Today's Civics Lesson

Ali Velshi

Democracy is labor.

DEMOCRACY ISN'T SOMETHING WE HAVE

UNLESS IT'S SOMETHING WE DO

About Last Night

Somebody said: "Americans will always do the right thing - once they've tried everything else."

That was a wipeout yesterday. That was not a simple rejection, or even a big-ass repudiation of this Trumpian GOP Fuckery thing. That was a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, inside a total ass-kickin', all wrapped up tight with a Fuck You And The horse You Rode In On.

First, all politics is local.

And when it works locally, you can apply it generally, tailoring it to suit the needs of a given area, or city, or constituency. But the message for 'small d' democrats is that we are not all that divided. We've allowed some very bad-faith assholes to convince us we need to split ourselves off from everybody else, and fear each other - to the point where we're in real danger of believing we have nothing in common with anyone but the few people who think and believe and behave exactly the way we do.

"For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's futures."

-- JFK

Like the lady said: "When we fight, we win."

The only way we can't win is if we don't show up to fight.

Across the country Tuesday, state and local elections served as the first major test of how the public feels about President Donald Trump’s second term ahead of major national elections next year for control of Congress.

It didn’t go well for him.

Here are winners and losers from these elections.

Winners

Democrats: They took back a governor’s mansion in a critical swing state, Virginia, and kept control of another in New Jersey, while winning a mayoral race in New York City and holding onto three critical state Supreme Court seats in Pennsylvania. Voters in California agreed to allow Democrats to redraw their congressional districts to match Republicans doing the same in other states. Democrats also won in state and local elections in Georgia and Mississippi and expanded their majorities in the Virginia state legislature.

These were exactly the results Democrats wanted a year before the next big referendum on Trump, which will be nationwide elections where control of Congress is up for grabs. On Democrats’ big night, turnout in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City was up.

“Tonight we sent a message, ” Abigail Spanberger, the next governor of Virginia — and the state’s first woman to win the office — said in her victory speech. She won almost every coveted voter group: women, independents, younger voters and voters who said the economy was their main concern, according to network exit polls reported by CNN.

Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill (D) speaks alongside her family at her election night watch party in East Brunswick, New Jersey, on Tuesday. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)
In New Jersey, Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill’s win suggests real momentum for Democrats. She won in a state where Black and Hispanic voters have become more open to Trumpism — and overcame history as well: For the first time in 50 years, New Jersey Democrats have won the governor’s mansion for three straight terms.

There are caveats to Democratic wins. Virginia, with its large federal employee workforce, has been uniquely hurt by the government shutdown and Trump’s mass firings of federal workers.

“I tend to think we overrate the impact of these off-year elections,” said Doug Heye, a veteran Republican strategist. “New Jersey and Virginia are more blue than purple.” Democrats I talked to agreed with him.

The poles of the Democratic Party: Virginia and New Jersey elected moderate Democrats with national security backgrounds — Spanberger served in the CIA and Sherrill was a Navy pilot.

After losing to Trump twice, many Democrats approve of this direction as the 2028 presidential election comes into view. “At the end of the day, Democratic voters get really pragmatic about who can win,” one veteran Democratic strategist told me.

But the liberal wing of the party had a great night, too. America’s largest city elected a democratic socialist, Zohran Mamdani, who supports redistributing wealth to provide free bus fare and child care in the city, among many other services.

Republican attack ads for the next year: In Mamdani, Trump and Republicans feel they’ve found the perfect foil for next year’s midterm elections. He’s so far to the left that the top two Democrats in Congress, also from New York, hesitated to endorse him or just didn’t.

“Many people are petrified by the Radical Left,” Trump said on social media, “but I’m not, they keep getting me, and other Republicans, elected!”

Some Democrats say they’re worried about the socialist label sticking, especially in the wake of successful “woke” attacks the past few elections that framed their party as too concerned about special classes of Americans over others.

Stop being afraid of their words, Democrats. You won by (finally) smackin' the other guy right in his fat smug face.

"Oh - you say I'm a socialist? So what? You don't like it? Fuck you - make me stop."

You lose because you're timid. You've developed a bad habit of buckling under the slightest pressure. Knock that shit off. Be bold. Be assertive.

 

And point out the truth:

"We've put together several 'socialist' things in this country that we all know and love."

• The US military's a good socialist thing
• Every local cop shop is a good socialist thing
• Streets and highways and dams and sewer systems are good socialist things
• Public schools are good socialist things
• and and and

Free and fair elections: In the days before the election, Trump floated an allegation without evidence that Democrats were somehow “shipping” votes, and his Justice Department sent monitors to polling locations, in a move that some Democrats viewed as menacing. Despite that tension, millions of voters from New York to California had their say in elections run by states and municipalities. Tuesday night underscored what election experts have been saying for years amid Trump’s fraud claims: It’s very hard to rig an election, especially because they are so decentralized.

Losers

Trump: This election was about Trump. He endorsed major Republican candidates and tied all of these elections to his efforts to lower the cost of living: “If affordability is your issue, VOTE REPUBLICAN!” he posted on social media. But prices are up, Trump is broadly unpopular, and Democratic candidates welcomed making their elections about Trump. Network exit polls showed that most voters in Virginia and New Jersey voters disapproved of Trump.

Republican hopes of keeping control of Congress next year: House Republicans have one of the smallest House majorities ever, and history suggests that whatever party controls the White House tends to lose the midterms. Tuesday did little to dispel that trend: Since the 1970s, when one party has swept these off-year elections — as Democrats did Tuesday — that party has done well in the next year’s congressional elections.

The Senate, which Republicans also control, is a higher reach for Democrats, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Senate Democrats are holding the line against reopening the government without assurances that programs such as food assistance will be restored. As the shutdown becomes the longest ever on Wednesday, Trump is expressing concerns his party will get blamed for it if they don’t make drastic moves to end it. “The Democrats are far more likely to win the Midterms, and the next Presidential Election,” he warned his party Tuesday.

Nothing’s a done deal. A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that while voters broadly disapprove of Trump, they’re more open to voting for Republicans in Congress. But to the extent you can read into these elections, analysts say you’d rather be a Democrat than a Republican going into next year.

“There’s a lot of anger on the left,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) warned his party recently. “And elections can be dangerous when one side is mobilized, is angry.”

52,000 Races

Today's Heather

Nobody likes the gerrymandering crap except the people who gain power &/or stay in power because of it.

It's easy to understand how so many people are so fed up with the system. They don't believe their taking part in it matters because they don't believe they have a real say in what happens - that it's all for show.

My problem with that is:

That's how the Power-Grubbers need us to think, so that's what I'm in this fight to resist.

Fuck 'em.

It Will End

"... and the beginning of the healing."

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A post shared by YouKnowNothing45 (@youknownothing45)

Texas Dems

I hadn't heard the part that she asserts as a needed defense that Texas founders built into their Constitution.

Maybe it's a real thing, and maybe not. But at least there are some Democrats getting up on the hind legs - doing something other than sending harshly-worded letters that mean practically nothing, and never see the light of day.

Today's Belle

Capt Mom:

We ain't done yet, ya little boogers. Now get up off your butts and let's get this thing squared away."

I believe we call this leadership.

On Democracy

It Bears Repeating

"In this world, there isn't as much humanity as one would like. But there's enough."

--James Baldwin

In a government that stands on checks and balances - when those checks and balances begin to fail - the last check is the collective will of the people to stand up and demand a change for the better.

We've been here before. And we're still here.

Survey Says ...

... we suck.

Global perceptions of US fall below China, survey says

COPENHAGEN, May 12 (Reuters) - Global perceptions of the United States have deteriorated across the world over the past year and are now worse than views of China, according to an annual study of perceptions of democracy published on Monday.

The survey did not go into details on the criteria used, but the Alliance of Democracies Foundation which commissioned it says its aim is to defend and advance democratic values.

When asked why perceptions of the U.S. had slipped, Alliance founder and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said: "President Trump has triggered a trade war, scolded Ukraine's president in the Oval Office, left allies feeling vulnerable and enemies emboldened."

"It's no surprise that opinions have slipped even among people like me who spent their lives admiring the United States and what it stood for," he added.

Trump has said he is pushing for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine and on Thursday called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire between the two countries.

He has also said that tariffs are defending the U.S. economy against what his administration sees as unfair trade conditions.

The conclusions in the Democracy Perception Index survey, conducted between April 9 and 23 with polling firm Nira Data, were based on more than 111,000 respondents worldwide, the Alliance said.

The perception of Trump was negative in 82 of the 100 countries surveyed, higher than Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who were viewed negatively in 61 and 44 countries, respectively.

The survey also ranked the perception of countries from -100% to +100%.

The net perception rating of the United States fell to -5% from +22% last year, indicating a greater number of respondents with a negative view of the country compared with those with a positive view.

The share of countries with a positive image of the U.S. dropped to 45% from 76% last year, the survey showed.

For China, the net perception rose to +14% this year from +5% last year, the survey found.

The report was published ahead of the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, which took place on May 13-14.

10 Things

1. Know stuff
2. Tell people about the stuff you know
3. Run for something
4. Volunteer to help somebody who's running for something
5. Join or actively support pro-democracy groups
6. Become a poll Watcher or a Poll Worker
7. Call / write / visit elected officials
8. Show up and vote every chance you get
9. Stay at it
10. Support independent media

Adam Kinzinger

United We Prevail

Staying Strong, Vigilant, and Courageous in the Face of Adversity

I wish this were a good news post. Truly, I do. Lately, I've begun to question whether my words help bring clarity or simply contribute to a collective sense of despair. But I've made a commitment—to be honest with you. This post is a continuation of that commitment. The truth is, the situation is grim, and MAGA hasn't fully taken control yet. I'm warning you: this path will not end well if we don't take a stand.

This week kicked off with the profoundly disappointing Senate hearing involving Pete Hegseth, the weekend morning show personality turned far-right political figure. The Republicans on the panel made it painfully clear from the outset that they were there not for constitutional oversight but to shield Hegseth and amplify Donald Trump's agenda. Their questioning wasn't about accountability—it was about currying favor with someone they believe could soon control the Department of Defense. The message was unmistakable: stay on Pete's good side, and your district might just get that new fighter jet or upgraded training facility.

Unfortunately, the Democratic response fell short of what the moment demanded. While there were some solid moments and good questions raised, too much time was spent focusing on Hegseth's controversial statements about women in the military. Don't get me wrong—I fully support women serving in our armed forces, and Hegseth deserves scrutiny for his past remarks. But when his position on the issue shifted recently, the line of questioning should have pivoted: What changed, and why? Instead, it seemed more about getting soundbites than achieving clarity.

More troubling still was the missed opportunity to press Hegseth on the core principles of military ethics. He wasn't asked whether he would refuse an illegal order until the very end—and when the question finally came, he dodged it. The only acceptable answer in our defense establishment is a resounding "absolutely." Yet, the questioning concluded without holding him to that standard, a failure I can only describe as oversight malpractice.

We must be clear-eyed about what this hearing represents: a test case. There are far more alarming nominations on the horizon. Tulsi Gabbard, a known Assad apologist and pro-Putin figure, is being considered to lead the coordination of all intelligence agencies. Rumors suggest Trump may nominate Joe Kent, a far-right extremist rejected even by MAGA voters, to head the National Counterterrorism Center—the agency responsible for identifying domestic and international threats. Imagine the implications of someone linked to extremist groups overseeing domestic terror assessments.

And it doesn't stop there. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal vaccine skeptic and proponent of conspiracy theories, could be tapped to lead Health and Human Services. His views on public health are not just controversial—they're dangerous, particularly for a position requiring sound scientific judgment.

I don't share this to spread despair. I share it to ignite a sense of urgency and action. This is not the time for resignation. This is the time for unyielding resistance. History reminds us that battles can feel lost just before victory emerges. During the Battle of the Bulge, the situation seemed utterly hopeless for the Allied troops, yet mere months later, they were in the heart of a defeated enemy's capital. The tide turned because they refused to give up.

This isn’t the time to obsess about difference in our coalition. The Brits and American’s fought together despite their past wars, and different governments. Yes there were Egos leading the armies, and those people sometimes clashed. But they never forgot the mission. We are in Act Three of this political struggle. The forces of extremism and authoritarianism want us demoralized. But we still have power. We still have voices. And most importantly, we still have each other. If we stand together, stay vigilant, and fight with clarity and courage, we can turn the tide. This battle is far from over—and together, we can win. It will take time (hopefully just four years) but when we look back in a decade, it will seem like a blink of time, and a victory well earned, as we stand in OUR capitol restoring Democracy to it’s pure form, “with malice towards none and charity for all.”

From Marc Elias

The only way we lose is if we stop fighting.

Building the Opposition

After the 2016 election, a movement that would become known as “the resistance” quickly emerged to protest and confront Donald Trump and his incoming administration. The hope was that if Trump could simply be held back — resisted — for four years, politics would go back to normal. A Democrat would retake the White House and Trump would be viewed as an unfortunate aberration.

Since Election Day, it has become fashionable in some circles to view that effort as a failure. The cynics dismiss the grassroots energy and the hard work of so many as naïve and without impact.

As usual, they are wrong. The resistance movement helped protect the Affordable Care Act from repeal and lead to bold policies at the state and local level. It built new pro-democracy institutions that challenged Trump in the courts and in the streets. It inspired thousands of new candidates to run for office and contributed to a successful mid-term election. Most importantly, in 2020 it helped defeat Donald Trump.

Republicans used that time fruitfully. They built new ideological organizations, new campaign structures, new media outlets and new leaders. Even as they suffered losses in the midterms, they were undeterred from their mission of fleshing out what a second Trump term would look like. For all of Trump’s disavowals of Project 2025 during the campaign, that effort and other, equally extreme measures were being planned.

MAGA was not focused specifically on resisting Biden. It had a bolder agenda. It wanted to build an opposing ideological and political movement to win elections and govern over the long term. It prioritized hate over hope, cronyism over competence and retribution over reconciliation.

As we head towards January, it is our turn to use this period productively. Hoping that Trump fails is not a plan. We must develop and foster new movements, structures, tactics, platforms and leaders to oppose Trump and articulate a positive vision.

In most democratic political systems, this is referred to as the opposition. Rather than a resistance, the concept of an opposition is more comprehensive and durable. It recognizes that there are no time limits to the effort.

In some systems the opposition entails an entire shadow government, in others it focuses on specific platforms. I don’t pretend to know the exact form it will take in this country, but I do know some of the basic principles it must embrace.

The success of our democracy rests on an effective opposition movement.

First, we must prioritize effective electoral campaigns that maximize the chances of electing Democrats and defeating Republicans. Obtaining power in our system of government means running well-funded and professionalized campaigns. Now is not the time to unilaterally disarm in the service of some higher principles. All legal tactics must be on the table. Ideological fights must yield in service of winning. We must recruit and fund candidates who can win their state or districts.

Second, we must be a big tent full of diversity of new policy ideas and approaches to governing. Political movement must be about big ideas. New Deal liberalism was a big idea. So was the Great Society, neo-liberalism and populism. But the leaders who embraced and implemented these ideas were not dismissive of other, competing visions.

A strong opposition movement needs to allow for people within it to exchange, debate and even disagree over the best way to solve problems. Failed oppositions seek to impose purity tests and purge dissent. Successful movements incorporate ideas from across the spectrum of its participants.

Third, we need new and existing institutions to bolster the opposition, not work against it. We cannot be afraid to let new institutions rise, and others fall. The only litmus test for groups is whether they help the opposition effort. Republicans and their conservative allies have spent years investing billions in a range of civil society and political groups. Building and funding pro-democracy opposition groups needs to be a critical priority for years to come.

Fourth, we must cultivate and amplify new communication methods and messengers. We need to identify and promote our best messengers and pair them with the most influential platforms, period. This means ending our reliance on credential-based legacy media. These high prestige outlets command very small audiences and that audience is shrinking. They speak to almost no persuadable audience. The goal should be to reach voters, period.

Finally, we must be comfortable using every legal tool available to challenge Trumpism in court. One of the most important lessons from the last eight years is that the courts matter. Many of the resistance’s successes were fueled by lawsuits. And when Biden took office, conservatives ruthlessly used the courts to block his agenda. More than half of federal judges were appointed by Democratic presidents. Many state courts are controlled by liberals. Litigation is one of the most important tools to protect democracy and we must use every tool we have.

I know that these ideas are just a starting point. The success of our democracy rests on an effective opposition movement. We all must play a part in offering additional ideas and approaches and not being afraid to take risks. I plan to be a part of that effort. I hope you will too.

embrace the suck

stay in the fight

Heather Cox Richardson

People who are well informed (legacy press, "progressive" media, etc) voted 3-to-1 for Harris, while people who're fed a diet of mis-information and conspiracy fantasies (Twixter, DumFux News, OAN, Reddit, News Max, etc) voted almost 2-to-1 for Trump.

The audience for Wingnut Media approaches twice that for "Liberal" media.

The arithmetic is pretty simple on that one.

Out of 100 people watching DumFux News, 65 voted for Trump.

Out of 60 people watching MSNBC, 45 voted for Harris.

Don't tell me Harris failed, and that you know exactly why. She didn't, and you don't. So fuck you, James Carville.

The Dems ran a really good campaign. Americans were bamboozled into electing Trump and his MAGA clowns.

Consider a few anecdotes via AOC, who put up a constituent Zoom call, asking how people came to vote for both her and Trump.

Voter 1:

"You're both strong advocates for working people."

Voter 2:

"I was a little apprehensive about voting for Trump, so I voted for you to keep him from going too far."

 

Voter 3:

"You both care about me."

 

The main problem is:

knowing enough about something

to believe you're right,

and not enough

to know you're wrong.

Don't obey in advance

Encouragement

Pro-EU leader wins Moldova election despite alleged Russian meddling

Moldova's pro-EU President Maia Sandu has claimed a second term after a tense election run-off seen as a choice between Europe and Russia.

The Moldovan Central Electoral Commission confirmed Sandu's victory on Monday morning.

Sandu won 55% of the vote, according to preliminary results, and in a late-night speech on Sunday she promised to be president for all Moldovans.

Her rival Alexandr Stoianoglo, who was backed by the pro-Russian Party of Socialists, had called for a closer relationship with Moscow.

During the day the president's national security adviser said there had been "massive interference" from Russia in Moldova's electoral process that had "high potential to distort the outcome".

Russia had already denied meddling in the vote, which came a week after another key Eastern European election in Georgia, whose president said it had been a "Russian special operation".

Stoianoglo, who was fired as prosecutor general by Sandu, has denied being pro-Kremlin.

In a joint statement congratulating Sandu on her re-election, the European Commission and the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said there had been "unprecedented interference by Russia".

As polls closed, both Sandu, 52, and her rival thanked voters, with Stoianoglo speaking in Russian as well as Romanian. Although Romanian is Moldova's main language, Russian is widely spoken because of its Soviet past.

Turnout at 54% was high, especially among expat voters at polling stations abroad.

Stoianoglo took an initial lead on the night and was the more successful candidate in Moldova itself with more than 51% of the vote. Sandu won in the capital Chisinau, and she was completely dominant among expat voters.

As she overtook her challenger late on Sunday night, there was cheering at her campaign headquarters and chants of "victory".

In a hoarse voice she praised her compatriots for saving Moldova and giving "a lesson in democracy, worthy of being written in history books".

Then, moving into Russian, she said: "I have heard your voice – both those who supported me and those who voted for Mr. Stoianoglo. In our choice for a dignified future, no-one lost... we need to stand united."

Maia Sandu’s foreign policy adviser, Olga Rosca, told the BBC she was proud of the result.

Asked whether she was surprised that Stoianoglo had won in Moldova itself, she said the vote in Moldova and abroad should be seen as one and the same: “We never divide people into Moldovans at home and expatriates - we see Moldovans as one family.”

With elections coming next year she said the president had “clearly indicated she has heard the mood for change. On several occasions between the [two presidential] votes she said the fight against corruption must be intensified and justice reform must be accelerated – she’s committed to this work”.

The final result will be declared on Monday.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Sandu, saying "it takes a rare kind of strength to overcome the challenges you've faced in this election.

"I'm glad to continue working with you towards a European future for Moldova and its people," her message on X said.

Casting his ballot, Alexandr Stoianoglo had promised to be an "apolitical president", and that he had voted for "a Moldova that should develop in harmony with both the West and the East".

Stoianoglo polled particularly well in rural areas and the south, while Sandu was ahead in the cities and with young voters.

After casting her ballot, Sandu had warned of "thieves" who sought to buy their vote and their country.

Presidential national security adviser Stanislav Secrieru said Russia had organised buses and large charter flights to bring voters to polling stations.

Bomb scares had briefly disrupted voting in Moldova, at UK polling stations in Liverpool and Northampton and at Frankfurt and Kaiserslautern in Germany, he added.

A Soviet republic for 51 years, Moldova is flanked by Ukraine and Romania and one of Europe's poorest countries. It has a population of 2.5 million and an expat population of 1.2 million.

Moldova's authorities have long warned that a fugitive oligarch called Ilan Shor has spent $39m (£30m) trying to buy the election for Moscow with handouts to 138,000 Moldovans.

Shor, who is based in Moscow, denies wrongdoing but did promise cash payments to anyone prepared to back his call for a "firm No" to the EU.

Commentators and politicians had warned that a Stoianoglo victory could radically change the political landscape in the Danube and Black Sea region, not because he was some kind of "Trojan horse", but rather because Russia has thrown its weight behind him.

There were queues at polling stations in Moscow, Italy and among voters from a mainly Russian-speaking breakaway region of Transnistria, who had to cross the River Dniester into Moldovan-controlled territory to vote. Transnistria is home to a Russian military base and a huge arms depot.

Moldova's election commission said it was aware of reports of organised and illegal transports of voters by air and land in Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Turkey, and appealed to the public to report further violations.

Although Sandu had easily won the first round of the vote, several candidates swung behind Stoianoglo, although the third-placed candidate refused to back either of the two.

The first round coincided with a nail-biting referendum on backing a change to the constitution embracing the commitment to join the EU.

In the end the vote passed by a tiny margin in favour, and Maia Sandu said there had been clear evidence of attempts to buy 300,000 votes.

Yeehaw And Away We Go

This is where we are because of one small stupid insecure little man, and a host of barely-invisible moneyed interests supporting him thru dis-information and straight up gaslighting - all of whom hate our tradition of democratic self governance, and are working to tear it all down in order to replace it with a good old-fashioned top-down corporate-style plutocracy.

I think we continue to come out of this MAGA nonsense today, by electing Kamala Harris.

But don't start thinking we're anywhere near the beginning of the end. We may not even be at the end of the beginning.

This democracy thing is pretty hard. Because it's a constant struggle for balance between honor and belligerence. Between humans' natural impulse for violence and a more enlightened sense of the greater good.

There's a kind of weird Twilight Zone quality to it - it's somewhere between the lofty summit of our knowledge and the dark pit of our fears.

Fake lord help us find that balance.

Drones and snipers on standby to protect Arizona vote-counters

Razor wire. Thick black iron fencing. Metal detectors. Armed security guards. Bomb sweeps.

The security at this centre where workers count ballots mirrors what you might see at an airport - or even a prison. And, if needed, plans are in place to further bolster security to include drones, officers on horseback and police snipers on rooftops.

Maricopa County became the centre of election conspiracy theories during the 2020 presidential contest, after Donald Trump spread unfounded claims of voter fraud when he lost the state to Joe Biden by fewer than 11,000 votes.

Falsehoods went viral, armed protesters flooded the building where ballots were being tallied and a flurry of lawsuits and audits aimed to challenge the results.

The election’s aftermath transformed how officials here handle the typically mundane procedure of counting ballots and ushered in a new era of high security.

“We do treat this like a major event, like the Super Bowl,” Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner told the BBC.

Razor wire sits atop one of the fences guarding the county's election tabulation centre
The county, the fourth most populous in the US and home to about 60% of Arizona's voters, has been planning for the election for more than a year, according to Skinner.

The sheriff's department handles security at polling stations and the centre where ballots are counted. The deputies have now been trained in election laws, something most law enforcement wouldn’t be well-versed in.

“Our hope is that it doesn't arise to a level of need for that,” he said when asked about beefed-up security measures like drones and snipers. “But we will be prepared to ensure that we meet the level of need, to ensure the safety and security of that building” and its employees.

The election process here in many ways echoes that in counties across the country. Ballots are cast in voting locations across the county and then taken to a central area in Phoenix where they're tabulated. If they’re mailed in, the ballots are inspected and signatures are verified. They’re counted in a meticulous process that includes two workers - from differing political parties - sorting them and examining for any errors.

The process is livestreamed 24 hours a day.

While much of this process remains the same, a lot else has shifted. Since the 2020 election, a new law passed making it easier to call a recount in the state. Previously, if a race was decided by the slim margin of 0.1% of votes cast, a recount would take place. That’s now been raised to 0.5%.

The tabulation centre is now bristling with security cameras, armed security and a double layer of fencing.

Thick canvas blankets cover parts of a parking lot fencing to keep prying eyes out. Officials say the canvas was an added measure to protect employees from being harassed and threatened outside the building.

“I think it is sad that we’re having to do these things,” said Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates.

Gates, a Republican who says he was diagnosed with PTSD after the election threats he received in the 2020 election, doesn't plan to run for office again once this election is over because of the tensions.

“I do want people to understand that when they go to vote centres, these are not militarised zones,” he told the BBC. “You can feel safe to go there with your family, with your kids and participate in democracy.”

Yellow and black rope forms a line where visitors to the tabulation centre must queue to go through a metal detector. Three armed security guards stand near the detector. A black folding table sits nearby with a metal detector wand.

The county has invested millions since 2020. It’s not just security, either. They now have a 30-member communications team.

A big focus has been transparency - livestreaming hours of tests for tabulation machines, offering dozens of public tours of their buildings and enlisting staff to dispute online rumours and election conspiracies.

“We kind of flipped a switch,” assistant county manager Zach Schira told the BBC, explaining that after 2020 they decided, “OK, we’re going to communicate about every single part of this process, we’re going to debunk every single theory that is out there.”

It’s all led up to Tuesday's election.

“We may be over prepared,” Sheriff Skinner said, “but I'd rather prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”

Some Maricopa Republicans told the BBC they’ve tracked recent changes and felt there would be fewer problems this election cycle.

“They’ve made steps that I think will help,” said Garrett Ludwick, a 25-year-old attending a recent Scottsdale rally for Trump’s vice-presidential running mate JD Vance.

“More people are also aware of things now and I think there are going to be a lot of people watching everything like a hawk," he said, wearing a Trump cap that read, “Make liberals cry”.

One Republican voter, Edward, told the BBC the 2020 cycle caused him to get more involved. He’s now signed up for two shifts at polling locations in Maricopa County on Tuesday.

“Going to a rally or being upset isn’t going to fix things,” he said. “I wanted to be part of the solution.”

Not all are convinced.

“I still think it was rigged,” said Maleesa Meyers, 55, who like some Republican voters said her distrust in the process is too deep-rooted to believe the election could be fair. “It’s very hard to trust anyone today.”

Results in Arizona often hinge on Maricopa County, giving the county an outsized role in the outcome. Officials here estimate it could take as long as 13 days to count all ballots - meaning the expected tight race in this swing state might not be called on election night.

“There’s a chance that in 2024, the whole world will be watching for what the result is in Maricopa County," said Schira, the assistant county manager.

"Truly the world’s confidence in democracy could come down to this.”

Today's Today

This is it.

Good luck, America.

Today's Dana

Some pretty great insight in this.

The Bromance

Democracy has to constrain the majority, even as it delivers power to the majority.

Today's Today

National Voter Registration Day

Democracy is not something we have

if it's not something we do