Last night’s election result is a nightmare for most of us and I’m sure nobody is interested in dwelling on that, but there are a few specific things I wanted to talk about, both good and bad.

Turnout

As it stands, Elections Ontario has the turnout count pegged at 43%. The ridings with the highest turnout are Huron—Bruce with 54%, and then both Niagara West and Parry Sound—Muskoka with 53%. The ridings with the lowest turnout were Kiiwetinoong with 28% (only 92% of results are in), Humber River—Black Creek with 32%, and Windsor West with 33%.

It’s impossible to gauge how many voters were discouraged from voting by polls that consistently showed the PCs with a strong advantage. We also don’t know how many people didn’t vote due to Covid-19 infection or a lack of easy access to a nearby polling station. All parties were handed a major setback yesterday when a tech issue prevented them from downloading lists of which voters had already cast a ballot and which hadn’t yet, so their ability to work strategically yesterday was limited. Regardless, 43% is a pathetic turnout rate.

It’s worth noting that the Green Party campaigned relentlessly in Parry Sound—Muskoka because, with no Liberal candidate running, they had a good chance of winning that seat. A lot of effort was made to engage with voters and win their support, both from the Greens and the incumbent PCs. Niagara West is Sam Oosterhoff’s riding, where he can mobilize a large group of supporters from his church to canvass and help people vote. Running an energetic campaign is a candidate’s job, but for the rest of us, volunteering and helping to get people to a polling station really does help. Persuading friends and family to vote helps. We’re at a disadvantage in a first past the post electoral system, so there’s zero room for apathy.

Andrea Horwath and the NDP

After four elections as leader, Andrea Horwath read the room and stepped down after running a low-energy and uninspiring campaign. In Brampton, deputy party leader Sara Singh lost her seat, as did Gurratan Singh. The PCs secured several union endorsements over the traditionally more labour-friendly NDP. The Liberals will get more attention for their trainwreck of an election, but yesterday was awful for the NDP.

With Horwath quitting, the NDP’s other deputy leader, John Vanthof, may be interested in running for the party leadership. Joel Harden and Marit Stiles are other potential contenders.

Notable losers

New Blue MPP Belinda Karahalios and New Blue leader Jim Karahalios both lost badly in Cambridge and Kitchener—Conestoga respectively. Derek Sloan also lost by a huge margin. The former Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders lost in Kathleen Wynne’s old riding.

The Liberals took the riding of Kingston and the Islands from the NDP, beating Mary Rita Holland, the former president of Ontario’s NDP. Sandeep Singh, who was controversially chosen as the NDP candidate in Brampton North over the incumbent, Kevin Yarde, also lost.

Steven Del Duca has stepped down after failing to secure party status for the Liberals or win in Vaughan—Woodbridge. After flipping from the PCs to the Liberals in 2020, MPP Amanda Simard lost her seat and two of the most well-known Liberal newbie candidates, nurse Tyler Watt and vaccination advocate Jill Promoli, also lost.

There’s not much for the PCs to be disappointed about, but their candidate in Haldimand—Norfolk lost to an independent. Former seven-term PC MPP Toby Barrett chose not to run in this election, but he endorsed his assistant Bobbi Ann Brady who was running as an independent. 

Notable winners

After narrowly losing in 2018, Chandra Pasma unexpectedly flipped Ottawa West—Nepean to the NDP. With the NDP’s only other flip, Lise Vaugeois won in Thunder Bay—Superior North.

The biggest winners are obviously the PCs. It’s rare to win a comfortable majority and then increase that majority in the next election. Opposition to Doug Ford and the PCs over the last four years has been ineffective, and we need a hard reset in terms of organization. Signing petitions, marching to Queen’s Park, and literally begging Lisa MacLeod for help has made no material difference on PC policy. I hope that the NDP will fix their deep-seated problems and set the party on a better path, but mostly I hope that people who are upset today will feel motivated to help their neighbours who will be hit hardest by four more years of PC cuts and also to join a group organizing for material and achievable wins.

Finally! General Election 2022👑

1000 People.

That is the current number of people in Allegheny County, PA, where Pittsburgh and the surrounding area is located, who now must go in and cure their Mail-In ballots in order for them to be counted.

These 1000 people probably followed all the other rules.  Probably even sealed the ballot into one envelope and signed the outside envelope.

All of which is coded and can be signature matched.  All of which can be IDed to a single, individual voter.  

All of which you had to sign up again this year to even be a Mail-In voter.

However, if they’re not aware that they need to check, that will be 1000 votes that will be thrown into the garbage. 

Some didn’t have dates.  Some had a date that is being considered as too early, although the ballots went out at different times across the state.  

For all we know, the issues with dates could be because they wrote it in a more universal date standard that switches the US convention of Month then date to date then month.

But if it isn’t fixed, those votes will not count.

All because the conservative majority of the Federal Supreme Court decided to interject themselves to ostracize as many voters as possible.  All because the vast majority of the Pennsylvania mail-in voters have been Democrats.

What’s worse?  There are some counties across Pennsylvania voted to not even allow people to cure their ballots.  In fact, they voted against it.

Check your county.  Make sure your ballot will be counted.

Your vote and your voice should matter.

Mark of a responsible citizen

Don't Lose Your Vote! UK Edition

A snap general election could be called any day. This will be the first general election that requires photo ID if you vote at the polls (postal votes 📫 are unaffected by the Election Act 2022).

If you don't have an approved form of identification (list here), you can apply for a FREE voter ID photo card. Find out more below or use these 5 minutes to register and get your ID sorted instead ❎ because, and this is important to know, the government really doesn't want young people to vote.

The Explanation

Rishi Sunak, UK Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party, may call a snap election in 2023. (A snap election is a vote brought in earlier ⏱ than the one that’s scheduled ���) The UK’s next general election (for MPs and the PM) is meant to happen between December 2024 and January 2025.

A snap election happens in as little as 25 days 😨 between the announcement (aka the PM asking the House of Commons’ to approve the dissolution of Parliament) and the vote 🏃‍♀️

You must be registered to vote - currently over 8 million people are not. Unlike other a democratic countries, the UK doesn’t automatically register all eligible voters. You have to do this yourself. Here’s a quick reminder of how to register:

Over the past 15 years, it has gotten harder for British citizens to vote:

Families can no longer register to vote as a household 🏡 so young voters must register themselves (Cameron Govt)

Colleges and universities are barred from registering students 👨‍🎓 (Cameron Govt)

The Elections Act requires photo ID 🤳 for anyone voting in person (Johnson Govt)

Local elections (for city and town governments) in 2023 were the first votes that required VOTER ID. According to the Electoral Commission, over 14,000 people were turned away from the polls because they had not heard about the change.

The House of Lords tried to amend the Elections Act before it passed, to include more common types of ID, such as bank statements, bills, student ID, library cards and much more. This amendment was struck down in the House of Commons. A lot of the IDs included in the approved list are more likely to be owned by older voters than younger ones. For example, a 60+ Oyster Card is acceptable ID but an 18+ Oyster Card is not.

Here’s the important thing to know: voters who don’t have a driving licence or passport or other approved forms of ID, can apply for a free voter ID photo card. Watch the video below to find out how!

And finally, please, for the love of our democracy, vote.

"Democracy is not something you believe in or a place to hang your hat, but it's something you do. You participate. If you stop doing it, democracy crumbles." Abbie Hoffman

After this midterm election, I think we can safely put to rest the prediction that Gen-Z were going to be more conservative than Millennials. In fact, they’re even MORE progressive than my generation.

Not sure why that prediction existed in the first place. I guess because Gen-Z is more business-oriented? Or more about their individual success?

you young people decided--and saved-- this year's midterms.

dont let yourself become disheartened by the election results. we held the line.

because young people voted, we did not see the "red wave" that conservatives so desperately wanted. because young people voted, we saw people of color elected, women elected, LGBTQ+ people elected, small amounts of marijuana decriminalized, antislavery ballot measures approved (i know, in 2022). Because young people voted, we have pro-choice, anti-racist, pro-union, candidates in office. Because young people voted, trump-endorsed candidates lost their elections.

the fact that we did not lose is a win. it could have been so, so much worse. thank you, young voters.

P.S. to the people with runoff elections (see Georgia), go vote again. we are so close.

I am very ready for the 2022 elections to be over.

/bites nails

Voltage Inc General Elections: Kasumi’s messages (2021 and 2022)

🍀A/N: A compilation of all his sweet messages for you in the general elections!!🍀

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧**: 💙 2021 💙*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

1. Voting for him once in the Preliminary round

✩࿐  

2. According to his rank in the Preliminary

✩࿐  

3. Voting for him once in the Main Election 

✩࿐  

4. According to his rank in the Main Election

✩࿐  

5. On ranking 4th in JP server Main Elections (translated)

“Thank you... I’m almost crying because you were there for me. I have you. And you will always have me. I’m proud to be number one in your eyes, and for me your love is second to none. Absolutely.” 

✩࿐

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧**: 💙 2022 💙*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

1. Based on the rankings in the Main Election

(The messages in the prelims and mains for 2022 were the same when you vote for him once)

✩࿐  

~

General Elction 2022 JP

Preliminary Election Results 2022

Wait for next December 2022, last year's top 20 in the 30 boys…

I dont care what the older generation thinks of us, I am so proud of being part of the youth who chose to fight for whats right. What most adults don't realize is that it is OUR future at stake. WE will be the ones to face the conseuqeunces of THEIR actions. Most parents in every household are celebrating the fact that they "proved their kids wrong" after seeing the election results but we will not be demotivated by their scrutiny. We will stand. We will fight. We will speak out against this discriminatory behavior and PROVE to them that we aren't "just children"

As a scholar, I am so happy seeing all of these students stand up for whats right ♡

CONTINUE FIGHTING FOR OUR COUNTRY AND FOR OUR FUTURE!!!!!! IPAGLABAN NATIN TO!!!!!!

A consequence of voters of all generations deciding to uphold the two-party system could be America devolving into an ideological civil war.

@ diaspora kids in my notes: Tapos na ho ang botohan. The voting is over. There are ongoing protests nationwide against the Commission on Elections for rigging this election in favor of Marcos-Duterte camp. I am not a journalist. I don't need to say "alleged". Marcos' rise back into Malacañang has been predetermined from the moment his family started their social media cleansing campaign with the help of Cambridge Analytica, since Imee Marcos became Chairman of Senate Electoral Reform, since COMELEC was filled by Duterte appointees, since COMELEC procured contracts from Duterte crony (seen being Extra friendly with the Marcoses), Dennis Uy. These people used EVERY dirty trick in the book - from vote buying, pre-shaded ballots, usage of decade-old vote counting machines despite a significant increase in COMELEC's budget causing breakdowns and voters having to stay in line for hours on end not being able to sleep in their own homes just so they can cast and protect their vote, to literal electoral violence, poll watchers being attacked and murdered. And yet COMELEC continues to call this election "successful and smooth" when there are multiple reports of electoral anomalies that have remained unaddressed.

Again there are ongoing protests nationwide but please do not mistake that as anything similar to what US citizens did in Capitol Hill. I get the urge to compare especially when you don't have full context. This is about electoral fraud and voter disenfrachisement. This is about an unrepentant son of a former tyrannical dictator claiming the seat in the highest position in the land despite barely even doing the work necessary to prove himself to the electorate beyond flashing his fucking surname. This man did the absolute bare minimum, not showing up to debates nor interviews unless the interviewer is friendly to his camp or his family. Watch 2016 elections clips. He did this because he knows he will appear incompetent vs the other candidates. Because he IS incompetent and a liar and a fucking thief. He does not give a shit about the truth nor the Filipino people. So no, this is not at all like a bunch of entitled babies storming the US Capitol so I would like to not hear that fucking bullshit from another fil-am freethinker who doesn't realize that being able to take a neutral stance on the matter is already such a massive privilege in itself, nor yet ANOTHER white man who thinks they know all about my country and my people's history just because they read a few articles in the New York Times! Fuck both of you, ok? Stay in your fucking lanes.