Election season is approaching in the United States

2024-09-03 21:35:24, Kosova & Bota CNA

Although it may seem like the presidential election in the United States is still far away, it is getting closer.

Election Day on November 5 is only about two months away and important political events and developments will make it come much sooner. The period until then will pass as quickly as the summer break for schools in most of the country.

The first mail-in ballots will be sent to voters this Friday. The first presidential debate is scheduled for September 10. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, is expected to be sentenced in New York on September 18 in connection with payments made to win the silence of a pornographic actress before the 2016 election. And polling stations in some states may open as early as September 20 for early voting.

Let's take a look below at why the election calendar is expected to advance quickly, with the Democratic and Republican caucuses now over and the national holiday of Labor Day (the first Monday in September) signaling the traditional start of the season. election in the United States.

Election season is approaching in the United States

Who's ready to vote?

The first set of postal ballots are usually those for voters serving in the armed forces and those overseas. According to federal law, this must be done at least 45 days before the election, that is, from September 21.

Some states start this process earlier. North Carolina will begin sending mail-in ballots on Sept. 6 to all voters who request them, including military and overseas voters.

Voter registration deadlines vary from state to state. Most states have deadlines from 8 to 30 days before the election. In Georgia, one of the most important states for this year's presidential elections, the registration deadline is October 7.

Almost all states offer a version of early voting by going to a polling place. In Pennsylvania, one of the key battleground states, voters can go to their local office to request, fill out and mail in a ballot starting September 16. So a little over two weeks from now.

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Future debates

A point of discussion for weeks has been whether there will be a debate between the presidential candidates, where it will take place and under what rules. But for now, two matches are scheduled.

Former President Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris have accepted an invitation from ABC News to debate on September 10 in Philadelphia.

Ms. Harris's vice-presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and Mr. Trump's pick, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, have agreed to an Oct. 1 debate hosted by CBS News in the city. of New York.

Vice President Harris has left open the possibility of a possible second debate with President Trump. Former President Trump has proposed holding three debates on different television networks.

Mr. Vance has also proposed holding another debate with Mr. Walz on September 18, which has not yet been agreed upon.

The possibility of a criminal conviction for former President Trump

Former President Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on September 18 for payments made to silence a pornographic actress. His lawyers have asked the judge to postpone the procedure until after the election day. The decision is expected to be made at the beginning of this month.

In a letter to Judge Juan M. Merchan, former President Trump's lawyers suggested that sentencing as planned, about seven weeks before Election Day, would be election interference. On September 16, Judge Merchan is expected to rule on another request by former President Trump to dismiss the entire case, due to the ruling on presidential immunity made in July by the Supreme Court.

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Former President Trump pleaded guilty in May to 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to pornographic actress Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election. Falsification of business data is punishable by imprisonment of up to four years. Other possible penalties include probation, a fine or a conditional discharge that would require former President Trump not to commit further offenses to avoid additional penalties.

Next steps in other court cases against former President Trump in New York

On Friday, the Court of Appeals will hear arguments on former President Trump's appeal of a jury's decision last year that ordered him to pay $5 million to writer E. Jean Carroll after he was found guilty of sexual assault. and slander against her. Former President Trump is also appealing a second court ruling in January, when a jury found him liable for further defamation claims and ordered him to pay Ms Carroll $83.3 million. Former President Trump's lawyers have until September 13 to file a brief for this appeal.

Election season is approaching in the United States

On Sept. 26, an appeals court in New York will hear oral arguments in former President Trump's appeal of a civil lawsuit awarding him nearly $500 million in fines, based on a lawsuit filed by New York prosecutors. Letitia James. The court usually rules about a month after hearing arguments, meaning a decision could be made before the November election.

Lawyers for former President Trump say it was "wrong" and "shocking" that a judge ruled on February 16 that the former president lied for years about the value of his real estate. State attorneys responded in court filings this week that there was "ample evidence" to support the decision.

What about the lawsuits against former President Trump over the election and classified documents?

A lawsuit filed by the state of Georgia accusing former President Trump and 18 others of a scheme to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state has stalled with no chance of reaching a trial. election date.

Federal prosecutors have brought two criminal cases against former President Trump, but one was dismissed by a judge last month and the other is likely to be redrafted after a recent Supreme Court opinion granting broad immunity to the former president. - presidents for the official actions they take during their time in office.

Special prosecutor Jack Smith has appealed Judge Aileen Cannon's dismissal of the case based on the lawsuit that accuses former President Trump of obtaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and obstructing the FBI's efforts to to retrieve them. But even if the federal appeals court remands the case and overturns the judge's ruling that Smith's appointment was unconstitutional, there is no chance the trial will take place this year.

Another lawsuit Mr. Trump faces is one for conspiracy to sway the outcome of the 2020 election. Given the Supreme Court's ruling on immunity, a federal court in Washington must now decide which of the charges can proceed. to remain part of the criminal procedure and which should be rejected. Making a decision about which acts are official and which are not is likely to be a difficult process.

Clashes over voting and elections

Before the first votes are cast, the two electoral camps are preparing for possible legal battles.

Battles over election rules have become a staple of American democracy, but they are expected to intensify this year. Former President Trump has appointed an election integrity chief to the Republican National Committee, who previously supported his efforts to overturn President Biden's victory in 2020. The Republican National Committee has filed several lawsuits challenging the voting rules. and has announced that further lawsuits are being prepared.

Democrats are also putting together a legal team. Among other things, they are opposing Republican efforts to remove some inactive or non-citizen voters from the voter rolls, arguing that legal voters will also be affected by these purges./ VOA