WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th October, 2020) US voters are casting early ballots at a record pace including in several key swing states, while the military and law enforcement prepare for unrest that could erupt before and after the November 3 election.
New York Police Department Commissioner Dermot Shea told all uniformed NYPD members to prepare to deal with protests before and after the presidential election, according to a department memo that was obtained and published by CNN. In the memo, Shea instructed his forces to gear up for the possibility that the results of the election may not be decided for several weeks after November 3. The anticipated protests may grow in scale, intensity and frequency and may extend into January 2021, the report quoted the memo.
The US military has not received any requests for the National Guard to be used to ensure security during the election, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said. "We are always available to support the Metro police department or other Federal agencies," he added during a press briefing.
Over 10.5 million US voters have already cast their ballots in the presidential election, according to CNN, Edison Research and Catalist's analysis of voting information from 41 states. The data does not provide an indication as to the outcome of the race, as polling around the country shows that Democrats prefer to vote early or by mail, and Republicans are more likely vote in-person on Election Day, November 3.
America's Georgia saw a historic high turnout on Monday, the first day in the state for early voting in the presidential election. According to the Secretary of State's office, 126,876 people cast ballots, breaking a previous record of around 90,000. Long lines of voters stretched waiting times at some localities to eight hours, The Wall Street Journal cited officials. On Tuesday, early voting also began in Texas with thousands of voters queuing up in front of polling stations.
The United States will not receive from Russia any deal on strategic offensive arms, "timed to coincide with their elections," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Sputnik. He poured cold water on sensationally upbeat comments of his American counterpart Marshall Billingslea, who claimed that the highest political echelons of both countries have worked out in principle conditions to extend the New START treaty, the last remaining arms control regime set to expire next February.
According to Billingslea, "clear indications" of the breakthrough may emerge in the coming days - giving President Donald Trump a major diplomatic accomplishment ahead of November 3.
The Virginia Department of Elections announced that the state registration system went down on the last day for voters to sign in before the November 3 presidential and general elections as a result of a cable cut. Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax and three US Representatives, Don Beyer, Gerry Connolly and Jennifer Wexton, called for a court order to extend a voter registration deadline to offset the disruption.
"The shutdown of Virginia's online voter registration threatens to prevent many Virginians from casting their ballots in the 2020 election," Democratic lawmakers warned in a statement. They said a 72-hour registration extension after the Department of Elections online portal is restored "would be appropriate."
Having recovered from coronavirus, President Donald Trump intends to do "multiple rallies a day," White House deputy press secretary Brian Morgenstern told Fox business. He added that the incumbent is "having a blast", "feeling great" and is certainly not a risk of transmitting a disease.
Former President Barack Obama plans to hit the campaign trail soon in support of Democratic nominee Joe Biden, CNN quotes Obama's aide. He would not detail how soon and where Obama might travel.
Former Vice President Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump by three percentage points among registered voters in the battleground state of North Carolina, a Monmouth University poll said. Biden leads with a 49-46 percent margin among all registered voters, with the former vice president's lead increasing to four points in a high turnout scenario and shrinking to one if voter participation is low, according to the release.
White American Catholics continue to back Trump's bid for a second term in office, albeit with support that has slipped since a mid-summer survey, the PEW Research Center said in a poll. Trump is ahead of Biden by eight percentage points: 52 percent in this group say they would vote for Trump (or lean that way) if the election were held today, while 44 percent favor Biden. A previous PEW poll in late July and early August showed Trump 19 points ahead of Biden - 59 percent to 40 percent.
