BILLBOARD News Now
Alarming
President Trump wrote on Truth Social this morning that mail-in-voting must stop and voting machines are a total waste.
Appears Trump is taking political advice from President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. The New York Times reports that he and President Putin discussed the issue during their summit on Friday in Alaska. Trump said that Putin told him the 2020 election was rigged in favor of Mr. Biden. “He said, ‘Your election was rigged because you have mailing-in-voting,” Mr. Trump quoted Mr. Putin as saying.
This is alarming and must be taken seriously.
The consequences of doing away with mail-in-voting are frightening. This could significantly impact older people who may be unable to get out or are incapacitated. What about those living in rural areas without a car or on dirt roads…it does snow in the mountains of rural America in November. Let’s not forget those in hospitals or long-term care facilities.
Likely as you are reading this you could think of other reasons…even personal ones…why this may prevent them from voting. Can you even imagine taking an action to decease voting…rather than encouraging citizens to exercise their right to vote in a democracy!
Closer to home…Florida significantly changed its mail-in-voting laws primarily through a 2021 law. A change included requiring voters to request mail-in- ballots every two years, whereas previously a request was valid for four years. As a result, requests expired at the end of 2022, necessitating new requests for subsequent elections whereas previously a request was valid for four years.
Look what happened. In the 2020 election, Florida voters’ cast over 4.8 million mail-in-ballots, accounting for 44% of total voters. In the 2024 election cycle, the number fell to just over 3 million, representing 29% of the total ballots cast.
Trump plans to lead a movement to get rid of mail-in-ballots and voting machines. Does he not know the States have constitutional authority to determine how they administer federal elections. Hopefully, we have learned too many people bend to Trump’s demands…we cannot let that happen in this case.
Don’t take this as another diversion from the Epstein Files.
Use icons and envelope above to forward this post to your friends.
Follow us on Twitter (X), Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook or Threads.
Keep Your Guard Up On Cap-and-Trade
The writers of the Politico piece “Obama’s Big Band could go bust” posted here earlier implies diminished prospects for winning final passage of a cap-and-trade legislation this year. I have been thinking this may not be the case. If President Obama loses the...
Republicans Don’t Get Excited
It may seem President Obama is about to replace Jimmy Carter….you know what I mean. Or, that healthcare will bring about another 1994 congressional election in 2010. Republicans don’t get excited. There is a national election atmosphere being created by the...
Perdue Is Running for Governor
A reader telephoned to share that State Treasurer John D. Perdue has announced his candidacy for Governor. Not an unexpected development. It appears he is quietly visiting county Democratic Executive Committees seeking support. In so doing he told one that he is a...
Obama’s Big Bang
For the political junkies that read phillipsbillboard.com I came across this Politico piece. I thought it was an interesting explanation of Team Obama’s policy strategy. West Virginians will be pleased to read these writers believe passage of cap-and trade’s...
Act One for WV Democrats
Act One in the 2012 Democratic gubernatorial primary played out yesterday in the Legislature. House Speaker Richard Thompson (D-Wayne) and Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin (D-Logan) both are known as wanting to be Governor. Labor supported Thompson for Speaker in...
West Virginia Wins in Senate
It has been a while since I thought about the strength of Rural America in the U. S. Senate. Today the Outlook section of The Washington Post provides an excellent insight into how small states can influence the outcome of legislation in the United States Senate. It...
New Tone in Health Care Debate
Members of Congress look forward to August when they go home. It has become a tradition. But 2009 is different. The debate in Washington over health care has now spilled over to the towns and villages throughout America. Peggy Noonan points out in her Saturday Wall...
It’s Time for a Real Republican Summit
Over the weekend I participated in the Underwood Interns Republican Summit. The exchange of information was productive and the new faces were exciting. Driving home I thought it is time for a real Republican Summit. Nothing is getting done by the State Party. The...
A Call from Washington
A former colleague (non-political) from my days in Washington telephoned. They wanted to know if I had seen the piece “The Squandered Stimulus” in today’s The Washington Post. After reading it I thought this has to be shared. Remember this came from The Washington...
Governor Manchin Increases State’s Influence On National Level
West Virginia’s number one salesman Governor Joe Manchin has moved into a leadership role as Vice Chair in the National Governor’s Association (NGA). All of us should be proud to see our Governor in this role. He is positioned to influence policy and the direction...
Melody Potter leads for Republicans in Satellite Voting Questions
Every West Virginia voter should thank Melody Potter for raising important questions about satellite early voting. The Republican Party of WV really owes Ms. Potter. State party leaders never even appointed a committee or form a task force to look at the...
New Approach to Lobby Cap and Trade
Emails were flying asking West Virginians to contact their Representative when the U. S. House of Representatives considered the Cap and Trade legislation. The effort was successful and all voted no. But the bill passed. The action now is in the Senate. I bet there...
BILLBOARD Archives
Thoughts on Improving the WVGOP
Doug McKinney, Chairman of West Virginia Republican Party, sent a newsletter asking for thoughts on improving the WVGOP. He asks specific questions. Since readers of this blog are interested in a two-party system in our State I thought I would share my respond to...
Majority of Republicans don’t think Palin’s qualified for President
Political observers across the country have been wondering what impact Governor Palin’s unexpected resignation would have on Republicans if she decided to make a bid for the Republican nomination in 2012. I came across this piece on the CNN Political Ticker this...
Governors Race Moves to Mountains
Is there a more beautiful place than the mountains of Tucker County to campaign? A Friends of Blackwater fund raiser was hosted Friday by Steve White and Chuck Smith two former chairs of the State Democratic Party. When two Democrats gather these days you can expect...
History Lesson on Political Comebacks
One of my objectives as a blogger is to put forward “think pieces”. One caught my attention in The New York Times “Week in Review”. It provides a history of how both national political parties have come back from bad situations. Those interested in the future of...
Young People Setting An Example
Two experiences I had this weekend provided encouragement about West Virginia’s young people and our leaders for the future. As a judge for a Future Farmers of America (FFA) project I meet nine outstanding young people from various parts of our State. Each were...
Corridor H Gets Good News
Senator Robert C. Byrd still has Corridor H on his agenda. This is exciting news. Governor Manchin was in Washington to brief Senator Byrd and his staff on highway needs. He reported on his telephone visit with Senator Byrd. “The first thing he wanted to know was...
What’s Going On, Sarah Palin?
A brilliant media strategy was executed by Governor Palin on Friday. She used one of the slowest news days other than Christmas to inform the political world she is changing course. Time will reveal if her political strategy (if there is one) was as smart. When my...
Another Candidate Found…..In Coalton
A reader of our blog contacted me to say I missed a potential gubernatorial candidate in my Coalton report. Unrecognized by me in the crowd was out-going Morgantown Mayor Ron Justice. My correspondent says "rumors are swirling that he may be testing the waters as...
Byrd Health Mystery
The Huddle - a must read morning briefing on the lastest congressional news contains the piece below this morning. Byrd Health Mystery: The reality is that a lot of key people remain in the dark about Sen. Robert Byrd's condition. From Roll Call's Jessica Brady: ...
Governors Race Underway…..In Coalton
The 2012 race for the Democratic nomination for Governor got underway Saturday. Watching the potential candidates you would have thought the election was next week. They worked the crowd and created excitement during the annual Coalton Days homecoming celebration. ...
Will WV Republicans be relevant in 2012?
That question will be answered by the preparation, actions and results in the November 2010 election. West Virginia Republicans face challenges starting with participation in its own organization. At a recent Martinsburg meeting only 37 out of 133 members of the...
Welcome to my billboard
Sometime ago a colleague suggested I write a blog. I ask why? She explained with your 25 years of experience including Capitol Hill, having managed to elect a Republican Governor in West Virginia during the 1996 Clinton landslide and playing a leading role in 2000...