by Jasmine M. Pulido
In the 2020 presidential election, Trump won the second-highest number of votes by any U.S. presidential candidate in history. Though he still ended up losing the race, this number is nothing to sneeze at. I heard a general outcry of surprise and shock at these statistics, at how close this country was to a second Trump term, particularly from my white progressive liberal peers here in Seattle.
But why are people still so surprised?
by Adana Protonentis
“They forgot where they live. We never forget where we live.”
It was November 9, 2016, the day after the last presidential election, and I was on the phone with my mom. I’d been telling her about how everyone in Seattle seemed to be in a state of shock. Everywhere I looked, people were in tears or stunned into silence — they just hadn’t seen it coming. They’d never honestly considered the possibility that Trump would become president. They were completely unprepared, and I was completely baffled. So I called my mom, the wisest person I know, and asked how these election results could possibly be such a surprise? A crushing disappointment, sure, but a surprise? And then she reminded me of a truth I’d been taking for granted: Some people get to forget how cruel this country can be, but Black people never can. We can’t afford to forget.
Continue reading No Matter What Happens, Keep Believing the Cassandrasby Gordon McHenry
In a couple of weeks, Washington State will mail out ballots for one of the most critical elections of our lifetimes. While every election is important, this upcoming contest has the potential to alter the course of our nation for generations, so every vote will count.
In the last presidential election, almost 77% of eligible, voting-age Washingtonians registered to vote — the highest percentage since 1984. However, turnout was only 65%. In King County, turnout declined by nearly 3% compared to 2012. Statewide, it went down by a similar amount.
While 65% turnout is high relative to other states, that leaves room for improvement.
Continue reading OPINION: Yes, Your Vote Mattersby Emerald Staff
In a unanimous decision Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that “ … states can require presidential electors to back their states’ popular vote winner in the Electoral College,” according to the Associated Press. The ruling also allowed states to remove and punish electors for voting otherwise.
During the last presidential election cycle, Beacon Hill resident and longtime Seattle activist and musician, Esther “Little Dove” John, challenged the then-implicit requirement of Electoral College electors voting in lockstep with the popular vote in Washington.
