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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Friday, April 23, 2021

Good News For NorCo Democrats in This Year's Municipal Races

In Northampton County's municipal primary four years ago, the total turnout was just 23,667, an anemic 14.45% of the county's total number of registered voters. This included 541 absentee ballots for voters who were unable to vote at their precinct. The advent of no-excuse mail-in ballots (MIBs) is going to dramatically increase turnout. Thanks to Donald Trump's non-stop bashing of this convenient way to vote, Democrats are going to benefit. 

According to information received from the elections office yesterday (you can see it yourself below)  there have already been 21,074 applications for MIBs.  This is close to the total turnout four years ago. 

Even more interesting, 14,932 of these requests have come from Democrats. That is 71% of the total number of requests so far. In contrasts, only 4,131 Republicans (19.6%) seek MIBs. They've been conditioned to think they must vote in person to be considered a true patriot. If something comes up, which often happens, they will miss out on voting. 

The 14,932 MIB applications from Democrats actually exceeds the 13,473 Democrats who voted in person four years ago. 

So MIBs appear to be a game changer. They are increasing turnout for Democrats. They should be increasing turnout in both major parties, but disdain for this simple way to vote is Donald Trump's true legacy.

Thanks, Donald. 

NorCo MIB Requests as of Ap... by BernieOHare

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, when it comes to cheating, Democrats definitely have the advantage, as you've just shown.

Anonymous said...

The plan worked.

Anonymous said...

This is not an indication of who is voting, rather it displays someone’s mindset. Need I say more!

John said...

If your analysis is correct - and I believe you to be accurate! - it looks like the proposed constructional amendment to limit the governor’s authority will not pass.

Anonymous said...

Why would people not vote for Democratic Party with all the "free" money they are getting and more to come... Yep, going to tax all those rich bad Republicans running the corporations. Not me, I am just a regular middle class working American. We will see how middle class you are when prices of things go up and so will your taxes. Teehee

Bernie O'Hare said...

The first two comments indicate that idiots believe MIBs submitted by Dens constitute cheating. The person you can thank for GOP reluctance to use this tool is Donald Trump.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"If your analysis is correct - and I believe you to be accurate! - it looks like the proposed constructional amendment to limit the governor’s authority will not pass."

I am a Democrat who will be voting to limit the executive authority of the governor. I oppose the concentration of that kind of power in the hands of one person for extended periods. We fought the revolutionary war and declared independence over this issue. Over time, legislatures on the national, state and local levels have grown lax and have allowed immense power to the exec branch.

Anonymous said...

Court Packing, DC statehood, Open Borders, arrest the police, since knife fights have been going on for "eons" and now the bad police are shooting 16 year old girls, who produce Tik Tok videos about hair styles. Trillions in giveaways, no Covid testing for illegals, hotel stays for homeless, Capital Gains taxes, (Ignore the S Corporations), left calling blacks too dumb to read their drivers license numbers, Trillions in cash to the left, caving to Iran, caving to AOC. Yeah, she's my ideal rep. Where is she ranking in regards to her co-workers? George Floyd is a hero, suitcase of ballots pulled out from under tables after Republicans sent home, drop boxes, no excuse voting, 18 dead, billions in property damage, hundreds of police and National Guard injured. Asians being assaulted, knock out game back in NYC. And on and on... I don't know. Trump was so terrible.

Anonymous said...

9:11
Thanks for all that. I should watch nothing but Newsmax and get fitted for a tin foil hat.

Anonymous said...

If this trend continues this country will look like syria in a very short time.

Anonymous said...

"I am a Democrat who will be voting to limit the executive authority of the governor. I oppose the concentration of that kind of power in the hands of one person for extended periods."

Bravo. But as evidenced throughout the last year, you are a tiny minority among left leaning voters. You are a self-described Democrat and bottom-feeding blogger. You are also a unicorn.

Anonymous said...

9:11
Thank you for the truthful explanation.

Anonymous said...

If there is a way to harvest votes via mail in ballots, why the hell isn't my party, the good ol GOP doing the same? This bullshit doesn't add up. Then again with what the R's have been electing lately . . .

Anonymous said...

Stacey Abrams, at 9:49am, isss that you?

“Regardless of what Ma’Khia Bryant may have been doing, there is no justification for taking her life without attempting some form of intervention,”

I'd love to say, I WISH THE COP DIDN'T SHOOT, to see what the outcome was of a stabbing victim was, but I can't say that because I don't want that to happen.

Thank God she lost her election. And still says it was stolen from her and refuses to concede. Hmm?

No need for no excuse mail in ballots.

Anonymous said...

Trump's legacy, I guess. PA and local Rs didn't close a single business or inflict a single authoritarian edict on a single citizen. They didn't order CoViD positive patients into nursing homes while the state health secretary sneaked her mom out of one in the middle of the night. They didn't ignore the Gracedale horror, by closing playgrounds and rattling about plastic straws. Trump divided, conquered, and destroyed his party while Democrats ran wild and destroyed lives and the state's economy.

Anonymous said...

Bernie,

You are too smart of a guy to think that we needed someone to tell us that no excuse mail in ballots will open the door to more fraud and make it easier to cheat.

All the things we were afraid of are happening in very short order. So take the 'conspiracy theory' BS and the idea that we are too stupid to think for ourselves and shove it.

Democrat style governance has ruined California, Portland, Seattle, and NYC and you people to have the audacity to double down and shove it down the throats of free Americans that WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. There will be push back.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"Trump's legacy, I guess. PA and local Rs didn't close a single business or inflict a single authoritarian edict on a single citizen. They didn't order CoViD positive patients into nursing homes while the state health secretary sneaked her mom out of one in the middle of the night. They didn't ignore the Gracedale horror, by closing playgrounds and rattling about plastic straws. Trump divided, conquered, and destroyed his party while Democrats ran wild and destroyed lives and the state's economy."

It is Trump's legacy. He raised ridiculous objections to a much more convenient way to vote until it reached the point that Republicans feel they are disloyal if they vote that way. He has hurt his own party.

Your other points are an attempt to change the subject, but let me address them.

1) You are correct that Rs in this state did not shut down the economy. That came from Wolf, and he handled it poorly. Democrats paid the price at the polls last year down ballot and I suspect they will continue to pay.

2) Gracedale refused to accept Covid positive residents unless they had two negative tests. It set up an isolation unit. Thanks to a short supply of PPE in the federal stockpile, it ran short for about a month on these vital supplies. Both Trump and Obama are to blame for that. The initial testing for Covid was screwed up, causing a test shortage. Trump is to blame for that. He also downplayed the virus and failed to warn the public that it was spread through the air. He mocked people for wearing masks, making that a political issue. The order to accept Covid-positive residents at nursing homes initially came from his own CDC.

3) McClure closed county parks for about two weeks until he learned that the disease is primarily airborne and indoors. This is something that probably could have been avoided, but thanks to Trump's unwillingness to disclose that the disease is primarily airborne, it was thought at the time that the virus was on swing sets and other hard surfaces.

4) While Wolf over=reacted, McClure did everything the county could do to help people. Unlike other governments who hid behind closed doors or stayed at home, he was open for business even when it bothered entitled social workers. He made sure that over $10 million in Covid relief went to small business in at least four rounds of funding. He set up a program to ensure landlords would get paid when tenants were out of work. He had testing sites set up.

5) The plastic straw debate was silly, but it occurred long before Covid. It is dishonest to bring that up in the context of this discussion.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"If there is a way to harvest votes via mail in ballots,"

That, in my view, is the one weakness of MIBs. I worry about party bosses collecting ballots and dropping them off. This is illegal but hard to prove.

On the other hand, I see no problem with a husband dropping off his wife's ballot, or with a neighbor dropping off a few ballots to save people a trip.

Anonymous said...

As to mail in ballots remember the Republican led General Assembly passed ACT 77
try
https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2021/01/09/fact-checking-josh-hawleys-claim-about-pennsylvanias-election-law-politfact/
"In October 2019, the Republican-led Pennsylvania General Assembly passed an election law, Act 77, that added no-excuse voting by mail, a provision pushed by Democrats. The act says that any qualified elector who is not eligible to be an absentee elector can get a mail-in ballot. Republicans got one of their priorities included too: elimination of straight-ticket voting. The bill drew supporters from both parties, but it had more support from Republicans."
"“Clearly the state legislature and governor believe it is consistent with the state constitution,” Toomey said. “This law wasn’t challenged when it was passed, it wasn’t challenged when it was applied during the June primary election. It was only challenged after President Trump lost the general election.”

Anonymous said...

No one trusts McClure, especially the employees. He runs the election office. Everything must go through him. Republicans are concerned.

Anonymous said...

My mistrust of the government, and Democrats in particular, well preceded Donald Trump. Remember, Democrats are the party of Tammany Hall. Cheating is an inherent part of their political DNA. I have never trusted a Democrat!!!

Anonymous said...

Bernie is right about Legislatures turning over power to executive branch. The Fed and state reps are too independent and make too much money. Pay and benefits for life and little to no work. They appeal to their fringes and get nothing done.

This is even happening at local government. Cities an counties just let the executives do what they want. Even you have applauded executives like your pal McClure and attacked legislatures. Is there anyone on these legislatures that stands up to these executives?

We are putting all the power in single individuals and their hired lieutenants. No one cares. That sucks.

Anonymous said...

The previous statement is untrue. He has his defenders. Many do not trust him at all. They view him as a man who would rob a grave for a watch. Tough to overcome that rep.

Anonymous said...

Ditch Dertinger, the man is a cancer

Anonymous said...

Anon 5:01 Even Bernie knows there are no good local legislators. So what is the point!

Anonymous said...

5:54, nonsense. He did not say that. He knows there are many fine local officials.

Anonymous said...

The country is controlled by the dems--look what they did.

Anonymous said...

The democrats will tax you more and more they do not care vote for a democrat is like a vote for a for a chinese communist or worse

Anonymous said...

I hope Democrats vote to limit the Governors power. Just because Wolf is also a democrat doesn't mean you shouldn't vote for it. He'll be gone soon and next time something like this happens it could be a republican.