My blood pressure is fine, but this administration has taken a toll on me. I have never been so scared about the future of this country and my sweet 2 1/2 year old granddaughter. The constant anxiety has led to weight loss and sleep deprivation. I'm writing get out the vote postcards, registering voters, protesting, and constantly calling and writing my GOP representatives. I can't let myself feel helpless. That's what the evildoers want.
Keep writing them. Might be interesting to say you’re in favor of some GOP thing and see if they give details on how they’re supporting it; or ask a question they have to answer,
My Dem senators usually reply with some kind of Yes, I’m on it message. But Dems could have entirely diff strategies for replying to constituents than town hall avoiding GOP
⬆️"I'm writing get out the vote postcards, registering voters, protesting, and constantly calling and writing my GOP representatives. I can't let myself feel helpless.'
Good for you! I feel the same way - action is the antidote to anxiety!
One additional suggestion to consider is volunteering to help with voter protection. Check out VoPro Pros (https://www.vopropros.com/) for virtual activities including voter hotlines and short-term special projects. Also, volunteer in person as a poll observer - I have been doing this since 2020 through the NC Democratic party. I know in NC at least that unaffiliated voters can also volunteer.
VoteRiders helps voters get the ID that they need to vote (https://voteriders.org/volunteer/). There are a variety of ways to volunteer. I am part of their letter-writing program.
If you click on the 3 dots opposite my name (in right hand corner) it opens up a drop down box. If you want to repost my comment in your Substack feed, click on "Restack". If you want to repost somewhere else, you can click on "copy link" , then go there and paste (Ctrl V) the link.
My eyes did glaze over, but that doesn't mean I didn't understand what's happening: Donald has to cheat in every way possible to keep Republicans/Trump cult members in power. And he'll do his damnedest (an apt term) to make it happen. So sick of this s***.
You tell Americans they can't do something and you'd better get out of the way. We WILL restore Congress to Democratic control. Whatever it takes. Count on it.
It's not that people say at home, trump and Elon musk set up the machine to rig that vote. I refused to vote when I only saw Trump's name on that ballot and nowhere was VP Harris's name was not on that ballot. But Democrats for lessor offices ran blue everywhere. One other reason, Michigan went red was because Nina Turner and the Palestinian who resides in Congress told those folks to do a noncomitted vote, and they voted for trump. They were told trump was going to do good for Palestinians and to not vote for VP Harris. If you don't overhaul the mail system, you will still fight for every vote. LaJoy needs to get away from our mail system. That is Trump's boy and he was responsible for all of our mailboxes taken off the street. Polling places are too far away for seniors and the handicapped to go to. They took the voting out of my building... sad, sad, sad..Get Republicans out of our hair, vote all Republican's out, especially the out of the mail systems...
Unfortunately, some people need to learn the lesson multiple times!
They should have learned their lesson after the 2016 election. I always think of that Maya Angelou quote about believing someone the first time when they show you who they are!
Complicated and totally chaotic. Thanks for outlining this madness. Jay.
I take heart from Mark Ellias on his Democracy Docket Substack yesterday;
"a hopeful sign for mail-in voting, federal court fast-tracks a bid to block Trump order
As the administration pushes ahead with plans that could upend how mail ballots are cast for the 2026 midterms, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request by Democratic plaintiffs to speed up their appeal of a lower court ruling that left Trump’s anti-voting order in place last month."
I work elections in Arizona. Phone work for three weeks and then a week of site work. The county already registers who gets and returns a ballot. The post office doesn't have the time, staff, or money to do this. They should have just said no. But more people will be using drop-off locations instead of mailing, which a lot of people are already doing.
That's a shame. They are quite convenient here and I had started using them some years back, not trusting the USPS. I wonder how they factor in to this whole plan.
They're convenient where I live, too. It feels safer than mail (since trump and dejoy erupted on the scene, that is) to just drop my ballot into a ballot box.
IN NC there are no drop boxes, but mail-in ballots can be dropped at erly voting sites for immediate family members - the person dropping the ballot off must fill out an affidavit and check off how they are related to the voter.
Talk about suppressing the vote! That is so unconstitutional, it's genuinely surprising to me. Multiple drop boxes are so easy to implement, I would imagine.
And what about voting citizens who live outside the United States? Will we be required to travel hundreds or thousands of miles to our last place of residence in the States in order to case an in-person ballot -- or will we simply be disenfranchised? There are likely millions of us!!!!
My prayers are with you my American friends. Remember way back to what - the beginning of the year, when he stood in front of his cult party and practically begged his followers to make sure they voted in the midterms? Because and I quote, “They’ll impeach me if you don’t”
Always about him, so my prayer is that you find a way to scatter this vipers’ nest and get them thinking about their own political careers. That and muzzle the corrupt Federal Supreme Court. The last would a bonus. Cheering for you all the way.
Thank you, Barb! I for one am sure grateful for your words. Thanks for recognizing that many of us Americans are as appalled and outraged by this malignant narcissist as the whole world is (probably more, because we're also embarrassed to the nth), especially those of us who have been steadfastly and loudly against him ever since he entered politics. We're mystified that he and his minions EVER got into power (two times!), let alone that they are still in power after the blatant criminality of this past 18 months or so.
I think it is important to point out that some states allow all elections be conducted by mail...California is one of them. I'm not sure why the news media is not all over this.
In addition, I would like to know more about people who vote by mail due to age, disabilities or even circumstances such as work. Will their rights be violated?
Trump's goal is that he hopes your eyes will glaze over, you're confused, and bow out completely. He has cheated his whole life. That's the only thing he is good at, and because we are still a misogynistic nation, he can only win against women, but no one ever points that out. He's only defeated women. If it was pointed out, he'd go ballistic.
Worse, the current postmaster general was appointed by USPS Board of Governors, appointed by Trump, and he called the shots on his postmaster general, but no one's paying attention to that either, but it's important.
I said it, too! As soon as he entered politics, I knew it was going to be bad news. I grew up on the east coast, in Philadelphia, and I was familiar with his sleaze, cheapness and narcissism from reading about his ruthlessness and corrupt dealings in the news. He's always given me the willies.
Every day is a new nightmare-I subscribe to many Substack newsletters ( mostly free ) it’s getting to the point I’m hesitant to read them anymore because the news about the orange monster and how they are destroying our country just keeps getting worse every day-enough is enough
The hurdles to implementation of this voter suppression plan and legal challenges may be enough to stop the proposed U.S. Postal Service rule. That is my hope.
I think we need Congress to specify some kind of timing fence around elections, in which no changes could be made for the next-soonest election. Possibly a year would be reasonable.
(Such a "fence" would also define "election season" or similar, so outright lies such as "it's too soon before an election to appoint a new Supreme Court Judge" would be impossible. Re: Mitch McConnell)
Sounds like prior restraint to me. Are the courts going to rule that submitting a vote is NOT an example of a First Amendment Rights? I'm not sure even the SAVE Act could survive this kind of challenge.
One solution, also burdensome, is to simply take "ballot" off the envelope used to mail to and fro. It could have a return address as a PO box for outgoing, and could be called on the envelope "critical information about your voting rights". The return envelope would just be labeled "return of survey regarding voting rights."
What's the PO going to do? Open people's mail to see if a ballot is inside? 8 U.S.C. § 1702 (Obstruction of Correspondence) has a penalty of 5 years in prison for anyone, including postal employees who take, open, secrete, or destroy" and letter or package. . 18 U.S.C. § 1703 has the same penalty for postal employees who do the same. 39 U.S.C. § 404(c) requires a search warrant to open sealed domestic mail
If the PO tries to update its proposed rule to refuse ANYTHING from the Registrar of Voters, it will have to start the comment period again. And refusing to send mail from the Registrar would see to me to be a bridge too far even for the Extremes.
My eyes didn't glaze over, but my blood pressure has shot up to concerning levels. Damn this administration!! 😡😡😡😡😡🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
My blood pressure is fine, but this administration has taken a toll on me. I have never been so scared about the future of this country and my sweet 2 1/2 year old granddaughter. The constant anxiety has led to weight loss and sleep deprivation. I'm writing get out the vote postcards, registering voters, protesting, and constantly calling and writing my GOP representatives. I can't let myself feel helpless. That's what the evildoers want.
Yep. My GOP senators and rep always respond, "Gosh, Cheryl, thank you so much for writing! I really appreciate and value input from my constituents!"
Yeah, right. And ya vote with that felonious orange every damn time. 🙄🤦♀️😡🤬
Keep writing them. Might be interesting to say you’re in favor of some GOP thing and see if they give details on how they’re supporting it; or ask a question they have to answer,
My Dem senators usually reply with some kind of Yes, I’m on it message. But Dems could have entirely diff strategies for replying to constituents than town hall avoiding GOP
⬆️"I'm writing get out the vote postcards, registering voters, protesting, and constantly calling and writing my GOP representatives. I can't let myself feel helpless.'
Good for you! I feel the same way - action is the antidote to anxiety!
One additional suggestion to consider is volunteering to help with voter protection. Check out VoPro Pros (https://www.vopropros.com/) for virtual activities including voter hotlines and short-term special projects. Also, volunteer in person as a poll observer - I have been doing this since 2020 through the NC Democratic party. I know in NC at least that unaffiliated voters can also volunteer.
VoteRiders helps voters get the ID that they need to vote (https://voteriders.org/volunteer/). There are a variety of ways to volunteer. I am part of their letter-writing program.
RideShare2Vote (https://rideshare2vote.com/) helps arrange rides to the polls for Democratic voters. They also sponsor non-partisan activities through https://rideshare2voteaware.org/. These include a Mobility Challenged Voter Transport program and LGBTQ rideshare program (https://rideshare2voteaware.org/awarevote-specialized-transport-programs/).
Thank you, Cheryl.
How can I repost this? It is valuable info.
Thanks!
If you click on the 3 dots opposite my name (in right hand corner) it opens up a drop down box. If you want to repost my comment in your Substack feed, click on "Restack". If you want to repost somewhere else, you can click on "copy link" , then go there and paste (Ctrl V) the link.
My eyes did glaze over, but that doesn't mean I didn't understand what's happening: Donald has to cheat in every way possible to keep Republicans/Trump cult members in power. And he'll do his damnedest (an apt term) to make it happen. So sick of this s***.
You tell Americans they can't do something and you'd better get out of the way. We WILL restore Congress to Democratic control. Whatever it takes. Count on it.
I hope you are right…we have trump now because more eligible voters sat out the 2024 election than voted. AND trump is counting on this…
It's not that people say at home, trump and Elon musk set up the machine to rig that vote. I refused to vote when I only saw Trump's name on that ballot and nowhere was VP Harris's name was not on that ballot. But Democrats for lessor offices ran blue everywhere. One other reason, Michigan went red was because Nina Turner and the Palestinian who resides in Congress told those folks to do a noncomitted vote, and they voted for trump. They were told trump was going to do good for Palestinians and to not vote for VP Harris. If you don't overhaul the mail system, you will still fight for every vote. LaJoy needs to get away from our mail system. That is Trump's boy and he was responsible for all of our mailboxes taken off the street. Polling places are too far away for seniors and the handicapped to go to. They took the voting out of my building... sad, sad, sad..Get Republicans out of our hair, vote all Republican's out, especially the out of the mail systems...
...
What do you mean that Harris was not on the ballot?
I was going to ask that! Ditto! :)
We have CFDT now because Musk manipulated the vote. I am not excusing those who sat out the election.
I think voters will be highly motivated to not sit this election out.
Not a blue wave. An angry voter revolt!🤬
Unfortunately, some people need to learn the lesson multiple times!
They should have learned their lesson after the 2016 election. I always think of that Maya Angelou quote about believing someone the first time when they show you who they are!
"Yes, we can." - Obama
Much love for this comment.
Complicated and totally chaotic. Thanks for outlining this madness. Jay.
I take heart from Mark Ellias on his Democracy Docket Substack yesterday;
"a hopeful sign for mail-in voting, federal court fast-tracks a bid to block Trump order
As the administration pushes ahead with plans that could upend how mail ballots are cast for the 2026 midterms, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request by Democratic plaintiffs to speed up their appeal of a lower court ruling that left Trump’s anti-voting order in place last month."
Here's the link to the article by Yunior Rivas, on Democracy Docket yesterday.
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/in-hopeful-sign-for-mail-in-voting-court-fast-tracks-bid-to-block-trump-order/?_hsmi=423440260
I work elections in Arizona. Phone work for three weeks and then a week of site work. The county already registers who gets and returns a ballot. The post office doesn't have the time, staff, or money to do this. They should have just said no. But more people will be using drop-off locations instead of mailing, which a lot of people are already doing.
Unless the state mandates there is only one drop box per county, like here in Ohio, or in Texas, where there is only one box in huge Harris county!
That's a shame. They are quite convenient here and I had started using them some years back, not trusting the USPS. I wonder how they factor in to this whole plan.
They're convenient where I live, too. It feels safer than mail (since trump and dejoy erupted on the scene, that is) to just drop my ballot into a ballot box.
IN NC there are no drop boxes, but mail-in ballots can be dropped at erly voting sites for immediate family members - the person dropping the ballot off must fill out an affidavit and check off how they are related to the voter.
Talk about suppressing the vote! That is so unconstitutional, it's genuinely surprising to me. Multiple drop boxes are so easy to implement, I would imagine.
And what about voting citizens who live outside the United States? Will we be required to travel hundreds or thousands of miles to our last place of residence in the States in order to case an in-person ballot -- or will we simply be disenfranchised? There are likely millions of us!!!!
Plus the military overseas
This is a good voting resource for military and their family:
https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter
https://www.fvap.gov/military-voter/services
https://www.fvap.gov/military-voter/military-spouses
I gather an exception has been made for them -- good!! -- but what about all the rest of us? I am not a second-class citizen!
Are you hooked into Voters Abroad? This is a good resource:
https://www.votersabroad.org/
Once again, we're dependent upon the judicial system to save us from the trump regime's corruption and unconstitutional behavior.
All this can go away with a Congress that does its job, but we just don't have one.
All the more reason for us to vote in overwhelming numbers to rid ourselves of the MAGA cancer and the GOP in general.
My prayers are with you my American friends. Remember way back to what - the beginning of the year, when he stood in front of his cult party and practically begged his followers to make sure they voted in the midterms? Because and I quote, “They’ll impeach me if you don’t”
Always about him, so my prayer is that you find a way to scatter this vipers’ nest and get them thinking about their own political careers. That and muzzle the corrupt Federal Supreme Court. The last would a bonus. Cheering for you all the way.
Thank you, Barb! I for one am sure grateful for your words. Thanks for recognizing that many of us Americans are as appalled and outraged by this malignant narcissist as the whole world is (probably more, because we're also embarrassed to the nth), especially those of us who have been steadfastly and loudly against him ever since he entered politics. We're mystified that he and his minions EVER got into power (two times!), let alone that they are still in power after the blatant criminality of this past 18 months or so.
Thanks for your cheers! :-)
This is an outrage! Can’t the person who constantly whines that elections are rigged STOP trying to rig elections?!?!
Every accusation is a confession.
I think it is important to point out that some states allow all elections be conducted by mail...California is one of them. I'm not sure why the news media is not all over this.
In addition, I would like to know more about people who vote by mail due to age, disabilities or even circumstances such as work. Will their rights be violated?
https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/table-18-states-with-all-mail-elections
Trump's goal is that he hopes your eyes will glaze over, you're confused, and bow out completely. He has cheated his whole life. That's the only thing he is good at, and because we are still a misogynistic nation, he can only win against women, but no one ever points that out. He's only defeated women. If it was pointed out, he'd go ballistic.
Worse, the current postmaster general was appointed by USPS Board of Governors, appointed by Trump, and he called the shots on his postmaster general, but no one's paying attention to that either, but it's important.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/17/usps-postmaster-general-privatization-00460246
The entire west coast is going to be screwed by this. Felon47 should have been tried and put in jail after ITs first term, IMO…
He should never have had a first term. I said it was a horrible idea in 2015. I wasn't wrong. Nobody listened.
I said it, too! As soon as he entered politics, I knew it was going to be bad news. I grew up on the east coast, in Philadelphia, and I was familiar with his sleaze, cheapness and narcissism from reading about his ruthlessness and corrupt dealings in the news. He's always given me the willies.
Ditto!
I don't know of a single post office that is fully staffed and that has the capability or capacity to perform their role in this catastrophic scheme.
Postal workers everywhere are rethinking their careers.
Nit surprised.
Every day is a new nightmare-I subscribe to many Substack newsletters ( mostly free ) it’s getting to the point I’m hesitant to read them anymore because the news about the orange monster and how they are destroying our country just keeps getting worse every day-enough is enough
Same here, I dread opening the email account I send my substack subscriptions to.
I get it. I spend waaaay too much time on Substack, but I am so grateful for the information and perspectives.
The hurdles to implementation of this voter suppression plan and legal challenges may be enough to stop the proposed U.S. Postal Service rule. That is my hope.
I think we need Congress to specify some kind of timing fence around elections, in which no changes could be made for the next-soonest election. Possibly a year would be reasonable.
(Such a "fence" would also define "election season" or similar, so outright lies such as "it's too soon before an election to appoint a new Supreme Court Judge" would be impossible. Re: Mitch McConnell)
The 2026 elections are just a test for 2028. Remind everyone you know to go vote!
Sounds like prior restraint to me. Are the courts going to rule that submitting a vote is NOT an example of a First Amendment Rights? I'm not sure even the SAVE Act could survive this kind of challenge.
One solution, also burdensome, is to simply take "ballot" off the envelope used to mail to and fro. It could have a return address as a PO box for outgoing, and could be called on the envelope "critical information about your voting rights". The return envelope would just be labeled "return of survey regarding voting rights."
What's the PO going to do? Open people's mail to see if a ballot is inside? 8 U.S.C. § 1702 (Obstruction of Correspondence) has a penalty of 5 years in prison for anyone, including postal employees who take, open, secrete, or destroy" and letter or package. . 18 U.S.C. § 1703 has the same penalty for postal employees who do the same. 39 U.S.C. § 404(c) requires a search warrant to open sealed domestic mail
If the PO tries to update its proposed rule to refuse ANYTHING from the Registrar of Voters, it will have to start the comment period again. And refusing to send mail from the Registrar would see to me to be a bridge too far even for the Extremes.