Tensions are high as Election Day nears
Austin City Council members want to know how APD Chief Brian Manley will address expected demonstrations. In an open letter, Council Member Natasha Harper Madison joins other city leaders who want answers.
“My concern is that we will have an election that puts us in a position to where members of our republic are pitted against one another in a way that’s akin to something from 70 years ago,” Harper Madison says.
That has her fearful and wants to remind residents and public servants alike that we’re all neighbors. At the end of the day, most of us want the same things from our country.
Voting turnout high for Texas
Travis County has surpassed the total count of votes from the 2016 November election and Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir still expects more.
“We could see 600,000 people vote early voting and then perhaps another 100,000 on Election Day. If that happens, it means that we will beat our previous 77% turnout, our highest benchmark so far,” says DeBeauvoir.
So speaking of voting, today is your last chance to vote early. Yesterday, more than 24,000 people cast ballots, bringing the total up to more than 521,000 votes in this election. So far, that’s just in Travis County. Texas as a state continues to shatter early voting records. At least eight million people or more than 50% of eligible voters have cast a ballot across the state. Sean Farrell, a professor at the University of Texas here at Austin’s Department of Government, says Texas is usually at the bottom 10 of states when it comes to voting.
“So even if this is just a momentary spot in the sun for Texas, it’s just great that when we look at early voting numbers, we are the number one state in the country for the portion of our electorate that has turned up early,” says Farrell.
He says Texans have strong feelings towards President Trump, both positive and negative. He adds that the last early voting day is usually the biggest, and of course today is that last early voting day.
Will Texas go Blue?
Can Former Vice President Joe Biden actually win Texas? Since 2006, Democrats have been suggesting that Texas will flip from red to blue. It hasn’t happened yet, but political science professor Dr. Kimi King says Texas is a must win for President Trump.
“It is important for Trump to maintain. President Trump needs to keep his hold here, and he had some slippage in 2016 compared to how Mitt Romney had done in 2012,” says King.
The closest the Democrats came to actually flipping the state was two years ago.
Collective anxiety
If the fear of COVID coupled with the anxiety of an election has you all stressed out, you’re not alone. Calls are up for many counseling services. Counselor Mary Beth Fisk says even families that have not been impacted by the coronavirus are fearful that they could be next.
“That, coupled with you know, the election and divisiveness of where we are as a country right now does make for a very unique time in our history,” Fisk says.
Those who are stressed out need to act. That could be as easy as taking a walk, but she says it’s best if you talk to someone about exactly how you’re feeling.
This news and more on News Radio KLBJ:
https://omny.fm/shows/klbjam-flash-briefing-1/am-newscast-10-30-20
