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Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Effort continues to fix South Dakota elections that don't need fixing
In the past few years, a certain segment of South Dakota society has become adamant about making specific improvements in the way we live. Is this a citizen quest for more education funding? No. Is it a movement to put often overlooked Native American issues at the front of the state agenda? No. Is it a grassroots effort to revamp the way South Dakotans pay taxes? No. This effort is aimed at cleaning up the state's elections. 'Hold on,' you might say. 'I didn't know there was a problem with our elections.' Well, there isn't. But that isn't keeping the issue from being front and center at the Legislature and in county commission meetings across the state. In the last legislative session there were more than 50 election-related bills introduced. About half of those had to deal with 'election integrity' in the areas of voter qualification, technology and security. That's a great deal of attention being paid to a part of government that, in the past, has been noted for working just fine. Some of these bills may be duplicates. It has become a practice in the Legislature to introduce similar bills in the Senate and in the House. That way, if cooler heads prevail in the Senate, there's still a similar bill in the House, where bad ideas go to flourish. Spurring on the quest for election integrity is an entity called South Dakota Canvassing Group. The group's mission statement is on its website: 'We are a volunteer organization working to restore free, fair, transparent and secure elections in South Dakota, now and for future generations.' Their work to 'restore' elections in South Dakota implies that voting here has gone off the rails. If the Canvassing Group wants to ferret out corruption and illegalities in elections, they're best off moving to another state. South Dakota, with a history of fair elections, doesn't need their help. According to a story by The Dakota Scout, many of the election integrity chasers in this state got their inspiration at a three-day event in Sioux Falls. It turns out that their North Star, their inspiration, their muse, is none other than Mike Lindell. He's not just the My Pillow guy; he's the My President's Election was Stolen guy. Lindell was, and continues to be, one of the staunchest supporters of the idea that Donald Trump was somehow cheated out of victory in the 2020 election. At his 2021 'Cyber Symposium' in Sioux Falls, Lindell spent so much time offering false claims about Dominion Voting Systems throwing the election to Joe Biden that he was recently sued for defaming one of the company's executives. The jury awarded the executive $2.3 million in damages. Some bills backed by the Canvassing Group were approved by the Legislature and signed by the governor: assigning a federal-only ballot to people who don't live permanently in the state, changing the definition of resident eligibility, designating county voter registration files as public records, changing the process for challenging someone's residency status, increasing the penalty for voting illegally, placing citizenship status on driver's licenses, and sending a constitutional amendment to voters clarifying that a person must be a U.S. citizen to vote in the state. However, just as Lindell continues to spout his falsehoods about the 2020 election, look for the Canvassing Group to keep up the pressure on legislators for more election integrity laws that aren't needed. On its website, the top issue on the group's want list is an effort to make Election Day a holiday. In the last session, this came to the Legislature in a bill sponsored by Dell Rapids Republican Tom Pischke. Pischke explained to the Senate State Affairs Committee that a holiday was needed because in some communities there are not enough poll workers nor enough polling places. He said he hoped to work on solutions to those problems without legislation, asking the committee to table the bill. Creating a Tuesday Election Day holiday might free up more people to work on the elections, but it could just as easily cut down on voter participation. Instead of looking ahead to how they'll mark their ballots, citizens could just as easily be looking ahead to using a vacation day on Monday to create a long weekend. South Dakota has a long history of running fair, accurate elections. For all their finger-pointing and hand-wringing, the Canvassing Group and the legislators who indulge them can't change that. Election integrity legislation amounts to nothing more than solutions in search of problems, trying to fix a system that doesn't need fixing. Dana Hess spent more than 25 years in South Dakota journalism, editing newspapers in Redfield, Milbank and Pierre. He's retired and lives in Brookings, working occasionally as a freelance writer. This article was originally published on South Dakota Searchlight. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Effort continues to fix South Dakota elections that don't need fixing
CNET
27 minutes ago
- CNET
My Guide to Discussing Police or ICE Raids on Your Ring and Nextdoor Apps
As the number of ICE raids has increased this year, so has the discussion on social media. And that includes a lot of talk on apps like Ring Neighbors and Nextdoor as people catch events through security cams or video doorbells. This has led to some conflict, too: Users want to post about police activity in their area and warn others, but many have found that their posts get taken down. That's led to worries that apps are censoring certain kinds of discussion -- so I reached out to the companies to see what was going on. The news is mostly good: Posting about events like ICE raids is allowed and these social apps want people to have as many open conversations as possible, but only if you follow certain rules. Here's how stay inside the lines and keep your neighbors informed at the same time. Rules about reporting law enforcement activity on apps like Ring Neighbors Posts that name streets and other nearby locations are less likely to be removed. Tyler Lacoma/CNET When I reached out to Ring about its Neighbors app policies regarding recent events and police raids (as well as Reddit reports about posts being taken down), the company provided helpful information about its specific policies. I found out the reasons why Ring tends to remove certain posts or stop them from going live on Neighbors. For one thing, posts about a general law enforcement presence can get nixed. So if someone said ICE was spotted in "Bell Gardens," their post would be denied because that's just too vague. Or if a post asked, "Hey, is there any ICE activity in town?" it wouldn't be allowed. Other posts get banned if they: Explicitly obstruct law enforcement Voice political opinions Assume immigration status, or other types of prejudice Don't pertain to local events Ring Neighbors does allow posts about specific law enforcement activity Ring posts generally allow for specific information, but not broad discussion or accusations. Tyler Lacoma/CNET Posts that cite an exact location, or images showing agents directly connected to an event, tend to be fine. If someone said, "I saw ICE knocking on doors at the IHOP on Florence and Pico," that would be allowed, according to Ring's guidelines. Other allowed posts provide info on the exact cross streets, addresses, complexes, blocks and so on. Bans aren't always immediate. Sometimes posts that violate guidelines are taken down after the fact, either as a result of postpublication moderation, user flagging or user deletion. And customers can usually appeal moderation decisions for the sake of consistency. When I turned to Nextdoor, another popular neighborhood app used for discussing events, a company spokesperson said something similar: "Our platform fosters discussions of local issues and, as such, our Community Guidelines prohibit broad commentary or personal opinions on national political topics." As long as it's a local issue and users follow the basic community guidelines (be respectful, don't discriminate and use your true identity), then posts should be fine. Guidelines for posting on Ring Neighbors and more App users need to give details and thorough descriptions in their posts, especially if they're including a picture. Tyler Lacoma/CNET When I visit my own Neighbors app, I see -- contrary to some reports -- that users frequently post about hearing sirens or police activity in their own neighborhoods, ask about masked strangers or raise questions about law enforcement. Posts like these make it clear: You can still post about security concerns on Ring Neighbors and other apps, even and especially when they involve police activity. You can also post about people you don't recognize and strangers knocking, which opens the door (not literally) to talking about masked federal ICE agents that aren't wearing any identifiers. In other words, it looks like what Ring said holds true. Explicit information citing current, local events, preferably with address data, is allowed. "Focus on the behavior that raised your suspicion," Nextdoor recommends. "Describe the potentially criminal or dangerous activity you observed or experienced -- what the person was doing, what they said (if they spoke to you). Include the direction they were last headed." If you post with an eye toward the safety of your neighborhood, your post is less likely to be removed. Finally, avoid posts that include gruesome content, or that violate someone's privacy, which are also red flags likely to lead to a block. Can users coordinate with one another on apps like Ring Neighbors? Ring tends to allow conversations about what people can share concerning ongoing police events. Tyler Lacoma/CNET This is a gray area and it's difficult to know if discussions will get removed. In my experience on the Neighbors app, many discussions about sirens and unexplained police presence were left up, allowing people to provide additional information from their own perspectives, what they heard on police scanners and more. It's possible that the more these posts mention ICE or federal enforcement, the more likely they'll be removed, and if conversations move into discussions about national issues or general legal advice, they may be taken down. But many people have reported that they've successfully used apps like Neighbors to talk about nearby law enforcement raids, so I don't see any evidence of a blanket ban. Groups using the Neighbors app to communicate important information or provide help should also be aware of the Neighbors Verified tag, which is available to both public safety agencies and community organizations. This tag makes it easier for users of Neighbors to trust information and announcements from specific accounts. Verified accounts don't have access to any additional information about users. Reports of law enforcement covering up home doorbells and cameras An NBC affiliate in Denver, 9News, published footage of what it reported were federal agents covering up a video doorbell during a raid. (The Independent reported that ICE said it "does not comment on specific tactics, capabilities, or operational details.") It's unclear if a move like this is illegal under protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, but civil rights attorneys have said it is. If anything like this happens, it's best to immediately save the recording -- and remember that agents almost always need a warrant to enter your home. A few final rules to follow Often the best response to a federal raid is no response at all, as well as remembering your rights. Westend61/Getty Images Whether you're concerned about federal raids, curious about what law enforcement is doing in your area or just want clarification about worrying events, remember a few basic rules as outlined by the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Immigrant Justice Center: Don't escalate: In cases where federal agents or people appearing to be agents have knocked on doors, people have done nothing and simply waited for agents to leave. Remember, without a warrant, they usually can't enter a house, and if you have a video doorbell, it can still record everything that happens. Avoid confrontation when possible, and don't give law enforcement anything to act on. Remember, everyone still has the right to remain silent. If you feel your safety is endangered, call 911 or seek help from a nonprofit: Calling 911 is very helpful if you feel unsafe because of nearby events. You can explain the situation and have a record of the call. 911 is an emergency response service and isn't in the business of reporting to federal agents. There are also local immigrant rights agencies you can contact to report ICE, and groups like the ACLU can usually point you in the right direction. For more information, take a look at the latest news on what Ring is letting the police see (it's good news for privacy fans), the legal ramifications of recording video or audio in your home, and what you and landlords can legally do with security cameras.
New York Times
28 minutes ago
- New York Times
The Elite Panic at the Heart of Liberal Attacks on Mamdani
Zohran Mamdani's campaign is driving some people mad. Mamdani is, of course, the young, charismatic, charming and decidedly left-of-center candidate upsetting the political status quo. He is also Muslim and of Indian and Ugandan descent. The recent political attacks against him are coming from all directions — Republicans, Democrats and the real estate lobby. Some of these attacks are about political interests — of course, landlords wouldn't like affordable housing and tenant-friendly Mamdani. But a lot of these attacks are thinly veiled racism. They conflate Mamdani's left-wing political messaging with the 'otherness' of his racial and ethnic heritage. It is an old racial trope that worked unevenly against President Barack Obama. Be afraid of the cheerful brown man. He isn't a 'real' American. He is dangerous because he wants to take from the rich to give to the undeserving poor. It makes sense that Republicans play this card. They already dally in the irrational world of race fantasy, where white Americans are an oppressed majority. But Democrats are supposed to know better. Being the party that knows that race is real, that it works in measurable ways and that those ways matter to their base is kind of their brand. They had it figured out when these attacks were deployed against Obama. If they knew it was wrong in Obama's case, why are they falling for it in Mamdani's? For one answer, look to our current political and demographic moment. Americans are more diverse than they were 50 years ago. A combination of migration and changing norms around love and marriage means that the nation has become — and will continue to become — less white. A primal fear of minorities drove a lot of voters toward Donald Trump. It should be commonly accepted by now that his political rhetoric targets minorities and uses violent stereotypes to dehumanize them and that millions of his supporters don't just accept that — they relish it. But at the same time, Donald Trump managed to appeal to some racial minorities during this last election. That caused liberals and poll watchers a lot of angst. How can anyone explain his support among the very racial and ethnic groups that he endangers? Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
