California Is Still Counting Votes -- November 20, 2016

It goes without saying that this is just one more reason why switching from the "electoral college" to the "popular vote" will never happen in the US: many states are still counting their votes. Results may not be known in one state for at least a year due to allegations of fraud at a very high level. Be that as it may, California is still counting votes. From the Los Angeles Times article:

In an era when there’s almost nothing that can’t be found out quickly, the long wait for final results from an election in California feels interminable. And yet, there’s a pretty simple reason why it takes so long to count all the votes.

California is not just home to more voters than any other state in the U.S. But it also has more election laws designed to maximize a voter’s chances of casting a ballot.

Go to the article to find all the reasons why California takes so long to count its votes, but this one is easy to understand:

• 52% of all California voters now vote via "permanent absentee voting"
• the ballots must be postmarked by election day to be counted
• ballots will be accepted up to three days late as long as the postmark is by election day

The article is chock-full of other reasons by the California vote is still being counted.

As I've said earlier, the trope that has now become a meme -- that Hillary won the popular vote -- that has not yet been certified. And even if she did, it must be remembered that Trump did not compete in California.

And 52% of Californians now "permanently" self-identify as being absent on election day. Election day might be a great day to visit Disneyland, the beaches, and the national parks. No one would be home.

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A Note To The Granddaughters

Between 2002 and 2007, I was "deployed" to northern England by the USAF on many, many occasions. I was stationed at RAF Menwith Hill Station. It was not far from Harrogate. I traveled the area by train, frequently, but not enough. I remember my favorite trip: Harrogate to Leeds:

The average journey time between Harrogate and Leeds is 37 minutes. The fastest journey time is 37 minutes. On an average weekday, there are 48 trains per day travelling from Harrogate to Leeds.

This link may lead you to some photos. If I had all them money in the world, I would have a small flat in Harrogate.