My new one @Slate: I’ve Never Been More Worried About American Democracy Than I Am Right Now; The pre-emptive attack on the vote count is a five-alarm fire.
. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/09/trump-plan-supreme-court-stop-election-vote-count.html via @Slate

This one was painful to write.

For the record, I wrote this piece BEFORE President Trump would not commit to a peaceful transition of power if he loses because of (made-up) issues with mail-in ballots.

I hope Chris Wallace follows up on this at the first presidential debate, and Republican leaders dismiss these kinds of comments out of hand just like they commendably did when Trump floated idea of delaying the election.

Today feels even more surreal than other days during this period.

What to do about all this concern about a fair November election? Turn worry into action.
1. Be sure you are properly registered to vote.
2. Reach out and help others register to vote. If you're not registered, you can't vote.
3. Voter in person or by mail as early as you can /1

4. If you vote by mail and can track your ballot, make sure it was received; cure problems if you can/need to
5. Work as a poll worker if you can (many older Americans cannot because of Covid)
6. Demand transparency of election officials about when and how votes are counted /2

7. Demand social media cos take down voting misinformation, like false statements that ballots are rigged (Facebook and Twitter did not do this w recent Don Jr. post)
8. Remind media companies to be patient and report results as "too early to call" until we have sure results /3

9. Resist the urge to spread potentially false voting and election information and be on the lookout for it.
10. Urge responsible Republican and Democratic leaders to commit to abiding by legitimate election results and condemn statements not agreeing to peaceful transitions /4

11. If there are attempts to try to thwart the people's will by ignoring votes or failing to count or report them accurately, be prepared for massive, constant, peaceful protests aimed at preserving the rule of law.
12. Urge the judiciary to uphold the rule of law /5

13. To end where I started, don't turn worry into complacency. Now is the time for action to protect American democracy. Vote like our democracy depends on it and encourage others to do the same. 6/6