With Election Day upon us ‘tis the season to make hasty accusations about the insecurity of America’s voting system. In Washington, like in other parts of the country, the right-wing has focused on attacking the idea of mail-in ballots. Last week, with the ballot explosions in Clark County and Portland, right-wing influencers such as Jonathan Choe quickly capitalized on these incidents to make claims that the “entire system is vulnerable.” by Ashley Nerbovig

With Election Day upon us ‘tis the season to make hasty accusations about the insecurity of America’s voting system. In Washington, like in other parts of the country, the right-wing has focused on attacking the idea of mail-in ballots. Last week, with the ballot explosions in Clark County and Portland, right-wing influencers such as Jonathan Choe quickly capitalized on these incidents to make claims that the “entire system is vulnerable.”

As we move through Election Day and beyond, bad faith actors are poised to take every single election related mishap or misunderstanding and turn it into another reason to make our elections more “secure” which just means erecting more barriers to make it harder to vote, measures that often disproportionately affect Black and Brown voters. So how do you stop yourself from becoming a sucker for a piece of election misinformation that could lead you to support a law that might deprive your neighbor of their right to vote? Glad you asked. I’m here to walk you through what misinformation might look like in the days to come.  

Most of the time, rumors around elections fall into four buckets, according to local election rumor expert Kate Starbird. She co-founded the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public, which studies false and misleading information online and designs strategies to combat it. First bucket: Someone observes an event and assumes something has gone wrong, but in reality, the system functions as intended—they simply don’t understand the process. But the person shares the information as something potentially nefarious. Some examples include last week when former President Donald Trump’s name appeared on the second screen for the California ballot, leading people to complain about having to click an extra button to vote for him. The explanation was not that California was purposefully suppressing Trump voters, only that California randomizes the order of names on ballots and, unluckily for Trump that meant he landed on the second page.

The other three buckets involve when someone faces a real issue with voting, such as the machines not working, their name missing or misspelled on the voter rolls, or as has happened recently in Washington, they receive multiple ballots. These issues are typically distorted in one of three ways. First, the rumor emerges that whatever issue prevented someone from voting was intentional. Second, someone makes an unverified claim that the issue is widespread and deprives a much larger group of people from voting. Finally, the rumor obscures the fact that even if someone faced an issue voting, the elections office actually had a solution to the problem.

A good example of some local election rumor coverage happened last week when KING 5 reported a poorly contextualized piece claiming that a woman had received 16 ballots with names of people she’d never met. The station quoted the woman as saying the incident caused her to have concerns over the democratic process. To verify what actually happened, I spoke to the King County Elections Spokesperson Halei Watkins who explained the woman had moved to a new address where she received her ballots. But she also was sent the ballots of seven people who previously lived at her address. She then returned those seven ballots to the post office, which redelivered them to her, creating the appearance that she had received more than a dozen ballots. Watkins said the ballots ultimately were undeliverable because the voters hadn’t updated their addresses with the county. Watkins called it an isolated incident, not indicative of a massive problem within the election system.

That’s a pretty typical case of an election rumor that paints a picture of some deeper issue where one doesn’t exist. But when Starbird looks at how people use the ballot boxes to undermine confidence in our elections, things become a little more tricky. The fires don’t fall cleanly into any of the four buckets of misinformation, Starbird said. First of all, the fires represent a real attack on our voting systems. We don’t know the motives of the person involved. Remedies exist for the problem, but they’re imperfect and some ballots may have been lost. These attacks do appear isolated to two ballot boxes, and one possible earlier attempt on October 8 in Vancouver that did not result in any damaged ballots. The fires also had mixed outcomes regarding the ability of ballot boxes to extinguish fires. In Portland, only three ballots actually suffered damage, because the mechanism to extinguish flames in the ballot box deployed quickly. In Vancouver, Washington, the fire-suppressant device worked less effectively, but Clark County and King County are both looking into better tools to prevent fires. 

So yes, the fires exposed a vulnerability, but it can hardly be used to definitively call into question mail in voting as a concept, which is how people such as Choe wish to use the incident. Overall, issues with mail in voting are few and far between, and voter fraud involving mail in ballots is exceedingly rare.

When Watkins hears people decry mail-in voting or talk about returning to in-person voting, she points out that polling places have a whole host of issues that could leave the election vulnerable to mishaps or mistakes. Before King County switched to mail-in voting in 2009, the county had 500 polling locations, with 8,000 temporary staff or volunteers who received between four to 12 hours of training in preparation for election day. Now, teams of two pick up ballots from the various ballot boxes that they deliver to election headquarters in Renton. King County has 75 permanent and 800 temporary staff who help with all things related to the election. The process is much more streamlined. 

Watkins also pointed out that at the time King County switched to all mail-in voting, 86% of votes in King County had registered as permanent absentee voters, meaning they already voted by mail, which speaks to the preferences of the county, Watkins said.

“I feel like people who push for in-person voting would just end up creating barriers to voting, not making it more secure,” Watkins says.

The Stranger's morning news round-up. by Hannah Krieg

A perfect day for a biiiiiig walk: We could all use a little sunshine right now. Today, Seattlites can expect on-and-off sunny skies—I think the weather nerds of the PNW call it “sunshowers”—and temperatures in the high 50s. 

Council President Rinck: We got another ballot drop last night! Here in Seattle, Alexis Mercedes Rinck has only expanded her decisive lead on the City Council’s faildaughter Tanya Woo. And it's not just Woo that Rinck’s got beat. Her vote count trumps the combined total of the 2023 City Council victors and she’s got a 26,000-vote lead over Council President Sara Nelson’s 2021 campaign. Rinck may be a minority opinion on the council, but she represents more of the electorate than any other member.

Nail-biter: Washington’s 3rd Congressional District is still too close to call. U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez leads her far-right challenger Joe Kent by about 12,000 votes. We should have a clearer picture in the coming days, but for now the whole country is watching—this race is among the handful that will decide if Republicans retain their majority in the House. 

Another close one: It’s still a tight race for I-2066, the hedge fund millionaire's initiative that would ban the state from encouraging electrification.

Something good on Twitter: After a landslide victory, State House elect Shaun Scott has earned a meme.

???????? pic.twitter.com/RNI4iERKsK

— Shaun Scott ???????? (@eyesonthestorm) November 6, 2024

Joever: Yesterday, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the nation to concede she had lost the 2024 presidential election. She kept her remarks very positive, very boilerplate Democrat. If she truly believed  Trump is the threat to the American people he is, she should have come for blood. But, no. The Democrats love to capitulate to the right. And, it's part of why they lost so spectacularly. They championed an extreme and inhumane immigration platform, shrugged their shoulders at Israel’s utter decimation of Gaza, and totally abandoned working people crushed by the weight of the affordability crisis. I know you’re smart and you already know this, but as the #Resist libs start to re-recognize the ever-present threat of fascism—the precarity of reproductive access, queer and trans liberation, immigrants’ rights, workers protections, and more—remember that the Democrats' constant sidesteps to the right landed us here. 

well, as long as you had fun! https://t.co/FtJ9HJ4T8P

— Lead Actor from Pixar’s Sodas (@ByYourLogic) November 7, 2024

Trump transition begins: President-elect Donald Trump’s allies have started lobbying for positions in his administration. According to CNN, Trump will use these positions to “reward” those who have remained loyal to him. That’s also a key feature of his plan: make the administrative state, or what they often call the “deep state,” more friendly, thus radically expanding the executive's power and efficiency. Some top positions seem narrowed down. Trump’s likely considering 2024 co-campaign manager Susie Wiles, his former budget director Russ Vought, CEO of the America First Policy Institute Brooke Rollins, or his former US trade representative Bob Lighthizer for White House Chief of Staff. Rumor has it he will also find jobs for loathsome little rat Elon Musk and anti-vax nut job RFK. Cool.

Off the hook: Trump’s victory may mean the end of his two federal criminal cases related to his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his mishandling of classified documents. His team delayed the cases until after the election, banking on a victory so Trump could fire special counsel Jack Smith and end the cases. As for his New York hush money case, Trump is scheduled for sentencing later this month, but his team will likely argue he’s entitled to constitutional protections afforded to sitting presidents after his election. 

Solidarity: Yesterday, Cascade PBS workers staged an informational picket outside their workplace to pressure their bosses to meet their three demands in their contract: higher wages, better benefits, and strong workplace protections. And, boy, do they deserve higher wages. According to their press release, the Cascade PBS CEO made nearly seven times the average unit member’s salary in 2023. Greed is a fucking disease.

Today at noon, @CascadePBSUnion members used our lunch break to rally for fair wages and a fair contract. If you’re in the area, drop by and say hi - we’ll be the ones in the bright red shirts ✊ pic.twitter.com/ZR9pEwK6jV

— Cascade PBS Union (@CascadePBSUnion) November 6, 2024

In honor of our incoming commander-in-chief: He’s a theatre girly.

Plus, More Event Updates for November 7 by EverOut Staff

Henry VIII’s six wives will belt pop songs on the Paramount Theatre stage when the Tony Award-winning musical Six returns to Seattle next spring. Post-hardcore band Chiodos is coming to Seattle next year to celebrate 20 years of their debut album All’s Well That Ends Well. Plus, Billboard-charting hard rock outfit Catch Your Breath has dropped dates for their Broken Souls tour. Read on for details on those and other newly announced events, plus some news you can use.

MUSIC

Catch Your Breath - The Broken Souls Tour
The Crocodile (Feb 6, 2025)

Chiodos: 20 Years of All’s Well That Ends Well
The Showbox (Mar 28, 2025)

Fleetmac Wood
The Crocodile (Apr 4, 2025)

See someone? Say something! by Anonymous

good boy, Mitten Bakery ????

"Who's a good boy?" you petting your cute dog next to me. I asked "Oh me?". You said, "Well if I get two good boys out of it ya!" - I didn't get ur #!

Smokin Hot at Smoker Dad

I Saw U at the Sunset Tavern at the Smoker Dad release show. You were wearing a tight jean skirt, and you told me I had a timeless beauty. Same, girl.

Barrettes at Hop Vine 10.28

I stared, we waved! I looked up how to sign “ur super cute” but was too shy. I like your hair, sweater, how you cover your mouth when you laugh!

I saw u x2 @ SBP

UW & Fremont. You were tall & brunette w glasses. I’m shortish and brunette w glasses. You seemed interested, I’m shy. But I’m interested too

Party at Porter

We were both on the floor at the Porter Robinson show. You were in front of me, tall and blonde. Thanks for making an incredible show even more fun.

Bus 49 Connection

Tall guy in tan sweater, wearing a black mask, purple-haired girl hoping to meet again. We made eye contact a few times in cap hill and I was too shy to look at you. Kinda felt like I was in a kdrama—wanna be my Lee Min Ho?

Dieu en Mouvement

BV Lincoln SQ: 3:30, Sunday. You were exiting. Tall, dark, a beautiful print coat, thin glasses, I said I liked your outfit. You are art in motion.

Fellow Magnetic Fields Fans

We sat in the balcony turret the first night of 69 Love Songs. Thanks for singing along with me! Hope you got to come back for Papa was a Rodeo.

Is it a match? Leave a comment here or on our Instagram post to connect!

Did you see someone? Say something! Submit your own I Saw U message here and maybe we'll include it in the next roundup!

Reading a sex-advice column at a time like this might seem a little pointless. by Dan Savage Reading a sex-advice column at a time like this — to say nothing of writing a sex-advice column at a time like this — might seem a little pointless. But I’ve lived long enough to know that seemingly pointless distractions, small comforts, and guilty pleasures have the power to sustain us in bad times. Taking a moment to read (or write or illustrate) a sex-advice column — or listen to or make some music or watch or make some porn — doesn’t mean you’re complacent or complicit. (Unless you voted for him, of course, in which case you can fuck the fuck off.) Because it’s the little things — the small pleasures — that keep us sane, keep us connected, and keep us going. Anyway, sitting down to write a column this week lifted my spirits a bit. I hope reading this week’s column lifts yours. — Dan P.S. All…

[ Read more ]

I've actually written a lot, but haven't wanted to publish most of it. So many reasons why the Dems lost. Maybe I should just list them.

1. Biden shouldn't have run again. There would have been a primary. Given the result of the election this week, we should have found out what support each candidate had with voters. We didn't get to choose the candidate. That said Harris ran a fantastic campaign.
2. Biden should not have shut down his campaign website. Rather than using it to raise money to feed to the media industry, they should have organized and listened, to develop new channels of communication with voters that were not dependent on journalism. Every time the Dems run a campaign, win or lose, they shut down their connection to the electorate. The voters' only role in the party was when they needed our money and our vote. We were not part of governing. Huge mistake. And I'm not just saying that now, I've said that about every Democratic campaign since Obama. This is probably the biggest single mistake the Dems keep making.
3. We needed a prosecutor at the top of Justice. I don't know what Garland actually did, but I'm sure it will all be swept out by whoever is Trump's AG.
4. Men's votes need to be sought and welcomed, specifically. So much has been done to alienate male voters, which is why so many voted for Trump. We could have had a bunch of them this year, if we had only spoken to them with respect.

I don't know if we can reboot the Democrats as an opposition party given all these problems. Whatever comes next is going to perform very differently from the party that lost this election. If we try to do it again the same old way, it will fail even worse. I think everyone knows this by now.

Undoubtedly WordPress has been excellently set up to get the best of Search Engine Optimization. That’s the reason why most of us are always reluctant to get away from the cozy comfort of WordPress and get the site hosted with third party. Also, transition to a third party means increased responsibility starting from the need […]

This is a guide on how to promote video content on YouTube, with significant focus on channel optimization, harnessing YouTube settings and features, website modifications and the opportunities involved in paid video promotion. Follow these 6 tips on how to promote YouTube videos, and you’re guaranteed to see an improvement in viewership, reach and overall […]

Congratulations! You’ve made a very sensible business decision, and you’ve hired a copywriter to create some new content for your company. You’re holding (or, more likely, looking at a digital version of) some professional, compelling content. It does exactly what you need it to. But could you use it for anything new? Once you’ve paid […]

“I want to increase traffic to my blog or website”- The very same question keeps on haunting all the business owners. It has kept me on my toes for a long while. Now, I thought to jot down all the very best strategies for increasing not only traffic but also qualified leads. Read them, share […]

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“When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be. And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be. Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be. Whisper words of wisdom, let it be. And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree, there will be an answer, let it be. For though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see, there will be an answer. let it...

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Count on a varied, immersive scene Saturday when Tucson Doobie presents Halloweed at Generation Cool…

It's not easy choosing a chaotic, uncertain gig over a lucrative, secure career…

A word about monsters…

Karen, host of Nordic Roots and Branches recommends the

Mostly Nordic Concert SeriesSunday, February 1, 2009 to Sunday, June 7, 2009
For information on the concerts included in this year's Mostly Nordic series, go to the Nordic Heritage Museum website, www.nordicmuseum.org

Norway: Sunday, February 1, 2009, 4 pm
"Bassoon Bash!" With Arthur Grossman, Michel Jolivet and Paul Rafanelli, bassoonists, and Lisa Bergman, pianist.

Iceland: Sunday, March 22, 2009, 4 pm
"Iceland Import" Featuring Elfa Run Kristinsdottir, international award-winning violinist from Iceland, and Deborah Dewey, American award winning pianist.

Denmark: Sunday, April 5, 2009, 4 pm
"Splendor in Brass: Seattle Chamber Brass" Featuring Toby Penk, trumpet; Joshua Gailey, trumpet; Josiah Boothby, French horn; Daniel Rossi, trombone and Jonathan Hill, tuba.

Sweden: Sunday, May 3, 2009, 5 pm
(Please note time change!)
"Romance of Strings: Odeonquartet" Featuring Gennady Filimonov, Artur Girsky, Heather Bentley and Rajan Krishnaswami. With special guest Mara Gearman, violist.

Finland: Sunday, June 7, 2009, 4 pm
"Finally Finnish!" Showcasing Janne Mertanen, International Award-Winning Pianist from Finland!

To order tickets by phone, please call (206) 789-5707 x10.

Ticket prices for the five concert series and Smörgåsbord
Museum Members, $165 per person
Non-Members, $185 per person

Single Tickets:
1 concert (includes Smörgåsbord)
Museum Members, $40 per person
Non-Members, $45 per person

Single Tickets:
Concert Only (does not include Smörgåsbord)
$25 per person

Oh, and hey, big ol' honkin' congrats to Blisterlips and griphus for doing this whole having an adorable baby thing. Hey there, Helio Edward, welcome to MetaFilter.

Life-altering experiences. Can you point to a single experience in your life, as a child, which you can define as having contributed to the person you are today? (+)

It's a pretty basic need: You gotta eat…

In the spring of 2020, Andrea Walker Warren and her husband, Matt Warren, found themselves in Munich, contemplating moving back to the United States…

Nearly half a century ago, the Environmental Protection Agency used the Toxic Substances Control Act to ban the use and production of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs…

This is hardly the first time the Catholic Church has to deal with a plague. Spokane Bishop Thomas Daly knows that well…

PROPHET OF DOOM…

Our staff of reporters and photographers at the Inlander has been working tirelessly to cover the coronavirus pandemic and all of its implications for the Inland Northwest — on jobs, schools, employment, the restaurant industry, arts organizations, hospitals and much, much more. However, we’ve also tapped into a boundless resource that is our region’s community of writers, and in recent days they’ve shared with Inlander readers an awe-inspiring series of essays and stories that has left us inspired, hopeful, heartbroken and more than a little grateful…

The work of Oscar-nominated writer-director Mike Mills (20th Century Women, Beginners) has always been grounded in an inescapable sense of empathy — for the world, the people who live in it, and the characters he crafts a film around…

Fishtrap, Washington…

I've driven past many dilapidated buildings in my life…

Crammed in a narrow canyon of North Idaho's Silver Valley, in perhaps one of the most inconvenient but also beautiful places for a hub of human habitation, are the rusted remains of a once-lively mountain mine town…

Don't let anyone tell you that you can't go home again…