And though an attempt to amend the Florida constitution to protect abortion rights failed, a majority, 57 percent, of voters approved of the amendment, falling just short of the 60 percent required to change the state constitution.
Ballot measures for progressive change were popular at the local level too. Two municipalities in Washington State, Everett and Renton, succeeded in passingmeasures to raise the minimum wage.
Ballot measures were not the only path to victory for progressives in 2024. While progressive wins at the national level were scarce in 2024 (due in no small part to the massive dark money spending against progressives in Congress), left-leaning candidates continued to find success at the state and local levels.
In Georgia, Gabriel Sanchez became the first democratic socialist elected to office in the state after he beat the Republican challenger with more than 60 percent of the vote in Smyrna, an Atlanta suburb. He defeated the incumbent Democrat in the party primary before his resounding general election win. Sanchez ran on a platform that called for a $20 minimum wage and the implementation of statewide Medicare for All, and called Israel an apartheid state that was perpetrating a genocide in Gaza. His success in Smyrna, in the heart of Georgia’s Cobb County where George W. Bush twice carried the county by 20-plus point margins, highlights the electorate in Georgia’s increasing receptivity to progressive policies.
Sanchez was not the only candidate to win election while openly criticizing U.S. support for Israel. In Delaware, incumbent State Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton cruised to a third term without opposition. Over the last two years, Wilson-Anton has been the most vocal critic in Delaware of Israel’s war on Gaza and was the lead sponsor of a ceasefire resolution that passed the Delaware House, just the second state legislative body to do so. Wilson-Anton’s sponsorship of such a resolution in President Joe Biden’s home state, in an election year, apparently did not raise the ire of voters in her district.
And, in a tale of two Portlands, self-proclaimed democratic socialists built their legislative blocs in city councils on both sides of the U.S. In Portland, Oregon, two candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, Mitch Green and Tiffany Koyama Lane, won seats on the 12-person council. They will join another DSA member, Sameer Kanal, along with a coterie of other progressives on the Portland City Council, where Green believes progressives will have a majority of council votes. At the top of their agenda is rent control, in a city that has struggled to keep up with the demand for affordable housing, even as vacancy rates rise.
In Portland, Maine, meanwhile, the city elected its second democratic socialist to the council. Wes Pelletier, who also foregrounded affordable housing in his platform, prevailed after two rounds of ranked-choice voting. In recent years, Portland residents have repeatedly rejected attempts by the local landlord lobby to roll back rent control laws passed by ballot measure in 2022. Pelletier’s election is yet another signal that Portlanders want to prioritize affordable housing over the concerns of real estate developers.
While these successes might seem a modest counterbalance to the catastrophic collapse of the Democratic Party at the national level, they also complicate the narrative that the adoption of left-leaning policy is to blame for Democrats’ failures. In fact, when it comes to voting for candidates and policies that will most immediately impact voters’ lives, progressive policy appears to be quite popular. That voters chose to adopt these policies in a year in which Democrats ran two extremelyunpopular candidates for president makes these electoral accomplishments even more impressive. And, with Donald Trump beginning his second term in the face of lackluster approval ratings and even less enthusiasm for his stated agenda, progressive policy may yet hold the antidote to much of the right-wing malice to come. As Democrats pick up the pieces of the 2024 wipeout and look to rebuild the party, there may be some lessons for them in these down ballot victories.
Defying Trump’s right-wing agenda from Day One
Inauguration Day is here, and at Truthout, we plan to defy Trump’s right-wing agenda from Day One.
Looking to the first year of Trump’s presidency, we know that the most vulnerable among us will be harmed. Militarized policing in U.S. cities and at the borders will intensify. The climate crisis will deteriorate further. The erosion of free speech has already begun, and we anticipate more attacks on journalism.
It will be a terrifying four years to produce social justice-driven journalism. But we’re not falling to despair, because we know there are reasons to believe in our collective power.
The stories we publish at Truthout are part of the antidote to creeping authoritarianism. And this year, we promise we will kick into an even higher gear to give you truthful news that cuts against the disinformation, vitriol, hate and violence. We promise to publish analyses that will serve the needs of the movements we all rely on to survive the next four years, and even build for the future. We promise to be responsive, to recognize you as members of our community with a vital stake and voice in this work.
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Despite common belief, the 2024 elections in the United States did not actually shift the political landscape as far rightward as many may think. While there were certainly some conservative victories and gains in both Congress and at the state level, the overall makeup of the government remains largely unchanged.
In fact, when looking at the results of the 2024 elections, it is clear that there were significant victories for progressive and moderate candidates as well. Democrats were able to maintain control of the House of Representatives, and even made gains in the Senate, giving them a stronger majority in the upper chamber.
Additionally, many state and local races saw wins for candidates on the left, with a number of progressive policies and initiatives passing in various states across the country. This shows that there is still a strong and vocal base of support for progressive values and policies in the US.
While it is important to acknowledge the gains made by conservative candidates in the 2024 elections, it is equally important to recognize that the political landscape remains diverse and complex. The idea that the US has shifted dramatically to the right is simply not supported by the election results.
Moving forward, it will be crucial for both parties to work together to address the pressing issues facing the country and find common ground on solutions that benefit all Americans. Only by coming together can we truly move forward and create a better future for our nation.
Tags:
US politics, 2024 elections, political shift, conservative party, liberal party, political analysis, election results, US government, political trends
