The day before an election is the least politically informative day on the calendar, so here’s what you need to remember today: You know nothing. You’re like Jon Snow in the final round of Jeopardy. Are you looking forward to your Thanksgiving dinners and your Christmas lists? Well, tough noughies, pardner, there’s 24 more hours of campaign nonsense to ruin this day. Here’s a small sample:
Stacey Abrams is running a campaign with the closing argument of “Vote against voter suppression.” It’s absurd on it’s face, of course, but hey, this is 2018 and anything goes.
Secretary of State of Georgia Brian Kemp has registered more voters than any other Secretary of State in Georgia’s history. So take that, you “voter suppression” fabulists.
There’s no telling whether Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp has actually been the victim of a breach of the voter registration database, or if the alleged breach is a campaign stunt. Unfortunately, Sec. of State Kemp doesn’t have a record that defaults to “trust him.” The State Representative who blocks me on Twitter has filed an open records request to find out more. We might know more tomorrow night.
If you want to reflect on an absolutely brilliant campaign strategy, consider that of Stacey Abrams. Allegations of “voter suppression” have been the theme of her campaign and fueled much of the out-of-state money that has allowed her to make Georgia’s race for Governor competitive, with new and infrequent voters showing up in record numbers. Abrams and Kemp have tussled for years about the usually boring process of voter registration. Now, Abrams finds herself within the margin of error of becoming the first female African American governor in America largely by telling voters that her opponent is trying to keep them from voting. Any parent knows that nothing motivates young people to do something more than telling them they can’t do that thing. Will it work? We will know more tomorrow.
New voters in Georgia have shown up in record numbers. Does this portend doom for Republicans? Or do Democrats have to get their policies in line with a generation of voters showing up for the first time? Or both? You’ll know more tomorrow night.
Will it be close? Yes. Close elections are actually more common than you might think, and NPR compiled a list of the closest.
PS: There is no such thing as voter suppression. Period. I’ve been in the campaign consulting business for a couple of decades, and short of showing people weapons and threatening them, you really can’t stop people from showing up to the polls in large numbers.
President Trump was in Macon for a rally, (Yawn.) So what? Did he bring new voters to the Republican side, or did he just re-animate his supporters? You will know more Tuesday night.
Tomorrow’s elections certainly seem to have more at stake for Democrats than Republicans, in a weird way. After 2016’s surprising results, “I don’t think there’s a Democrat in this country that doesn’t have a little angst left over from 2016 deep down,” said Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List, which spent more than ever before — nearly $60 million in all — to support Democratic women this campaign season.
“Everything matters and everything’s at stake,” Schriock said. You’ll know more tomorrow night.
In case you missed it, there are local referenda on the ballot tomorrow. Such as a bond issue to fund parks in Brookhaven, which has drawn anonymous opposition. You’ll find out if the measure is approved tomorrow, but you will probably never know who funded the mailers to oppose it.
OMG, white people problems! Or, why Georgia might have another new city: “I see the Waffle Houses and the McDonald’s, the Walmart and the dollar stores,” she said. “I’m thinking, ‘Is this all I can have?’ There’s no fresh farm-to-table, no parks, no entertainment.”
There are also five proposed amendments to the state Constitution on tomorrow’s ballot. Learn about ’em all here.
Remember, remember, it’s the fifth of November… Let’s not forget that today is Bonfire Night in England in remembrance of Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up Parliament in 1605. Spoiler alert -he was caught, tortured and hanged. Happy midterms!