Post-Election Results and Analysis

The mid-terms are finally over and they have gone as most analysts would have predicted.  The Democrats have taken control of the house, winning around 30 seats.  The Republicans keep control of the Senate, maintaining a very slim majority.  Governorships slightly favor Republicans and Texas leadership remains fairly Republican.

Despite this fairly routine outcome, the night still brought many surprises and causes for celebration.

We saw tremendous voter turnout for a mid-term election, with some estimates as high as 114 million voters.

We were reminded that America is purple.

And we saw that Texas is already purple, and moving more in that direction.  Beto may have lost, but we see our state moving more into battleground state territory.  Cruz lost by a much narrower percentage than he should have in "red" Texas.  Partly because of the hype surrounding Beto, but also partly because Cruz is an extremely unlikable candidate.  Texans flipped two house seats Democratic and one in Tarrant County, the most staunchly conservative county in Texas.  Texans flipped two state senate seats Democratic and nine state house seats democratic.  The majority of the State Board of Education is now Democratic.   And with the shifting demographics of the state, this is something that is going to continue to trend towards change.   That's incredible!

We have another year of the woman, with over 100 women taking seats in the House of Representatives.  This shatters previous records of female representation, though it still represents a long way to go.

We have seen several first in this election.   First Native American women to win seats in Congress.  Youngest woman ever elected to Congress.  First Muslim women to win seats in Congress.  First Somali-American to serve in Congress.  First African-American woman to represent Massachusetts and Connecticut. First female senator for Tennessee. First Latina women to represent Texas.  First openly gay male governor.  First female governors of South Dakota and Maine.

All around we have seen a number of diverse candidates elected to office.

And miracle of all miracles, beer and wine sales passed in Jasper County.

We've also seen some rather unpleasant things in this election cycle.

It would seem the definition of irony is an image going around today.  The image reads "If your party won, don't gloat.  If your party lost, don't despair.  This has been hard on all of us.  Treat others the way you want to be treated.  We all need it."

While I may agree with the sentiment, it's a little hard to take from those who only post it after "their party" suffers a loss.  For I remember their eight years of complaining under one president, followed by minimizing complaints under the next.  These victories will be celebrated in the moment, for in many instances, they represent tremendous change and truly remarkable victories.  From there we can move on to the harder step of working together once the high has worn off.

We've seen that many people need a refresher in civics and especially in their "-isms," so they can have a greater understanding in how republicanism is supposed to work and can understand how Democratic Socialism and Socialism are not the same thing.  Or perhaps they could understand how many "socialist" programs they actually support and approve of.

We've also seen that there are many people that still do not grasp the political reality of our times.  Democrats did not win because illegals voted or because of voter fraud.  Instances of voter fraud in actuality are exceedingly rare.  Republicans did not win because of voter suppression or gerrymandering.  Though we know that this has occurred.  Either side won because roughly half of the country supports them.  Put another way, it is generally safe to assume that whatever you believe, roughly half the country disagrees with you.  That's just how divided we are.

Given that, for election purposes, we have to start with the presumption that roughly 40% of America will vote Democrat NO MATTER WHAT and roughly 40% will vote Republican NO MATTER WHAT. So, roughly 80% of voters are already decided, leaving 20% as the deciding factor.  I honestly believe it's probably closer to 45%, 45%, and 10%, respectively.

You can see this in the number of elections won with one candidate with a low 50-something percent and the other with a high 40-something percent, just like all of the other recent previous elections.  Look at Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke.  50.89% Cruz, 48.32% O'Rourke.  The tiniest of margins.

That should be a sobering thought.  It should serve as a sobering reminder of why we have to work together.  And that perhaps, one party does not have all the answers.  Instead we are using it to demonize half the country for daring to have a different opinion on how we can improve.  For daring to disagree.

Perhaps we can proceed from there.  Perhaps we can begin to treat each other as fellow citizens and work together to compromise and move forward.  I don't know.  It doesn't seem likely, but stranger things have happened.

We saw that proof last night.

Vote, No Excuses

Today is the day.  Tuesday, November 6, 2018. Election Day.

Today it is imperative that everyone get out and vote. Not because there will be impending doom if you do not. Rather because every election matters. Because we need to remind everyone where the power belongs in this country - with the people. The people have been silent for far too long and we have seen far too much power taken away from us. Our vote is our reminder to the politicians that they work for us and are supposed to be promoting the best interests of all of us.

There are no excuses not to get out to vote today.

If you do not know where to go vote, check vote.org for your local polling place.

If you are unsure who best represents your beliefs and interests, check votesmart.org or ontheissues.org for a breakdown.

I won’t make any recommendations on who to vote for, other than to say do not utilize the straight party option. Vote for the candidates who best represent you regardless of party. Remember you are electing them to be your voice, so they should well reflect your beliefs.  Even if you end up marking all of the same party, go through the process of bubbling in every one, so you associate the candidate with the position.

If you need a ride to a voting location, Uber and Lyftare giving free rides to the polls.

If you are working in Texas, your employer must give you time off to vote, up to two hours.

Be sure to bring a photo id with you to vote. The sevenforms of primary identification are listed on votetexas.gov and include a passport, a driver’s license, a certificate of citizenship, a handgun license, a military ID card, personal identification card, and a voter’s ID certification.

If you do not have one of these forms of identification, you can still vote with one of the secondary forms of identification available like a current utility bill and by filling out a Reasonable Impediment Declaration regarding why you cannot have one of the primary identifications. Even if you cannot make a reasonable declaration, you can still vote on a provisional ballot.

If you run into any problems at the polls, at least ask to vote on a provisional ballot.  This will at least allow you to mark your vote and will give you six days to resolve the identification issue.

If you cannot walk into the polling location, have someone go in and ask for a curbside ballot for you.  It should be available to anyone who has difficulty walking and standing in line for long periods of time.  If you need any other assistance in voting, make sure you know your rights in that regard.

Vote.

Vote.

I cannot say it enough.

Vote.

Your voice matters. Make sure it is heard.

One Week, A Reminder

We're currently one week out from the mid-term elections.  This post is to serve as a reminder to get out and vote.

Early voting in Texas ends Friday, November 2, 2018.  You can go to vote.org to find early voting locations and times.

If you cannot vote early, likewise, check vote.org to find out where your polling place will be on election day, Tuesday, November 6, 2018.

Further, there is a world of resources on the web to find out information on the candidates and issues on your ballot, including the two below.

Ontheissues.org

VoteSmart.org

Beyond these two, there are literally hundreds of resources out there and a breadth of information available at your finger tips.  Just a Google search away.  Please get informed and get out to vote.

We need each and every person to get out and raise their voice.

Vote.  Every election matters and every vote matters.