abff08f4813c

I think it's more likely she's a useful idiot for Russia and an asset to the GOP. But I suppose there's not too much practical difference from our standpoint...

(Incidentally, according to Wikipedia, her actual middle name is Ellen.)

Agree, tech companies and the like should have known better. In fact, a few did mention it back then, e.g. https://tamouse.github.io/blog/politics/2019/10/02/why-is-the-io-domain-problematic.html

In fact, specifically for this reason, it's forseeable that Mauritius does not retire the domain but keeps .io around, the same way that Russia keeps .su around (.ru being RUssia, and .su being the Soviet Union that hasn't been around for quite a few decades now).

Not surprised the GOP candidate is trailing.

I guess the US Green party got kicked out of the international federation of Greens? Somehow that's not surprising...

But then, shouldn't someone make a "New Green Party" that is a member of the federation? And can claim legitimacy as the true Green party with international support? Pointing out that the other Green party in the US lacks recognition and is thus a sham?

And then .. this new Green party - could endorse the Dem candidate for President. Most folks who'd follow the greens would probably follow that endorsement...

No, that's return rate. So we know at least 52% in the county got theirs, because they returned it and it was received. And statewide we know at least 67% got theirs, because they returned it and it was received.

Some (hopefully small) number of voters might have gotten their ballot but then ignored it or threw it away - or mistakenly spoiled it somehow (mistook it for a napkin at dinner time).

Others might have returned their ballots and then they got lost in the mail on the way back.

So the return rate isn't completely indicative of how many failed to get sent out.

We don't know for sure how many failed to be sent out, but it's reasonable to assume the number is high, due to the large disparity between the statewide return rate and the county return rate.

I have a feeling that this was a mistake. More details needed, but

He registered to vote on Sunday by using his University of Michigan student identification and documents establishing residency in Ann Arbor, according to Benander.
later contacted the local clerk’s office requesting to get the ballot back, Benander said.

Probably he thought he was voting for the student body president or something similar. Or he thought he was voting in a poll sponsored by the university rather than a real ballot for the real US election (akin to https://deadline.com/2024/10/winner-nickelodeons-kids-pick-the-president-poll-kamala-harris-1236159880/ where kids "vote" but it's just a poll).

Also,

The student signed a document identifying himself as a U.S. citizen

But maybe he didn't understand what he was signing due to the language barrier? Maybe he somehow got rushed into signing it (because he was late for class) and only realized what he'd done after he got a chance to read his copy the next day or something?

I've heard stories about DMVs just taking your word for it and marking a checkbox. I guess this is different because he actually signed, but even so...

Finally,

later contacted the local clerk’s office requesting to get the ballot back, Benander said.

I.e. he realized his mistake and tried to correct it. Which is was brought this case to everyone's attention. Guy tries to do the right thing in the end, and ends up arrested.

I've not seen anything to suggest that the candidate wants to personally observe things.

Rather, as per the St Louis Post,

Travis Allen Heins, of St. Peters, filed for the injunction on Wednesday, saying that official "watchers" or "challengers" were wrongly being kept from observing inside polling places during early voting in St. Charles County.
His suit requests that early voting not be allowed to continue without watchers or challengers. Such observers had been disallowed by Bahr, because he said they're only allowed in when ballots are being prepared for counting, or being counted, on election day.

I.e. he's fine with meeting all the requirements you list, but he wants the observers to be able to observe the early voting tabulation on the days of early voting, not just the checks or tabulation that happens only starting on election day.

Well, for example, Texas, https://www.kvue.com/article/news/politics/vote-texas/missed-registration-vote-deadline-texas-voting-poll-election/269-aa6d8af1-7819-4493-ab71-adaec1f02325

The deadline to register to vote in Texas was Oct. 7. If you missed the deadline, you won't be able to vote.

To be fair this is a reasonable request. Already parts of the process allow for "challengers" from parties to observe. He just thinks there's a gap missing and an additional part of the process should be covered.

I don't know the candidate at all, but from the referenced St Louse Post Dispatch ( https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/early-voting-to-continue-thursday-in-st-charles-county-official-says-despite-court-order/article_676c7a2c-971b-11ef-bab2-436acacb7089.html / https://archive.is/Mo5WA ) it sounds like he's actually quite reasonable. After all,

He told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he has no suspicion of wrongdoing and simply wants to be able to observe.

The only thing is that I wish he had done so earlier, say a year and a half ago. Then there would have been enough time then to fix this and get things approved without needing to stop anyone from early voting as the injunction he requests requires.

Hard to say for sure. I'd put this as a "maybe" or "toss-up" - in any case the odds are better to convince her than the other guy so...

I'm pushing for the 127 DC States plan, https://www.vox.com/2020/1/14/21063591/modest-proposal-to-save-american-democracy-pack-the-union-harvard-law-review , wherever I can. Getting this through successfully is probably the best chance to replace FPTP at the national level, including for Presidential elections.