January 19, 2022

Texas' primary election is March 1. Here's what you need to know to vote:

From The Texas Tribune:

[link:https://www.texastribune.org/2022/01/17/texas-primary-election-2022-voter-guide/|

These dates are for the primary election:

The last day to register to vote is Jan. 31. The last day to apply for a ballot by mail is Feb. 18. Early voting runs from Feb. 14-25.

When you go to the link, you can fill in your address and it will show the races and candidates.

January 18, 2022

My TX Ballot by Mail Application was accepted! Please put both Drivers License and last four of SS

Just called our county elections office. The application asks for either the license # or the last four of the SS. I had only included the license #. Luckily, she told me that they had both of these numbers listed in the database for me. This is not the case for everyone, so they are requesting that people to do both.

A big thank you to the DU folks who posted this caution last week! I would have not known to follow up on this otherwise.

January 7, 2022

There have been an estimated 942,431 excess deaths in the US since February 2020

This is an excerpt from an article from The Guardian that discusses under counted deaths from long term effects of Covid.

Interesting read.

[link:https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/07/true-number-covid-deaths-us-likely-undercounted-experts|

snip:

“Death rates are up 40% over what they were pre-pandemic,” he said, among working-age people between 18 and 64. Deaths among older Americans have also increased, with one in 100 Americans over the age of 65 dying.

There have been an estimated 942,431 excess deaths in the US since February 2020, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hispanic, Black and Native American and Alaska Native populations have been disproportionately affected with high death rates, research shows.

Previous crises pale in comparison to the pandemic, Davison said. “A one-in-200-year catastrophe would be a 10% increase over pre-pandemic [levels]. So 40% is just unheard of.”

January 5, 2022

Insurrection Index identifies those who acted as accomplices

Today from the Guardian:

Insurrection Index identifies those who acted as accomplices by participating in 6 January attack or spreading Trump’s ‘big lie’

snip:

"The Insurrection Index seeks to identify all those who supported Trump in his bid to hold on to power despite losing the election, in the hope that they can be held accountable and prevented from inflicting further damage to the democratic infrastructure of the country.

All of the more than 1,000 people recorded on the index have been invested with the public’s trust, having been entrusted with official positions and funded with taxpayer dollars. Many are current or former government employees at federal, state or local levels."

snip:

"The individuals recorded on the index who are already in public office include the 147 members of Congress who objected to the certification of the 2020 election result. The list also names many elected officials in state legislatures across the nation, including states like Arizona that were ground zero for Trump’s efforts to steal the election from Biden."

[link:https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/05/trump-capitol-attack-democracy-election-insurrection-index|