I want everyone to vote and each vote to be counted. There was time when that was not such a revolutionary statement; or at least not a particularly partisan one. But this is 2020, and which ballots get in and which votes get counted could be the decisive factor in the the most anticipated election on a lifetime. WaPo: “Democrats won two significant Supreme Court victories involving voting deadlines in key battleground states Wednesday, as the justices allowed extended periods for receiving mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania and North Carolina.” Yes, allowing votes to be processed and counted in states overwhelmed by Covid-driven mail-in ballots is considered a Democrat victory, not a democratic one. And this issue, even in the two states mentioned, is far from over. “Thomas, Alito and Gorsuch signaled that they might want to revisit the case after the election, and even indicated the votes received after Election Day ultimately might not be counted.” And Amy Coney Barrett did not partipate in the decision.

+ The New Yorker: In Pennsylvania, Republicans Might Only Need to Stall to Win. “More Democrats than Republicans have requested mail-in ballots in the state, by a margin of two-to-one. This means that in-person returns on Election Day are almost certain to favor Trump, an advantage that he will likely exploit, however falsely, to claim victory.”

+ Another front in this battle: Ballot drop boxes: “The largely secure voting method has long been available to voters in states like Colorado and Washington. But amid the partisan battles over access to the polls, election officials in battleground states are still fighting to limit their usage with only days left until 3 November.”

+ Another front: Polling places. NPR: Polling Places Are Closing Due To COVID-19. It Could Tip Races In 1 Swing State. “Overall, this affects some 670,000 Iowans, 30% of the state’s registered voters. Those affected by the changes overwhelmingly live in the state’s urban areas, which reliably vote Democratic. And the closures are happening at a time of multiple competitive races in the state, including the presidential contest.”

+ All of these matters are of particular importance because of the person in the Oval Office. “If, as many of these experts expect, a ‘red mirage’ emerges as the polls shut on Election Day, Trump could, at that moment, have the opportunity to declare victory and set in motion the workings of the federal government, especially the Department of Justice under Attorney General William Barr.” In the NYT, Thomas B. Edsall lays out the scenarios. How Far Might Trump Go? In 2016, the story was about Russian meddling. This time, it’s an inside job.