<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/29/lawmakers-public-school-advocates-spar-over-ads-against-using-state-funds-for-ne-private-schools/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;Nebraska lawmakers made what likely was a final push Monday before Election Day to save the state’s latest “school choice” program to offset attendance costs at private schools.

State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, who sponsored the original&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50326" target="_blank">Legislative Bills 753</a>&nbsp;in 2023 and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=55486" target="_blank">1402</a>&nbsp;this year, joined with about 20 of her legislative colleagues to criticize a new ad from the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/ballot-measures/private-education-scholarship-partial-referendum/">Support Our Schools campaign</a>, which has opposed both of Linehan’s bills. But in the face of a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign, Linehan said opponents are intentionally not matching spending.

“I’m not putting much value on a repeal that was funded by $5 million against no opposition,” Linehan said.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SOSNebraska/status/1849464803066089834" target="_blank">targeted ad</a>, posted to the campaign’s social media four days ago, shows three men in suits, which the senators took as caricatures of themselves. The men enter a classroom, steal toy blocks from the children, break pencils, knock over dominoes and break a house made of Legos.

“The Legislature’s school voucher bill fails our kids,” a voiceover says.

Linehan herself used Legos at a Monday news conference to demonstrate the issue, placing her left hand on a jug of Legos about a foot high, overflowing with hundreds of blocks, while holding a small cup of about 10 Legos in her right hand.&nbsp;

She said the first represented $5 billion in funds that public schools spend annually from the state, while the other is the $10 million provided to private schools under her legislation.

“The commercials are ridiculous, and they are insulting to the Legislature,” Linehan said.

Tim Royers, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, and Jenni Benson, president of the Support Our Schools campaign, criticized the opponents as rehashing arguments from when the bills passed the Legislature.

Royers, who attended Monday’s news conference, said the decision is in the hands of Nebraska voters. He said the decision is about “a fundamental attack on the integrity of public education within the state.”

“We view this as an existential threat to our capacity to fund our schools in the future,” Royers said. “That’s why we’re committing the resources we are to this.”

As of the campaign’s latest filings, through Oct. 21, the campaign opposing the LB 1402 “education scholarships” raised $4.6 million and spent $4.1 million. LB 1402 provided a direct $10 million to the State Treasurer’s Office to distribute “education scholarships” for students to attend nonpublic K-12 schools.

Much of the news conference focused on allegations in the ad, which lawmakers sought to discredit as “prejudicial,” “in bad taste,” “insulting,” “distasteful” and “disrespectful.” They jointly urged voters to vote to retain LB 1402, as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/2024/2024%20Ballot%20Measures%20Pamphlet.pdf" target="_blank">Referendum Measure 435</a>.

“Whoever came up with that idea, I’ll be honest, like my mother used to say, should be ashamed of themselves,” said State Sen. Fred Meyer of St. Paul, a former member of the State Board of Education. “That has no place in the public discourse in Nebraska.”

State Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus said “by any measure” state funding is up for public schools. He said the ad was meant to make voters mad. He questioned whether opponents would again spend millions of dollars if similar legislation was reintroduced rather than spending such funds on teacher retirement programs or improving test scores.

“You’re going to have to work with state senators moving forward to try to do the best you can for your schools and for your students,” Moser said. “The Legislature is interested in working with you, but that commercial is over the top.”

Royers said in response: “I thought it was a pretty fun ad. My kids thought it was a pretty fun ad. And candidly, I could run up a bunch of mailers and other ads that I think are far, far worse than an ad with kids in the classroom.”

Multiple speakers, including State Sens. Julie Slama of Dunbar and Justin Wayne of Omaha, criticized Royers on Monday.

“If you’re a dues paying teachers union member, your money is being wasted on advertising like this,” Slama said.

State Sens. Rob Clements of Elmwood, Rita Sanders of Bellevue and Dave Murman of Glenvil pointed to legislation in the past three years as significant investments in public education.

Clements, chair of the Appropriations Committee, pointed to the “Education Future Fund,” an initial $1 billion investment in 2023.

Sanders noted legislation to increase state special education reimbursement to 80% of costs and $1,500 in “foundation aid” for all public school students.

Murman, chair of the Education Committee, looked at recent legislation to provide $5,000 in grants for first-year educators for each of five years if they stay in the state, as well as $5,000 in funds if educators add endorsements in special education, science, math or technology.

Murman also pointed to rural schools, with at least 140 nonpublic schools partnering with the largest scholarship-granting organization, Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska.

Wayne, an initial critic of Linehan’s legislation eight years ago, turned into a key ally. The former Omaha Public Schools board member has said he isn’t “pro-school choice” but is pro-“I have no other alternative.”

“Break hold of this ancient belief that we’re destroying public education and embrace the idea that we are giving parents and students a chance for a better future,” Wayne said last week. “If we get it wrong, how worse are we right now than what’s happening in my district, where people aren’t graduating and we are filling up prisons with fourth-grade education requirements?”

Wayne has frequently said his northeast Omaha district can’t wait for improvements in the public schools.&nbsp;

Some public school advocates have pointed to “<a href="https://www.education.ne.gov/fos/enrollment-option-application-instructions-faqs/" target="_blank">option enrollment</a>,” which allows families to choose a different public school district for their children. The state is spending at least&nbsp;<a href="https://www.education.ne.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2425SA_StateAidCalculatedbySystemStateAidComponents_Annexation.pdf" target="_blank">$124 million</a>&nbsp;for the current school year.

But Wayne criticized those arguments, pointed to a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/Agencies/Education__Department_of/846_20240830-102307.pdf" target="_blank">new state report</a>&nbsp;indicating hundreds of option enrollment applications were denied, some because of special education needs.

He and other lawmakers have also noted that the state already provides funding for nonpublic schools, such as textbook loan programs, transportation, teacher grants and school safety funds.

Wayne said every family deserves high quality education, “not by chance, but by right.”

Royers said there is always room for improvement in option enrollment and said he is looking forward to an&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/calendar/hearings.php?day=2024-11-07" target="_blank">upcoming Education Committee hearing</a>&nbsp;on the topic.

Benson, who was president of the teacher’s union for the past three years, said she’s watched what happens in other states “once you get a foot in the door” and criticized the goals of billionaires funding the efforts who she said are looking forward to the “decimation of public schools.”

“They let the horse out of the barn, and now they’re all trying to claw it back,” Benson told the Nebraska Examiner. “… If you’ve made the decision to not have accountability, then you’ve made the decision that you shouldn’t have public funds for that.”

Linehan and Royers said if voters reject the legislation Nov. 5, it likely would return in the future.

“I would be surprised that you don’t see more legislation,” Linehan told reporters.

“To us, this is a fundamental issue,” Royers said. “Red line in the sand.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730219179857.jpeg" alt="State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn holds a cup of about 10 Legos compared to an overflowing jug of Legos to her left, which she said is supposed to illustrate the difference in $10 million for nonpublic schools to $5 billion for total public school spending in Nebraska. Oct. 28, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn holds a cup of about 10 Legos compared to an overflowing jug of Legos to her left, which she said is supposed to illustrate the difference in $10 million for nonpublic schools to $5 billion for total public school spending in Nebraska. Oct. 28, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/10/29/lawmakers-public-school-advocates-spar-over-ads-against-using-state-funds-for-ne-private-schools/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;Nebraska lawmakers made what likely was a final push Monday before Election Day to save the state’s latest “school choice” program to offset attendance costs at private schools.State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, who sponsored the original&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=50326" target="_blank">Legislative Bills 753</a>&nbsp;in 2023 and&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=55486" target="_blank">1402</a>&nbsp;this year, joined with about 20 of her legislative colleagues to criticize a new ad from the&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/ballot-measures/private-education-scholarship-partial-referendum/">Support Our Schools campaign</a>, which has opposed both of Linehan’s bills. But in the face of a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign, Linehan said opponents are intentionally not matching spending.“I’m not putting much value on a repeal that was funded by $5 million against no opposition,” Linehan said.The&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SOSNebraska/status/1849464803066089834" target="_blank">targeted ad</a>, posted to the campaign’s social media four days ago, shows three men in suits, which the senators took as caricatures of themselves. The men enter a classroom, steal toy blocks from the children, break pencils, knock over dominoes and break a house made of Legos.“The Legislature’s school voucher bill fails our kids,” a voiceover says.Linehan herself used Legos at a Monday news conference to demonstrate the issue, placing her left hand on a jug of Legos about a foot high, overflowing with hundreds of blocks, while holding a small cup of about 10 Legos in her right hand.&nbsp;She said the first represented $5 billion in funds that public schools spend annually from the state, while the other is the $10 million provided to private schools under her legislation.“The commercials are ridiculous, and they are insulting to the Legislature,” Linehan said.<h2>‘An existential threat’</h2>Tim Royers, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, and Jenni Benson, president of the Support Our Schools campaign, criticized the opponents as rehashing arguments from when the bills passed the Legislature.Royers, who attended Monday’s news conference, said the decision is in the hands of Nebraska voters. He said the decision is about “a fundamental attack on the integrity of public education within the state.”“We view this as an existential threat to our capacity to fund our schools in the future,” Royers said. “That’s why we’re committing the resources we are to this.”As of the campaign’s latest filings, through Oct. 21, the campaign opposing the LB 1402 “education scholarships” raised $4.6 million and spent $4.1 million. LB 1402 provided a direct $10 million to the State Treasurer’s Office to distribute “education scholarships” for students to attend nonpublic K-12 schools.<h2>‘No place in the public discourse’</h2>Much of the news conference focused on allegations in the ad, which lawmakers sought to discredit as “prejudicial,” “in bad taste,” “insulting,” “distasteful” and “disrespectful.” They jointly urged voters to vote to retain LB 1402, as part of&nbsp;<a href="https://sos.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/elections/2024/2024%20Ballot%20Measures%20Pamphlet.pdf" target="_blank">Referendum Measure 435</a>.“Whoever came up with that idea, I’ll be honest, like my mother used to say, should be ashamed of themselves,” said State Sen. Fred Meyer of St. Paul, a former member of the State Board of Education. “That has no place in the public discourse in Nebraska.”State Sen. Mike Moser of Columbus said “by any measure” state funding is up for public schools. He said the ad was meant to make voters mad. He questioned whether opponents would again spend millions of dollars if similar legislation was reintroduced rather than spending such funds on teacher retirement programs or improving test scores.“You’re going to have to work with state senators moving forward to try to do the best you can for your schools and for your students,” Moser said. “The Legislature is interested in working with you, but that commercial is over the top.”Royers said in response: “I thought it was a pretty fun ad. My kids thought it was a pretty fun ad. And candidly, I could run up a bunch of mailers and other ads that I think are far, far worse than an ad with kids in the classroom.”Multiple speakers, including State Sens. Julie Slama of Dunbar and Justin Wayne of Omaha, criticized Royers on Monday.“If you’re a dues paying teachers union member, your money is being wasted on advertising like this,” Slama said.<h2>Investments in public education</h2>State Sens. Rob Clements of Elmwood, Rita Sanders of Bellevue and Dave Murman of Glenvil pointed to legislation in the past three years as significant investments in public education.Clements, chair of the Appropriations Committee, pointed to the “Education Future Fund,” an initial $1 billion investment in 2023.Sanders noted legislation to increase state special education reimbursement to 80% of costs and $1,500 in “foundation aid” for all public school students.Murman, chair of the Education Committee, looked at recent legislation to provide $5,000 in grants for first-year educators for each of five years if they stay in the state, as well as $5,000 in funds if educators add endorsements in special education, science, math or technology.Murman also pointed to rural schools, with at least 140 nonpublic schools partnering with the largest scholarship-granting organization, Opportunity Scholarships of Nebraska.<h2>Public option enrollment</h2>Wayne, an initial critic of Linehan’s legislation eight years ago, turned into a key ally. The former Omaha Public Schools board member has said he isn’t “pro-school choice” but is pro-“I have no other alternative.”“Break hold of this ancient belief that we’re destroying public education and embrace the idea that we are giving parents and students a chance for a better future,” Wayne said last week. “If we get it wrong, how worse are we right now than what’s happening in my district, where people aren’t graduating and we are filling up prisons with fourth-grade education requirements?”Wayne has frequently said his northeast Omaha district can’t wait for improvements in the public schools.&nbsp;Some public school advocates have pointed to “<a href="https://www.education.ne.gov/fos/enrollment-option-application-instructions-faqs/" target="_blank">option enrollment</a>,” which allows families to choose a different public school district for their children. The state is spending at least&nbsp;<a href="https://www.education.ne.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2425SA_StateAidCalculatedbySystemStateAidComponents_Annexation.pdf" target="_blank">$124 million</a>&nbsp;for the current school year.But Wayne criticized those arguments, pointed to a&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/108/PDF/Agencies/Education__Department_of/846_20240830-102307.pdf" target="_blank">new state report</a>&nbsp;indicating hundreds of option enrollment applications were denied, some because of special education needs.He and other lawmakers have also noted that the state already provides funding for nonpublic schools, such as textbook loan programs, transportation, teacher grants and school safety funds.Wayne said every family deserves high quality education, “not by chance, but by right.”Royers said there is always room for improvement in option enrollment and said he is looking forward to an&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskalegislature.gov/calendar/hearings.php?day=2024-11-07" target="_blank">upcoming Education Committee hearing</a>&nbsp;on the topic.<h2>Focus is on ‘a foot in the door’</h2>Benson, who was president of the teacher’s union for the past three years, said she’s watched what happens in other states “once you get a foot in the door” and criticized the goals of billionaires funding the efforts who she said are looking forward to the “decimation of public schools.”“They let the horse out of the barn, and now they’re all trying to claw it back,” Benson told the Nebraska Examiner. “… If you’ve made the decision to not have accountability, then you’ve made the decision that you shouldn’t have public funds for that.”Linehan and Royers said if voters reject the legislation Nov. 5, it likely would return in the future.“I would be surprised that you don’t see more legislation,” Linehan told reporters.“To us, this is a fundamental issue,” Royers said. “Red line in the sand.”

Lawmakers, Public School Advocates Spar Over Ads Against Using State Funds for NE Private Schools

PORTLAND, OR—Law enforcement released two photos of the suspect vehicle believed to be involved in the incident at a ballot box in Southeast Portland early Monday morning, according to the FBI.

The vehicle is described as a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60. The vehicle does not have a front license plate, but it does have an unknown rear plate. Investigators believe the vehicle is tied to two similar incidents in the Vancouver, Washington area.

Detectives determined the incendiary device that ignited the fire at the Southeast Portland ballot box was attached to the side of the box and not placed in it as originally reported.

“We don’t know the motive behind these acts,” PPB Assistant Chief Amanda McMillan said. “We do know acts like this are targeted and they're intentional and we’re concerned about that intentional act trying to impact the election process. 

We’re dedicated to stopping this kind of behavior.”Anyone with information about the suspect vehicle or the case is asked to contact Detective Meredith Hopper Meredith.Hopper@police.portlandoregon.gov or call the PF&amp;R Fire Investigation Unit’s tip line, 503-823- FIRE (3473). Please reference case number 24-276181.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730151562414.png" alt="Photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>PORTLAND, OR—Law enforcement released two photos of the suspect vehicle believed to be involved in the incident at a ballot box in Southeast Portland early Monday morning, according to the FBI.The vehicle is described as a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60. The vehicle does not have a front license plate, but it does have an unknown rear plate. Investigators believe the vehicle is tied to two similar incidents in the Vancouver, Washington area.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730165077840.png" alt="Photo FBI" />
 <figcaption>Photo FBI</figcaption>
 </figure>Detectives determined the incendiary device that ignited the fire at the Southeast Portland ballot box was attached to the side of the box and not placed in it as originally reported.“We don’t know the motive behind these acts,” PPB Assistant Chief Amanda McMillan said. “We do know acts like this are targeted and they're intentional and we’re concerned about that intentional act trying to impact the election process. We’re dedicated to stopping this kind of behavior.”Anyone with information about the suspect vehicle or the case is asked to contact Detective Meredith Hopper Meredith.Hopper@police.portlandoregon.gov or call the PF&amp;R Fire Investigation Unit’s tip line, 503-823- FIRE (3473). Please reference case number 24-276181.

FBI: Fires set in drop boxes destroy hundreds of ballots

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>&nbsp;

The closing of the polls and end of mail-in voting kick off a nearly three-month process before the next president of the United States is sworn in on Inauguration Day in January. New guardrails were enacted by Congress in 2022 to more fully protect the presidential transition, following the Jan. 6, 2021 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters and a failed scheme to install fake electors.

But even before that shift to a new chief executive begins, a presidential victor is unlikely to be announced election night or even the following day.

It’s a result that will possibly take days to determine, given tight margins expected in seven swing states. Officials needed four days to count all the votes to determine President Joe Biden the victor of the 2020 presidential election.

In states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the law does not allow that process to begin for millions of mail-in ballots until Election Day. Other states allow pre-processing of ballots.

Trey Grayson, Kentucky’s former Republican secretary of state, said ballot authentication could be on different timelines across the country after voting ends on Election Day.

“We have 50 states, plus D.C., that pretty much all do it differently,” Grayson, who served as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, told reporters Friday on a call of bipartisan former state election officials who are working to explain the process to the public.

It could mean “in a very close election that we don’t know on election night who the president is or who controls the House or the Senate, but we should feel confident over the next couple of days, as we work through that, that we’re going to get there,” he said.

Those delays, which former President Donald Trump seized on to spread the baseless lie that the election was stolen from him, are expected again in November, especially as all eyes will be on the battleground states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Additionally, there already are hundreds of pre-election lawsuits, mainly filed by Republicans, ranging from election integrity challenges to accusations of noncitizens allowed to vote in federal elections — something that rarely happens and is already illegal. The legal challenges could further spark delays.

“We will not have a winner on election night most likely and so we need to be able to prepare the public for this,” said Virginia Kase Solomón, the president and CEO of the democracy watchdog group Common Cause, during a Tuesday briefing.

She added that her organization will focus on combating misinformation and disinformation on election night and beyond.

“There is the potential that somebody could claim the win before … all of the votes have been counted,” she said.

In the early morning hours after Election Day in 2020, before results from key states were determined, Trump falsely claimed he won in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duE8tnrSmNc&amp;t=3s" target="_blank">an address at the White House.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>

On top of that, experts say this year could see election denial erupting in countless courtrooms and meeting rooms in localities and the states, as well as across social media, if doubts are sown about the results.

Recounts could also delay an official election result, and the laws vary from state to state.

For example, in Pennsylvania, if a candidate demands a recount, three voters from each of the over 9,000 precincts have to petition for a recount.

“We’ve never seen that happen actually in Pennsylvania,” Kathy Boockvar, the commonwealth’s former Democratic secretary of state, said on Friday’s call with reporters.

An automatic statewide recount is triggered in Pennsylvania if there’s a difference of a half percent of all votes cast for the winner and loser. The final recount results, by law, are due to the secretary of state by Nov. 26, and results would be announced on Nov. 27, Boockvar said.

The margin in Pennsylvania’s 2020 results for the presidential election was between 1.1% and 1.2%, not enough to trigger the automatic recount, Boockvar said.

State election officials have been preparing for the past year to train poll workers to not only run the voting booths but for possible violence — a precaution put in place after the 2020 election — and have beefed up security around polling locations.

On Friday, Trump posted on X that the election “will be under the closest professional scrutiny and, WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long term prison sentences so that this Depravity of Justice does not happen again.”

A reporter asked Grayson about the possibility of aggression from poll watchers. The Republican National Committee&nbsp;<a href="https://gop.com/press-release/trump-campaign-and-rnc-unveil-historic-100000-person-strong-election-integrity-program/" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;in April a “historic move to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process,” establishing party-led trainings for poll watchers.

Poll watchers are not a new concept, and Grayson said clear “safeguards” are in place.

“If you’re intimidating, you’re gone. There’s clear laws in every state on that,” he said.

Celestine Jeffreys, the city clerk in Green Bay, Wisconsin, said during a Wednesday roundtable with election workers that the city has an Election Day protocol in place that includes everything from blocking off streets to City Hall to getting rid of shrubbery.

“We have actually removed bushes in front of City Hall” to ensure no one can be concealed behind them, she said.&nbsp;In the second assassination attempt on Trump earlier this year, a gunman hid in bushes outside Trump’s private golf course.

New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said during a Tuesday briefing she is focused on the physical safety of election officials.

During the event with the National Association of Secretaries of State, she said such safety is not only a priority during voting but when officials move to certify the state’s election results in December.

“We have all been spending a lot more time on physical security and making sure that our election officials at all levels are more physically secure this year,” Toulouse Oliver said. “And of course, you know when our electors meet in our states, you know, ensuring for the physical security of that process and those individuals as well.”

On Dec. 17, each state’s electors will meet to vote for the president and vice president. Congress will vote to certify the results on Jan. 6.

“We are thinking a lot more about this in 2024 than we did in 2020, but I think that each one of us… have a playbook in mind for how to handle any unanticipated eventualities in the certification process,” she said.

<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/law-enforcement-officials-prepare-possible-post-election-violence-dc" target="_blank">It’s a security precaution</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. Secret Service is also taking.

For the first time, Congress’ certification of the Electoral College on Jan. 6 has been designated a National Special Security Event, something that is usually reserved for Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.

In 2020, The Associated Press did not call the presidential election for Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.ap.org/behind-the-news/calling-the-2020-presidential-race-state-by-state" target="_blank">until</a>&nbsp;11:26 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 — roughly three-and-a-half days after polls closed. The AP, as well as other media organizations, project election winners after local officials make initial tabulations public.

Those tallies are then&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eac.gov/election-officials/election-results-canvass-and-certification" target="_blank">canvassed, audited and certified</a>, according to each state’s legal timeline. Recounts may also extend the timeline before final certification.

The vote totals reported in Pennsylvania — a state that carried 20 Electoral College votes in 2020 — put Biden over the top for the 270 needed to win the presidency.

Trump refused to concede the race, and instead promised to take his fight to court.

For the next two months, Trump and his surrogates filed&nbsp;<a href="https://electioncases.osu.edu/case-tracker/?sortby=filing_date_desc&amp;keywords=&amp;status=all&amp;state=all&amp;topic=25" target="_blank">just over 60 lawsuits</a>&nbsp;challenging the results in numerous states. Ultimately none of the judges found evidence of widespread voter fraud.

The next step was for Congress to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2014-title3/html/USCODE-2014-title3-chap1-sec15.htm" target="_blank">count</a>&nbsp;each state’s certified slate of electors, which by law, it must do on the Jan. 6 following a presidential election.

However, in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6, Trump and his private lawyers worked to replace legitimate slates of electors with fake ones, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/collection/january-6th-committee-final-report?path=/GPO/January%206th%20Committee%20Final%20Report%20and%20Supporting%20Materials%20Collection" target="_blank">hundreds</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67656604/266/2/united-states-v-trump/" target="_blank">pages</a>&nbsp;of records compiled by a special congressional investigation, and by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Trump pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to block ratification of the Electoral College’s vote at the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress, because the vice president’s role in the certification of electoral votes was not exactly clear in the Electoral Count Act of 1887.

Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 following a “Stop the Steal” rally at The Ellipse park, south of the White House, where Trump told the crowd “We will never concede.”

The mob assaulted police officers, broke windows to climb inside and hurled violent threats aimed at elected officials, including the desire to “hang” Pence. More than 1,500 defendants&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/44-months-jan-6-attack-us-capitol" target="_blank">have been charged</a>&nbsp;by the Department of Justice.

Congress stopped its process of reviewing the state electors in the 2 p.m. Eastern hour as police ushered the lawmakers to safety. The joint session resumed at roughly 11:30 p.m., and Pence called the majority of electoral votes for Biden at nearly 4 a.m. on Jan. 7.

To deter another Jan. 6 insurrection, Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/28/key-u-s-senate-panel-advances-bill-aimed-at-preventing-another-jan-6/" target="_blank">passed</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/JRQ121922.PDF" target="_blank">Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transitional Improvement Act of 2022</a>&nbsp;as part of a massive appropriations bill.

The Electoral Count Reform Act codifies into law that the vice president, who also serves as the president of the U.S. Senate, only ceremoniously reads aloud a roll call of the votes.

Most notably, the provision raises the threshold for lawmakers to make an objection to electors. Previously, only one U.S. House representative and one U.S. senator would need to make an objection to an elector or slate of electors.

But under the new law, it would take one-fifth of members to lodge an objection and under very specific standards — 87 House members and 20 senators.

The Electoral Count Reform Act also identifies that each state’s governor is the official responsible for submitting the state’s official document that identifies the state’s appointed electors, and says that Congress cannot accept that document from any official besides the governor, unless otherwise specified by the state’s law.

Trump and his allies tried to replace legitimate slates of electors in several states with fake electors who would cast ballots for Trump.

The Presidential Transitional Improvement Act provides candidates with funding and resources for transitional planning, even if a candidate has not conceded after the election.

There are already issues with the transition of power. The top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin,&nbsp;<a href="https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-oversight.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-10-23.JBR%20to%20Trump%20and%20Vance%20re%20transition%20MOUs.pdf" target="_blank">sent a Wednesday letter</a>&nbsp;to Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, urging them to sign documents to ensure a peaceful transition of power.

“With fewer than three weeks left until an election in which the American people will select a new President of the United States, I urge you to put the public’s interest in maintaining a properly functioning government above any personal financial or political interests you may perceive in boycotting the official transition law and process,” Raskin wrote.

Denial expected at all levels of government

Experts warn the effort to delay certification of the vote is largely being fought at the local and state levels, and that several groups are gearing up to sow doubt in the election outcome.

Devin Burghart, president of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, said on a press call Wednesday that since 2020, “election denial has shifted away from the capital to county election commission meetings, courtrooms, cyber symposiums and countless conspiracies in preparation for a repeat this November.”

“This time, the baseless claim that undocumented immigrants are somehow swamping the polls has fueled the ‘big lie’ machine,” Burghart said.

Boockvar said the noncitizen topic is not new.

“I’d like to level set and remind everyone that it’s been illegal at the federal level since 1996 and you know, when you think back on 2002 the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eac.gov/about/help_america_vote_act.aspx" target="_blank">Help America Vote Act</a>&nbsp;basically required voters to provide ID when they register, which is usually a driver’s license or a Social Security number, and states are checking that data against the DMV database. And these protections are enormously successful,” Boockvar said.

In two high-profile cases, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Republican-led efforts in&nbsp;<a href="https://alabamareflector.com/2024/10/16/federal-judge-blocks-alabama-secretary-of-states-voter-removal-plan/" target="_blank">Alabama</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://virginiamercury.com/briefs/judge-orders-people-removed-from-voter-rolls-to-be-reinstated-gov-youngkin-to-seek-appeal/" target="_blank">Virginia</a>&nbsp;to purge voter rolls after alleging thousands of noncitizens were registered to vote. Both states were ordered to stop the programs and reinstate voters – though Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin promised Friday to appeal and even escalate to the Supreme Court.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2024/10/22/georgia-supreme-court-delays-ruling-on-controversial-election-board-rules-until-after-nov-5/" target="_blank">Georgia</a>, the state’s Supreme Court delayed new rules until after this election that would have required three poll workers at every precinct to count ballots by hand once the polls closed — essentially delaying unofficial election results.

More than 165 electoral process lawsuits across 37 states have been filed by both parties since 2023 leading up to the 2024 presidential election, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2024-election-court-lawsuits-influence-voting/" target="_blank">survey</a>&nbsp;by Bloomberg of pre-election cases. The journalists found that more than half the cases have been filed in swing states, and challenge almost every facet of the voting process, from absentee voting, to voter roll management, voter eligibility and vote certification.

Republican and conservative groups have filed roughly 55% of the lawsuits, mostly aimed at narrowing who can vote, and overall most of the cases were filed in August and September, according to the analysis.

Courts threw out dozens of lawsuits claiming voter fraud in 2020.

Mai Ratakonda, senior counsel at States United Democracy Center, said anti-democracy groups have used litigation “to legitimize their efforts to sow doubt in our election system.”

“We’ve unfortunately continued to see this trend of filing lawsuits to bolster and legitimize narratives that our elections are insecure and laying the groundwork to contest results later,” Ratakonda told reporters on a press call Wednesday hosted by the organization, whose stated mission is to protect nonpartisan election administration.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720316487639.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ashley-murray/">ASHLEY MURRAY</a>&nbsp;The closing of the polls and end of mail-in voting kick off a nearly three-month process before the next president of the United States is sworn in on Inauguration Day in January. New guardrails were enacted by Congress in 2022 to more fully protect the presidential transition, following the Jan. 6, 2021 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters and a failed scheme to install fake electors.But even before that shift to a new chief executive begins, a presidential victor is unlikely to be announced election night or even the following day.It’s a result that will possibly take days to determine, given tight margins expected in seven swing states. Officials needed four days to count all the votes to determine President Joe Biden the victor of the 2020 presidential election.In states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the law does not allow that process to begin for millions of mail-in ballots until Election Day. Other states allow pre-processing of ballots.Trey Grayson, Kentucky’s former Republican secretary of state, said ballot authentication could be on different timelines across the country after voting ends on Election Day.“We have 50 states, plus D.C., that pretty much all do it differently,” Grayson, who served as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, told reporters Friday on a call of bipartisan former state election officials who are working to explain the process to the public.It could mean “in a very close election that we don’t know on election night who the president is or who controls the House or the Senate, but we should feel confident over the next couple of days, as we work through that, that we’re going to get there,” he said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730046895799.png" alt="-Source: The National Archives and Records Administration" />
 <figcaption>-Source: The National Archives and Records Administration</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Lawsuits and potential recounts&nbsp;</h2>Those delays, which former President Donald Trump seized on to spread the baseless lie that the election was stolen from him, are expected again in November, especially as all eyes will be on the battleground states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.Additionally, there already are hundreds of pre-election lawsuits, mainly filed by Republicans, ranging from election integrity challenges to accusations of noncitizens allowed to vote in federal elections — something that rarely happens and is already illegal. The legal challenges could further spark delays.“We will not have a winner on election night most likely and so we need to be able to prepare the public for this,” said Virginia Kase Solomón, the president and CEO of the democracy watchdog group Common Cause, during a Tuesday briefing.She added that her organization will focus on combating misinformation and disinformation on election night and beyond.“There is the potential that somebody could claim the win before … all of the votes have been counted,” she said.In the early morning hours after Election Day in 2020, before results from key states were determined, Trump falsely claimed he won in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duE8tnrSmNc&amp;t=3s" target="_blank">an address at the White House.&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>On top of that, experts say this year could see election denial erupting in countless courtrooms and meeting rooms in localities and the states, as well as across social media, if doubts are sown about the results.Recounts could also delay an official election result, and the laws vary from state to state.For example, in Pennsylvania, if a candidate demands a recount, three voters from each of the over 9,000 precincts have to petition for a recount.“We’ve never seen that happen actually in Pennsylvania,” Kathy Boockvar, the commonwealth’s former Democratic secretary of state, said on Friday’s call with reporters.An automatic statewide recount is triggered in Pennsylvania if there’s a difference of a half percent of all votes cast for the winner and loser. The final recount results, by law, are due to the secretary of state by Nov. 26, and results would be announced on Nov. 27, Boockvar said.The margin in Pennsylvania’s 2020 results for the presidential election was between 1.1% and 1.2%, not enough to trigger the automatic recount, Boockvar said.<h2>Taking out the shrubs</h2>State election officials have been preparing for the past year to train poll workers to not only run the voting booths but for possible violence — a precaution put in place after the 2020 election — and have beefed up security around polling locations.On Friday, Trump posted on X that the election “will be under the closest professional scrutiny and, WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long term prison sentences so that this Depravity of Justice does not happen again.”A reporter asked Grayson about the possibility of aggression from poll watchers. The Republican National Committee&nbsp;<a href="https://gop.com/press-release/trump-campaign-and-rnc-unveil-historic-100000-person-strong-election-integrity-program/" target="_blank">announced</a>&nbsp;in April a “historic move to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process,” establishing party-led trainings for poll watchers.Poll watchers are not a new concept, and Grayson said clear “safeguards” are in place.“If you’re intimidating, you’re gone. There’s clear laws in every state on that,” he said.Celestine Jeffreys, the city clerk in Green Bay, Wisconsin, said during a Wednesday roundtable with election workers that the city has an Election Day protocol in place that includes everything from blocking off streets to City Hall to getting rid of shrubbery.“We have actually removed bushes in front of City Hall” to ensure no one can be concealed behind them, she said.&nbsp;In the second assassination attempt on Trump earlier this year, a gunman hid in bushes outside Trump’s private golf course.New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said during a Tuesday briefing she is focused on the physical safety of election officials.During the event with the National Association of Secretaries of State, she said such safety is not only a priority during voting but when officials move to certify the state’s election results in December.“We have all been spending a lot more time on physical security and making sure that our election officials at all levels are more physically secure this year,” Toulouse Oliver said. “And of course, you know when our electors meet in our states, you know, ensuring for the physical security of that process and those individuals as well.”On Dec. 17, each state’s electors will meet to vote for the president and vice president. Congress will vote to certify the results on Jan. 6.“We are thinking a lot more about this in 2024 than we did in 2020, but I think that each one of us… have a playbook in mind for how to handle any unanticipated eventualities in the certification process,” she said.<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/law-enforcement-officials-prepare-possible-post-election-violence-dc" target="_blank">It’s a security precaution</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. Secret Service is also taking.For the first time, Congress’ certification of the Electoral College on Jan. 6 has been designated a National Special Security Event, something that is usually reserved for Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.<h2>The 2020 experience</h2>In 2020, The Associated Press did not call the presidential election for Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.ap.org/behind-the-news/calling-the-2020-presidential-race-state-by-state" target="_blank">until</a>&nbsp;11:26 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 — roughly three-and-a-half days after polls closed. The AP, as well as other media organizations, project election winners after local officials make initial tabulations public.Those tallies are then&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eac.gov/election-officials/election-results-canvass-and-certification" target="_blank">canvassed, audited and certified</a>, according to each state’s legal timeline. Recounts may also extend the timeline before final certification.The vote totals reported in Pennsylvania — a state that carried 20 Electoral College votes in 2020 — put Biden over the top for the 270 needed to win the presidency.Trump refused to concede the race, and instead promised to take his fight to court.For the next two months, Trump and his surrogates filed&nbsp;<a href="https://electioncases.osu.edu/case-tracker/?sortby=filing_date_desc&amp;keywords=&amp;status=all&amp;state=all&amp;topic=25" target="_blank">just over 60 lawsuits</a>&nbsp;challenging the results in numerous states. Ultimately none of the judges found evidence of widespread voter fraud.The next step was for Congress to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2014-title3/html/USCODE-2014-title3-chap1-sec15.htm" target="_blank">count</a>&nbsp;each state’s certified slate of electors, which by law, it must do on the Jan. 6 following a presidential election.However, in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6, Trump and his private lawyers worked to replace legitimate slates of electors with fake ones, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/collection/january-6th-committee-final-report?path=/GPO/January%206th%20Committee%20Final%20Report%20and%20Supporting%20Materials%20Collection" target="_blank">hundreds</a>&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67656604/266/2/united-states-v-trump/" target="_blank">pages</a>&nbsp;of records compiled by a special congressional investigation, and by the U.S. Department of Justice.Trump pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to block ratification of the Electoral College’s vote at the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress, because the vice president’s role in the certification of electoral votes was not exactly clear in the Electoral Count Act of 1887.Pence ultimately refused.Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 following a “Stop the Steal” rally at The Ellipse park, south of the White House, where Trump told the crowd “We will never concede.”The mob assaulted police officers, broke windows to climb inside and hurled violent threats aimed at elected officials, including the desire to “hang” Pence. More than 1,500 defendants&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/44-months-jan-6-attack-us-capitol" target="_blank">have been charged</a>&nbsp;by the Department of Justice.Congress stopped its process of reviewing the state electors in the 2 p.m. Eastern hour as police ushered the lawmakers to safety. The joint session resumed at roughly 11:30 p.m., and Pence called the majority of electoral votes for Biden at nearly 4 a.m. on Jan. 7.<h2>New law on presidential transition</h2>To deter another Jan. 6 insurrection, Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/28/key-u-s-senate-panel-advances-bill-aimed-at-preventing-another-jan-6/" target="_blank">passed</a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/JRQ121922.PDF" target="_blank">Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transitional Improvement Act of 2022</a>&nbsp;as part of a massive appropriations bill.The Electoral Count Reform Act codifies into law that the vice president, who also serves as the president of the U.S. Senate, only ceremoniously reads aloud a roll call of the votes.Most notably, the provision raises the threshold for lawmakers to make an objection to electors. Previously, only one U.S. House representative and one U.S. senator would need to make an objection to an elector or slate of electors.But under the new law, it would take one-fifth of members to lodge an objection and under very specific standards — 87 House members and 20 senators.The Electoral Count Reform Act also identifies that each state’s governor is the official responsible for submitting the state’s official document that identifies the state’s appointed electors, and says that Congress cannot accept that document from any official besides the governor, unless otherwise specified by the state’s law.Trump and his allies tried to replace legitimate slates of electors in several states with fake electors who would cast ballots for Trump.The Presidential Transitional Improvement Act provides candidates with funding and resources for transitional planning, even if a candidate has not conceded after the election.There are already issues with the transition of power. The top Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin,&nbsp;<a href="https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-oversight.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-10-23.JBR%20to%20Trump%20and%20Vance%20re%20transition%20MOUs.pdf" target="_blank">sent a Wednesday letter</a>&nbsp;to Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, urging them to sign documents to ensure a peaceful transition of power.“With fewer than three weeks left until an election in which the American people will select a new President of the United States, I urge you to put the public’s interest in maintaining a properly functioning government above any personal financial or political interests you may perceive in boycotting the official transition law and process,” Raskin wrote.<h2>Denial expected at all levels of government</h2>Experts warn the effort to delay certification of the vote is largely being fought at the local and state levels, and that several groups are gearing up to sow doubt in the election outcome.Devin Burghart, president of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, said on a press call Wednesday that since 2020, “election denial has shifted away from the capital to county election commission meetings, courtrooms, cyber symposiums and countless conspiracies in preparation for a repeat this November.”“This time, the baseless claim that undocumented immigrants are somehow swamping the polls has fueled the ‘big lie’ machine,” Burghart said.Boockvar said the noncitizen topic is not new.“I’d like to level set and remind everyone that it’s been illegal at the federal level since 1996 and you know, when you think back on 2002 the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eac.gov/about/help_america_vote_act.aspx" target="_blank">Help America Vote Act</a>&nbsp;basically required voters to provide ID when they register, which is usually a driver’s license or a Social Security number, and states are checking that data against the DMV database. And these protections are enormously successful,” Boockvar said.In two high-profile cases, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Republican-led efforts in&nbsp;<a href="https://alabamareflector.com/2024/10/16/federal-judge-blocks-alabama-secretary-of-states-voter-removal-plan/" target="_blank">Alabama</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://virginiamercury.com/briefs/judge-orders-people-removed-from-voter-rolls-to-be-reinstated-gov-youngkin-to-seek-appeal/" target="_blank">Virginia</a>&nbsp;to purge voter rolls after alleging thousands of noncitizens were registered to vote. Both states were ordered to stop the programs and reinstate voters – though Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin promised Friday to appeal and even escalate to the Supreme Court.In&nbsp;<a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/2024/10/22/georgia-supreme-court-delays-ruling-on-controversial-election-board-rules-until-after-nov-5/" target="_blank">Georgia</a>, the state’s Supreme Court delayed new rules until after this election that would have required three poll workers at every precinct to count ballots by hand once the polls closed — essentially delaying unofficial election results.More than 165 electoral process lawsuits across 37 states have been filed by both parties since 2023 leading up to the 2024 presidential election, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2024-election-court-lawsuits-influence-voting/" target="_blank">survey</a>&nbsp;by Bloomberg of pre-election cases. The journalists found that more than half the cases have been filed in swing states, and challenge almost every facet of the voting process, from absentee voting, to voter roll management, voter eligibility and vote certification.Republican and conservative groups have filed roughly 55% of the lawsuits, mostly aimed at narrowing who can vote, and overall most of the cases were filed in August and September, according to the analysis.Courts threw out dozens of lawsuits claiming voter fraud in 2020.Mai Ratakonda, senior counsel at States United Democracy Center, said anti-democracy groups have used litigation “to legitimize their efforts to sow doubt in our election system.”“We’ve unfortunately continued to see this trend of filing lawsuits to bolster and legitimize narratives that our elections are insecure and laying the groundwork to contest results later,” Ratakonda told reporters on a press call Wednesday hosted by the organization, whose stated mission is to protect nonpartisan election administration.

Final results may lag in deadlocked presidential contest, anxious election officials warn

GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska –Everyone who has flown on a plane knows the rule: Put your own oxygen mask on first.

“A person who can’t breathe can’t really help others,” said Jessica Kingsley of Wholeness Healing Center in Grand Island.

That’s the rationale behind a new program at the Wholeness Healing Center. Kingsley, a social worker and mental health practitioner at WHC, uses support from a unique Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) program to provide resiliency training to providers at WHC, which serves several Nebraska communities including Grand Island, Kearney, Broken Bow, Ord and Albion.

The program helps WHC clinicians deal with issues such as isolation, compassion fatigue and secondary trauma – common occupational hazards for behavioral health professionals that became more prevalent in the wake of COVID, Kingsley said. It is funded through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unmc.edu/bhecn/arpa/index.html" target="_blank">BHECN’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Program</a>.

These issues became particularly pronounced as people started to reengage in their daily activities, she said.

As more people came out of their homes and reengaged in the world, behavioral health providers, teachers and other helping professionals were hit with a deluge of stories about people struggling with serious behavioral health struggles, abusive situations and other adverse scenarios, Kingsley said.

These reports -- combined with the providers’ own pandemic-related trauma and struggles -- led to many behavioral health workers becoming overwhelmed and burned out, she said.

Combatting this burnout and the potential loss of providers in Nebraska’s workforce was a major reason BHECN funded several projects focused on increasing resiliency among providers with the $25.5 million in ARPA funds it was charged with distributing in 2022, said BHECN Director Marley Doyle, MD.

“Compassion fatigue, burnout and secondary trauma are major issues in terms of sustaining our state’s workforce, which already faces a shortage,” Dr. Doyle said. “Thanks to the ARPA project, we can help providers take steps to address these issues and help more of them stay in the field and continue doing their vital work.”

WHC uses its ARPA award to send clinicians to comprehensive trainings in Colorado that fortify them with tools and community to cope with the feelings, trauma and stress that come with their jobs.

Almost half of the WHC team has attended the trainings and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, Kingsley said. Some clinicians have opted to attend the training a second time and many say it has left them reenergized and reengaged with their careers, she said.

“I firmly believe better therapy happens after therapists take care of themselves,” Kingsley said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1730123878804.jpeg" alt=" Jessica Kingsley of Wholeness Healing Center in Grand Island (Coutesy)" />
 <figcaption> Jessica Kingsley of Wholeness Healing Center in Grand Island (Coutesy)</figcaption>
 </figure>UNMCGRAND ISLAND, Nebraska –Everyone who has flown on a plane knows the rule: Put your own oxygen mask on first.“A person who can’t breathe can’t really help others,” said Jessica Kingsley of Wholeness Healing Center in Grand Island.That’s the rationale behind a new program at the Wholeness Healing Center. Kingsley, a social worker and mental health practitioner at WHC, uses support from a unique Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) program to provide resiliency training to providers at WHC, which serves several Nebraska communities including Grand Island, Kearney, Broken Bow, Ord and Albion.The program helps WHC clinicians deal with issues such as isolation, compassion fatigue and secondary trauma – common occupational hazards for behavioral health professionals that became more prevalent in the wake of COVID, Kingsley said. It is funded through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unmc.edu/bhecn/arpa/index.html" target="_blank">BHECN’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Program</a>.These issues became particularly pronounced as people started to reengage in their daily activities, she said.As more people came out of their homes and reengaged in the world, behavioral health providers, teachers and other helping professionals were hit with a deluge of stories about people struggling with serious behavioral health struggles, abusive situations and other adverse scenarios, Kingsley said.These reports -- combined with the providers’ own pandemic-related trauma and struggles -- led to many behavioral health workers becoming overwhelmed and burned out, she said.Combatting this burnout and the potential loss of providers in Nebraska’s workforce was a major reason BHECN funded several projects focused on increasing resiliency among providers with the $25.5 million in ARPA funds it was charged with distributing in 2022, said BHECN Director Marley Doyle, MD.“Compassion fatigue, burnout and secondary trauma are major issues in terms of sustaining our state’s workforce, which already faces a shortage,” Dr. Doyle said. “Thanks to the ARPA project, we can help providers take steps to address these issues and help more of them stay in the field and continue doing their vital work.”WHC uses its ARPA award to send clinicians to comprehensive trainings in Colorado that fortify them with tools and community to cope with the feelings, trauma and stress that come with their jobs.Almost half of the WHC team has attended the trainings and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, Kingsley said. Some clinicians have opted to attend the training a second time and many say it has left them reenergized and reengaged with their careers, she said.“I firmly believe better therapy happens after therapists take care of themselves,” Kingsley said.

BHECN-sponsored Wholeness Healing Center program helps behavioral health providers build resilience

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/guatemalan-men-face-deportation-hearing-after-federal-sentencing-for-possessing-nebraska-bald-eagle/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

OMAHA —&nbsp;Two Guatemalan men sentenced in federal court for illegally killing and possessing a bald eagle in Stanton County will be subject to deportation hearings.

Nebraska U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr announced Wednesday that Ramiro Hernandez Tziquin, 22, was officially sentenced for violating the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fws.gov/law/bald-and-golden-eagle-protection-act" target="_blank">Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act</a>&nbsp;enacted in 1940. Another Guatemalan man, Domingo Zetino Hernandez, was sentenced Nov. 14, 2023, for the same violation.

The law generally prohibits anyone, unless they have a U.S. Department of the Interior permit, from “taking” bald or golden eagles, including any part of the birds (such as feathers), eggs or nests.

The crime is a misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $100,000 or up to one year in prison, or both, on a first offense. It is a felony on a subsequent offense, and penalties significantly increase on future violations.

On or about Feb. 28, 2023, law enforcement investigated a report of a suspicious vehicle at the Wood Duck Wildlife Management Area in Stanton County.

Upon arriving, law enforcement approached the vehicle with Hernandez Tziquin and Zetino Hernandez. Zetino Hernandez admitted to shooting and taking the eagle, and Hernandez Tziquin admitted to possessing the bird found in the trunk without being permitted to do so.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson sentenced both men to “time served,” or the time they had already spent in jail. Zetino Hernandez was taken into custody March 20, 2023, according to a previous news release, and Hernandez Tziquin was taken into custody June 6.

Both are subject to deportation proceedings with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Stanton County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Zach Wendling<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/guatemalan-men-face-deportation-hearing-after-federal-sentencing-for-possessing-nebraska-bald-eagle/">Nebraska Examiner</a>OMAHA —&nbsp;Two Guatemalan men sentenced in federal court for illegally killing and possessing a bald eagle in Stanton County will be subject to deportation hearings.Nebraska U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr announced Wednesday that Ramiro Hernandez Tziquin, 22, was officially sentenced for violating the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fws.gov/law/bald-and-golden-eagle-protection-act" target="_blank">Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act</a>&nbsp;enacted in 1940. Another Guatemalan man, Domingo Zetino Hernandez, was sentenced Nov. 14, 2023, for the same violation.The law generally prohibits anyone, unless they have a U.S. Department of the Interior permit, from “taking” bald or golden eagles, including any part of the birds (such as feathers), eggs or nests.The crime is a misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $100,000 or up to one year in prison, or both, on a first offense. It is a felony on a subsequent offense, and penalties significantly increase on future violations.On or about Feb. 28, 2023, law enforcement investigated a report of a suspicious vehicle at the Wood Duck Wildlife Management Area in Stanton County.Upon arriving, law enforcement approached the vehicle with Hernandez Tziquin and Zetino Hernandez. Zetino Hernandez admitted to shooting and taking the eagle, and Hernandez Tziquin admitted to possessing the bird found in the trunk without being permitted to do so.U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson sentenced both men to “time served,” or the time they had already spent in jail. Zetino Hernandez was taken into custody March 20, 2023, according to a previous news release, and Hernandez Tziquin was taken into custody June 6.Both are subject to deportation proceedings with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Stanton County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.GET THE MORNING HEADL

Guatemalan men face deportation hearing after federal sentencing for possessing Nebraska bald eagle

LINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen announced his appointment of Justice Jeffrey J. Funke as chief justice to the Nebraska Supreme Court. Funke has served on the Supreme Court since he was appointed an associate justice in 2016. He will move to the role of chief justice on Nov. 1, following the official retirement of Chief Justice Mike Heavican on Oct. 31.

“Ultimately, I found Justice Funke to have all the attributes we expect of a court leader – a sound judicial temperament, a brilliant mind and an abiding commitment to honoring the text of the law as it is written, not as he might prefer it,” said Gov. Pillen.

Representatives from all three branches of state government were in attendance for the morning announcement including Speaker of the Legislature, Senator John Arch; Justice Funke’s colleagues from the Nebraska Supreme Court; and judges from the Nebraska Court of Appeals. Representatives from the federal district court included Chief Judge Robert Rossiter and U.S. District Court Judge John Gerrard, who served on Nebraska’s Supreme Court prior to his appointment to the federal bench.

Speaking to the "historic day" of appointing a chief justice to the court, Gov. Pillen acknowledged the legacy of current Chief Justice Heavican, who will depart next week following 18 years on the bench. “I thank Chief Justice Heavican for his leadership, for his service to his state and country, and for the lesson in public service he has provided to all of us.”

Addressing his successor, Chief Justice Heavican noted his appreciation of Justice Funke who, during his eight years on the Supreme Court, had already demonstrated initiative in assuming responsibility for various administrative functions. “I have very good things to say about Jeff. &nbsp;He has shown great leadership all along and I am very confident he will do a very fine job as chief justice.”&nbsp;

“You got this job because of the work that you have done and because of the respect you have earned,” said Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly. “This is a wonderful day for you and your family.”

Gov. Pillen noted that the process of selecting a new jurist for the state’s highest court was a rigorous one. Four judges, including Funke, applied for the position.

“All were impressive on paper and in person and I thank each of them, not only for their current judicial service, but also for their willingness to offer themselves for more,” said Gov. Pillen.

“I want to thank the Governor and Lt. Governor for taking this process so seriously,” said Justice Funke. Prior to his personal interview with the Governor and Lt. Governor, Justice Funke was thoroughly reviewed and had a public hearing before an eight-member nominating commission consisting of both attorneys and lay people.

“Justice Funke’s impressive record of service has prepared him well for this role,” said Gov. Pillen. “I know he is humbled by the challenges that lay before him, but he has the experience and the expertise necessary to tackle those challenges.”

In addition to thanking colleagues and family, Justice Funke also thanked the 1,500 workers in the judicial branch. “They are among the heart and soul of what we do and why we do it and how we do it. Their only responsibility is to serve the public and they do that tirelessly. They do that with innovation and creativity, and they take on every challenge given to them. Whatever success we have had in the past and whatever success we have in the future -- I owe to all of them.”

Justice Funke was joined at the podium by his wife Hettie and their children Jack, Will, Maggie and Mark. &nbsp;

Prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court representing the Fifth Judicial District, Funke served as both a district court judge and a county court judge for District 2 (Cass, Sarpy and Otoe counties). He was a presiding judge in both courts.

Before becoming a judge, Funke was in private practice in Otoe County. Concurrently, he was a deputy public defender, a deputy county attorney and later, the county attorney.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Justice Funke has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL) and a Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska College of Law. He has been active in numerous law-related activities including as a volunteer judge for high school mock trial competition, serving on multiple bar associations and taking part in committee work specific to the Nebraska Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court consists of the chief justice and six associate justices. The chief justice represents the state at large and has general administrative authority over all state courts. Each associate justice represents his/her own judicial district.

Justice Funke’s appointment as chief justice will require a second appointment to the Supreme Court by Gov. Pillen, for the seat representing the Fifth Judicial District which covers Cass, Otoe, Johnson, Pawnee, Nemaha and Richardson counties.

Office of Governor Jim PillenLINCOLN, NE&nbsp;– Governor Jim Pillen announced his appointment of Justice Jeffrey J. Funke as chief justice to the Nebraska Supreme Court. Funke has served on the Supreme Court since he was appointed an associate justice in 2016. He will move to the role of chief justice on Nov. 1, following the official retirement of Chief Justice Mike Heavican on Oct. 31.“Ultimately, I found Justice Funke to have all the attributes we expect of a court leader – a sound judicial temperament, a brilliant mind and an abiding commitment to honoring the text of the law as it is written, not as he might prefer it,” said Gov. Pillen.Representatives from all three branches of state government were in attendance for the morning announcement including Speaker of the Legislature, Senator John Arch; Justice Funke’s colleagues from the Nebraska Supreme Court; and judges from the Nebraska Court of Appeals. Representatives from the federal district court included Chief Judge Robert Rossiter and U.S. District Court Judge John Gerrard, who served on Nebraska’s Supreme Court prior to his appointment to the federal bench.Speaking to the "historic day" of appointing a chief justice to the court, Gov. Pillen acknowledged the legacy of current Chief Justice Heavican, who will depart next week following 18 years on the bench. “I thank Chief Justice Heavican for his leadership, for his service to his state and country, and for the lesson in public service he has provided to all of us.”Addressing his successor, Chief Justice Heavican noted his appreciation of Justice Funke who, during his eight years on the Supreme Court, had already demonstrated initiative in assuming responsibility for various administrative functions. “I have very good things to say about Jeff. &nbsp;He has shown great leadership all along and I am very confident he will do a very fine job as chief justice.”&nbsp;“You got this job because of the work that you have done and because of the respect you have earned,” said Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly. “This is a wonderful day for you and your family.”Gov. Pillen noted that the process of selecting a new jurist for the state’s highest court was a rigorous one. Four judges, including Funke, applied for the position.“All were impressive on paper and in person and I thank each of them, not only for their current judicial service, but also for their willingness to offer themselves for more,” said Gov. Pillen.“I want to thank the Governor and Lt. Governor for taking this process so seriously,” said Justice Funke. Prior to his personal interview with the Governor and Lt. Governor, Justice Funke was thoroughly reviewed and had a public hearing before an eight-member nominating commission consisting of both attorneys and lay people.“Justice Funke’s impressive record of service has prepared him well for this role,” said Gov. Pillen. “I know he is humbled by the challenges that lay before him, but he has the experience and the expertise necessary to tackle those challenges.”In addition to thanking colleagues and family, Justice Funke also thanked the 1,500 workers in the judicial branch. “They are among the heart and soul of what we do and why we do it and how we do it. Their only responsibility is to serve the public and they do that tirelessly. They do that with innovation and creativity, and they take on every challenge given to them. Whatever success we have had in the past and whatever success we have in the future -- I owe to all of them.”Justice Funke was joined at the podium by his wife Hettie and their children Jack, Will, Maggie and Mark. &nbsp;Prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court representing the Fifth Judicial District, Funke served as both a district court judge and a county court judge for District 2 (Cass, Sarpy and Otoe counties). He was a presiding judge in both courts.Before becoming a judge, Funke was in private practice in Otoe County. Concurrently, he was a deputy public defender, a deputy county attorney and later, the county attorney.&nbsp;&nbsp;Justice Funke has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL) and a Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska College of Law. He has been active in numerous law-related activities including as a volunteer judge for high school mock trial competition, serving on multiple bar associations and taking part in committee work specific to the Nebraska Supreme Court.The Supreme Court consists of the chief justice and six associate justices. The chief justice represents the state at large and has general administrative authority over all state courts. Each associate justice represents his/her own judicial district.Justice Funke’s appointment as chief justice will require a second appointment to the Supreme Court by Gov. Pillen, for the seat representing the Fifth Judicial District which covers Cass, Otoe, Johnson, Pawnee, Nemaha and Richardson counties.

Gov. Pillen Appoints Jeffrey J. Funke as Chief Justice for the Nebraska Supreme Court

On October 25, 2024, the Kearney Police Department was notified the 62 -year-old shooting&nbsp; victim died while in the ICU at CHI Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. Our condolences are&nbsp; with the family and friends of the victim. Kearney Police Investigators will attend a scheduled&nbsp; autopsy and consult the Buffalo County Attorney’s Office in reference to potential amending of&nbsp; criminal charges pending autopsy results.&nbsp;

The suspect, Karen Geisler, remains in the custody of the Buffalo County Jail. Additional details&nbsp; will be released as available. This remains an active investigation, anyone with information is&nbsp; asked to contact the Kearney Police Department at 308.237.2104.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 2:10 p.m., Uniform Patrol Officers responded to a report of a&nbsp; shooting at 1815 7th Avenue. Officers immediately located the suspect outside and she was&nbsp; taken into custody. At the same time, the victim was located inside and Officers provided&nbsp; emergency first aid until the scene was safe for the paramedics to enter the residence.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The suspect was identified as 56-year-old Karen Geisler of Kearney. The victim was identified as a 62-year-old male from Kearney who also lives at that residence. The victim was&nbsp; transported to CHI Good Samaritan Hospital with life threatening injuries. Karen Geisler was&nbsp; arrested without further incident for First Degree Assault and Use of a Weapon to Commit a&nbsp; Felony and lodged at Buffalo County Jail.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This investigation is ongoing and KPD Investigators are still processing the scene. This incident&nbsp; has been determined to be an isolated incident and there are no additional safety concerns to&nbsp; the public.&nbsp;&nbsp;

KPD would like to thank Buffalo County Communications Officers and CHI Good Samaritan&nbsp; Hospital Emergency Personnel for assisting KPD with this incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Check out our web site at www.cityofkearney.org.&nbsp;

We are sending this News Release as a service to the news media and citizens of Kearney.

Kearney PoliceOn October 25, 2024, the Kearney Police Department was notified the 62 -year-old shooting&nbsp; victim died while in the ICU at CHI Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. Our condolences are&nbsp; with the family and friends of the victim. Kearney Police Investigators will attend a scheduled&nbsp; autopsy and consult the Buffalo County Attorney’s Office in reference to potential amending of&nbsp; criminal charges pending autopsy results.&nbsp;The suspect, Karen Geisler, remains in the custody of the Buffalo County Jail. Additional details&nbsp; will be released as available. This remains an active investigation, anyone with information is&nbsp; asked to contact the Kearney Police Department at 308.237.2104.&nbsp;&nbsp;Original Information:&nbsp;On Sunday, October 20, 2024 at 2:10 p.m., Uniform Patrol Officers responded to a report of a&nbsp; shooting at 1815 7th Avenue. Officers immediately located the suspect outside and she was&nbsp; taken into custody. At the same time, the victim was located inside and Officers provided&nbsp; emergency first aid until the scene was safe for the paramedics to enter the residence.&nbsp;&nbsp;The suspect was identified as 56-year-old Karen Geisler of Kearney. The victim was identified as a 62-year-old male from Kearney who also lives at that residence. The victim was&nbsp; transported to CHI Good Samaritan Hospital with life threatening injuries. Karen Geisler was&nbsp; arrested without further incident for First Degree Assault and Use of a Weapon to Commit a&nbsp; Felony and lodged at Buffalo County Jail.&nbsp;&nbsp;This investigation is ongoing and KPD Investigators are still processing the scene. This incident&nbsp; has been determined to be an isolated incident and there are no additional safety concerns to&nbsp; the public.&nbsp;&nbsp;KPD would like to thank Buffalo County Communications Officers and CHI Good Samaritan&nbsp; Hospital Emergency Personnel for assisting KPD with this incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;Check out our web site at www.cityofkearney.org.&nbsp;We are sending this News Release as a service to the news media and citizens of Kearney.

Victim shot in last Sunday's shooting in Kearney has passed away 

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

<a>OMAHA, Neb. –&nbsp;</a>The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in collaboration with more than 4,000 law enforcement partners, will host the 27th&nbsp;National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 160 Take Back sites across the five state DEA Omaha Division, encompassing Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, will be open for the public to safely dispose of tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription drugs.

Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain tightly sealed in their original containers to prevent leakage. Vaping devices and cartridges will also be accepted; however, lithium batteries must be removed. To locate a collection site, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.deatakeback.com/" target="_blank">www.DEATakeBack.com</a>.

For 15 years, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has provided Americans with an easy, accessible way to rid their homes of medications<a>&nbsp;that could pose a threat if misused</a>. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), opioids such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine and morphine, are among the most frequently misused prescription pain medications.

“We hope people will take advantage of the beautiful weather expected this Saturday and head to a Take Back location to get rid of their unneeded medications,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “But don’t stop there. Have a conversation on the importance of prescription safety. Prescriptions should be filled by a licensed pharmacist, only taken by those to whom they’re prescribed and used as directed by a trusted medical professional. Doing otherwise can lead to life-threatening consequences.”

For those unable to participate in tomorrow’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are nearly 17,000 pharmacies, hospitals, and businesses that offer safe medication disposal year-round. In addition, many police departments provide permanent drop boxes to ensure&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dea.gov/everyday-takeback-day" target="_blank">Every Day is Take Back Day</a>.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration<a>OMAHA, Neb. –&nbsp;</a>The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in collaboration with more than 4,000 law enforcement partners, will host the 27th&nbsp;National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday, October 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 160 Take Back sites across the five state DEA Omaha Division, encompassing Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, will be open for the public to safely dispose of tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription drugs.Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain tightly sealed in their original containers to prevent leakage. Vaping devices and cartridges will also be accepted; however, lithium batteries must be removed. To locate a collection site, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.deatakeback.com/" target="_blank">www.DEATakeBack.com</a>.For 15 years, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has provided Americans with an easy, accessible way to rid their homes of medications<a>&nbsp;that could pose a threat if misused</a>. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), opioids such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine and morphine, are among the most frequently misused prescription pain medications.“We hope people will take advantage of the beautiful weather expected this Saturday and head to a Take Back location to get rid of their unneeded medications,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “But don’t stop there. Have a conversation on the importance of prescription safety. Prescriptions should be filled by a licensed pharmacist, only taken by those to whom they’re prescribed and used as directed by a trusted medical professional. Doing otherwise can lead to life-threatening consequences.”For those unable to participate in tomorrow’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are nearly 17,000 pharmacies, hospitals, and businesses that offer safe medication disposal year-round. In addition, many police departments provide permanent drop boxes to ensure&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dea.gov/everyday-takeback-day" target="_blank">Every Day is Take Back Day</a>.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Set for Saturday

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>

WASHINGTON — Nearly 30 million Americans by Thursday had cast their ballots ahead of Election Day, with 13 million choosing to vote in person at early voting centers and another 17 million submitting mail-in ballots, according to data from the University of Florida’s election lab.

The total number of early votes is expected to increase significantly in the days leading up to Election Day on Nov. 5.

Voters will determine whether Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris or Republican candidate Donald Trump occupies the Oval Office for the next four years. On the national level, they’ll also decide which political party controls the U.S. House and U.S. Senate for the next two years.

The nonpartisan Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics say the presidential race is still very much up for grabs, rating the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as toss-ups.

Early voting is higher in several of those purple states than some of their counterparts, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://election.lab.ufl.edu/early-vote/2024-early-voting/" target="_blank">data</a>&nbsp;from the University of Florida’s election lab.

Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia have each received at least 1.2 million early ballots, while California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas have all received at least 2 million early votes.

The University of Florida data shows that among states that disclose party breakdowns, Democrats have cast nearly 42% of ballots while Republicans have submitted 35% and other voters have sent in about 23%.

Sabato’s Crystal Ball projects that Republicans are at least slightly favored to win 212 House seats, with Democrats holding onto at least 209 seats in that chamber. Another 14 races are rated as toss-ups, meaning control of the chamber is still far from decided.

“Overall, our ratings show just 7 Republican-held Toss-ups and 7 Democratic-held Toss-ups, for 14 total,” Managing Editor Kyle Kondik and Associate Editor J. Miles Coleman&nbsp;<a href="https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/rating-changes-pushing-house-toss-ups-nebraska-senate-to-leans-republican/" target="_blank">wrote in the latest update</a>, released Thursday morning.

“Splitting the Toss-ups down the middle would produce a 219-216 Republican House, so the ratings technically have the Republicans very narrowly ahead—but neither side is favored in the race for the House majority, even at this late stage,” they wrote.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairwoman Suzan DelBene of Washington state told reporters Thursday the organization has several voter protection efforts underway to ensure Americans who want to vote have an opportunity to do so.

Those efforts won’t stop when the polls close on Election Day, but will continue as absentee ballots are counted, she said in a virtual meeting with the Regional Reporters Association.

“So this is obviously a priority for us, and some of these races are very, very close, so we want to make sure we’re there to help make sure ballots are counted across the country,” DelBene said.

Control of the House might not be announced on election night, or for several days afterward. It took more than a week after the 2022 midterm elections before The<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-house-control-79475a4fc11e4375cd0dded651b9eede" target="_blank">&nbsp;Associated Press called control&nbsp;</a>for the GOP.

The Senate is leaning slightly toward Republican control, with GOP candidates on track to pick up seats in West Virginia and Montana.

Sabato’s has, however, moved Nebraska’s rating from likely Republican to leans Republican, “as the Republican cavalry has had to ride in to help” incumbent GOP Sen. Deb Fischer maintain her seat against independent challenger Dan Osborn.

“Unlike Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rick Scott (R-FL), the only other two GOP incumbents in races that we rate as something other than Safe Republican, Fischer has, arguably, never had to run in a legitimately competitive statewide general election,” Kondik and Coleman wrote.

<a href="https://vote.gov/guide-to-voting#earlyvoting" target="_blank">Early in-person voting</a>&nbsp;as well as&nbsp;<a href="https://vote.gov/guide-to-voting#mail-absentee" target="_blank">who is eligible for mail-in ballots</a>&nbsp;is determined by each state, meaning when and where voters can cast early ballots varies considerably.

All states are required to host in-person voting on Election Day, scheduled for Nov. 5. More information about voting can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vote.gov/" target="_blank">here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729870329996.png" alt="Voters in line this week in Sedgwick County-photos courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Voters in line this week in Sedgwick County-photos courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>WASHINGTON — Nearly 30 million Americans by Thursday had cast their ballots ahead of Election Day, with 13 million choosing to vote in person at early voting centers and another 17 million submitting mail-in ballots, according to data from the University of Florida’s election lab.The total number of early votes is expected to increase significantly in the days leading up to Election Day on Nov. 5.Voters will determine whether Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris or Republican candidate Donald Trump occupies the Oval Office for the next four years. On the national level, they’ll also decide which political party controls the U.S. House and U.S. Senate for the next two years.The nonpartisan Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics say the presidential race is still very much up for grabs, rating the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as toss-ups.Early voting is higher in several of those purple states than some of their counterparts, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://election.lab.ufl.edu/early-vote/2024-early-voting/" target="_blank">data</a>&nbsp;from the University of Florida’s election lab.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729870269518.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia have each received at least 1.2 million early ballots, while California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas have all received at least 2 million early votes.The University of Florida data shows that among states that disclose party breakdowns, Democrats have cast nearly 42% of ballots while Republicans have submitted 35% and other voters have sent in about 23%.<h2>U.S. House control up in the air</h2>Sabato’s Crystal Ball projects that Republicans are at least slightly favored to win 212 House seats, with Democrats holding onto at least 209 seats in that chamber. Another 14 races are rated as toss-ups, meaning control of the chamber is still far from decided.“Overall, our ratings show just 7 Republican-held Toss-ups and 7 Democratic-held Toss-ups, for 14 total,” Managing Editor Kyle Kondik and Associate Editor J. Miles Coleman&nbsp;<a href="https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/rating-changes-pushing-house-toss-ups-nebraska-senate-to-leans-republican/" target="_blank">wrote in the latest update</a>, released Thursday morning.“Splitting the Toss-ups down the middle would produce a 219-216 Republican House, so the ratings technically have the Republicans very narrowly ahead—but neither side is favored in the race for the House majority, even at this late stage,” they wrote.Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairwoman Suzan DelBene of Washington state told reporters Thursday the organization has several voter protection efforts underway to ensure Americans who want to vote have an opportunity to do so.Those efforts won’t stop when the polls close on Election Day, but will continue as absentee ballots are counted, she said in a virtual meeting with the Regional Reporters Association.“So this is obviously a priority for us, and some of these races are very, very close, so we want to make sure we’re there to help make sure ballots are counted across the country,” DelBene said.Control of the House might not be announced on election night, or for several days afterward. It took more than a week after the 2022 midterm elections before The<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-house-control-79475a4fc11e4375cd0dded651b9eede" target="_blank">&nbsp;Associated Press called control&nbsp;</a>for the GOP.<h2>U.S. Senate tilts toward GOP</h2>The Senate is leaning slightly toward Republican control, with GOP candidates on track to pick up seats in West Virginia and Montana.Sabato’s has, however, moved Nebraska’s rating from likely Republican to leans Republican, “as the Republican cavalry has had to ride in to help” incumbent GOP Sen. Deb Fischer maintain her seat against independent challenger Dan Osborn.“Unlike Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rick Scott (R-FL), the only other two GOP incumbents in races that we rate as something other than Safe Republican, Fischer has, arguably, never had to run in a legitimately competitive statewide general election,” Kondik and Coleman wrote.<a href="https://vote.gov/guide-to-voting#earlyvoting" target="_blank">Early in-person voting</a>&nbsp;as well as&nbsp;<a href="https://vote.gov/guide-to-voting#mail-absentee" target="_blank">who is eligible for mail-in ballots</a>&nbsp;is determined by each state, meaning when and where voters can cast early ballots varies considerably.All states are required to host in-person voting on Election Day, scheduled for Nov. 5. More information about voting can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vote.gov/" target="_blank">here</a>.