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A2   UP FRONT
                Tuesday 3 sepTember 2024
            Ready or not, election season in the U.S. is about to start.

            The first ballots will go out within days



                                                                                                                                appointment was unconsti-
            Continued from Front                                                                                                tutional, there's no chance
                                                                                                                                of  a  trial  taking  place  this
            Who's ready to vote?                                                                                                year.
            The  first  batch  of  ballots                                                                                      In  light  of  the  Supreme
            typically sent out are ones                                                                                         Court's  immunity  ruling,  a
            to  military  and  overseas                                                                                         federal  judge  in  Washing-
            voters.  Under  federal  law,                                                                                       ton is now tasked with de-
            that  must  happen  at  least                                                                                       ciding which allegations in
            45 days before an election                                                                                          a  separate  case  charging
            —  which  this  year  is  Sept.                                                                                     Trump with plotting to over-
            21.                                                                                                                 turn the 2020 election can
            Some  states  start  earlier.                                                                                       remain part of the prosecu-
            North  Carolina  will  begin                                                                                        tion  and  which  ones  must
            sending  mail  ballots  to  all                                                                                     be  discarded.  Deciding
            voters  who  request  them,                                                                                         which acts are official and
            including  military  person-                                                                                        which are not is likely to be
            nel and overseas voters, on                                                                                         an arduous process.
            Sept. 6.                                                                                                            Fights  over  voting  and  the
            Voter registration deadlines                                                                                        election
            vary by state, with most fall-                                                                                      Before  the  first  ballots  are
            ing  between  eight  and  30                                                                                        even cast, both camps are
            days  before  the  election,                                                                                        gearing  up  to  fight  over
            according  to  the  National                                                                                        voting.
            Conference  of  State  Leg-                                                                                         Battles  over  election  rules
            islatures.  The  deadline  is                                                                                       have  become  a  staple
            Oct.  7  in  Georgia,  one  of   Voters fill in their ballots for Florida's primary election in South Miami, Fla., Aug. 20, 2024.   of  American  democracy,
            this  year's  most  prominent                                                                      Associated Press  but  they're  expected  to
            presidential battlegrounds.                                                                                         reach  new  heights  this
            Nearly all states offer some  Sept. 10 debate. Trump has  by up to four years in prison.  dent  lied  for  years  about  year.  Trump  installed  his
            version  of  in-person  vot-  proposed  three  presiden-  Other  potential  sentences  his  wealth  as  he  built  his  own  leadership  team  at
            ing,  though  the  rules  and  tial  debates  with  different  include  probation,  a  fine  real estate empire was "er-  the  Republican  National
            dates  vary  considerably.  television networks.          or a conditional discharge  roneous"  and  "egregious."  Committee,  including  a
            In  Pennsylvania,  another  Vance     has   challenged  that would require Trump to  State  lawyers  responded  director  of  election  integ-
            of  the  major  presidential  Walz to another vice presi-  stay out of trouble to avoid  in  court  papers  this  week  rity  who  helped  him  try  to
            battleground states, voters  dential debate on Sept. 18,  additional punishment.       that  there's  "overwhelming  overturn Biden's win in 2020.
            can visit their local election  although it's not been set.  Next steps in Trump's other  evidence"  to  support  the  The RNC has filed a blizzard
            office to request, complete  A  possible  criminal  sen-  New York cases               verdict.                     of lawsuits challenging vot-
            and return a mail ballot be-  tence for Trump             On Friday, the 2nd U.S. Cir-  What  about  Trump's  elec-  ing rules and promises that
            ginning  Sept.  16.  For  those  Trump  is  scheduled  to  be  cuit  Court  of  Appeals  will  tion and document cases?  more are on the way.
            counting, that's a little over  sentenced  Sept.  18  in  his  hear  arguments  in  Trump's  A  state  case  in  Georgia  Democrats  also  are  mo-
            two weeks from now.          hush money criminal case,  appeal  of  a  jury's  verdict  that  charged  Trump  and  bilizing  and  assembling  a
            The gloves come off          though  his  lawyers  have  last  year  ordering  him  to  18 others in a wide-ranging  robust  legal  team.  Among
            Whether, where and under  asked  the  judge  to  delay  pay  $5  million  to  writer  E.  scheme to overturn his 2020  other  things,  they  are  ob-
            what rules the Democratic  the  proceeding  until  after  Jean  Carroll  after  it  found  loss  in  the  state  is  stalled  jecting to GOP efforts to re-
            and  Republican  presiden-   Election  Day.  A  decision  is  him  liable  for  sexually  as-  with no chance of going to  move some inactive voters
            tial  and  vice  presidential  expected early this month.  saulting and defaming her.  trial before the election.   or  noncitizens  from  voter
            nominees  will  debate  has  In a letter to Judge Juan M.  Trump  also  is  appealing  Federal  prosecutors  have  rolls, arguing that legal vot-
            been a point of contention  Merchan,  Trump's  lawyers  a  verdict  in  a  second  trial  brought  two  criminal  cas-  ers will get swept up in the
            for weeks. But for now, two  suggested    that   holding  in  January  in  which  a  jury  es  against  Trump,  but  one  purges.
            match-ups are on the cal-    the  sentencing  as  sched-  found  him  liable  on  addi-  was  dismissed  by  a  judge  Republicans   have   par-
            endar.                       uled,  about  seven  weeks  tional  defamation  claims  last month and the other is  ticularly  escalated  their
            Trump    and    Democrat-    before Election Day, would  and  ordered  him  to  pay  likely to be reshaped by the  rhetoric  over  the  specter
            ic  presidential  nominee  amount  to  election  inter-   Carroll $83.3 million. Trump's  recent U.S. Supreme Court  of noncitizens voting, even
            Kamala  Harris  have  ac-    ference. On Sept. 16, Mer-   lawyers have until Sept. 13  opinion   that   conferred  though repeated investiga-
            cepted  an  invitation  from  chan is expected to rule on  to file a brief in that appeal.  broad  immunity  on  former  tions have shown it almost
            ABC News to debate Sept.  Trump's request to overturn  On  Sept.  26,  a  New  York  presidents  for  official  acts  never happens. Some also
            10 in Philadelphia.          the  guilty  verdict  and  dis-  appeals court will hear oral  they take in office.    are  pushing  to  give  local
            Harris'  pick  for  vice  presi-  miss  the  case  because  of  arguments in Trump's chal-  Special counsel Jack Smith  election  boards  the  ability
            dent,  Minnesota  Gov.  Tim  the  U.S.  Supreme  Court's  lenge of a nearly $500 mil-  has appealed the dismissal  to refuse to certify election
            Walz,  and  Trump's,  Ohio  July  presidential  immunity  lion civil fraud judgment in  by U.S. District Judge Aileen  results.
            Sen.   JD   Vance,    have  ruling.                       state Attorney General Leti-  Cannon  of  an  indictment  All indications are these ef-
            agreed  to  an  Oct.  1  de-  Trump  was  convicted  in  tia  James'  lawsuit  against  charging Trump with hoard-  forts are laying the ground-
            bate  hosted  by  CBS  News  May  on  34  counts  of  falsi-  him.  The  court  typically  ing  classified  documents  work  for  Trump  to  again
            in New York City.            fying  business  records  to  rules  about  a  month  af-  at  his  Mar-a-Lago  estate  claim  the  election  was
            Harris  has  forecast  a  pos-  conceal  a  $130,000  hush  ter  arguments,  meaning  a  in  Florida  and  obstructing  stolen  from  him  if  he  loses
            sible  second  debate  with  money  payment  to  porn  decision  could  come  be-      the FBI's efforts to get them  and  to  try  to  overturn  the
            Trump,  but  her  proposal  actor  Stormy  Daniels  just  fore  the  November  elec-   back. But even if a federal  will of the voters. But there's
            appeared  to  be  contin-    before  the  2016  presiden-  tion. Trump's lawyers argue  appeals  court  reinstates  no way to know if that will
            gent  on  the  GOP  nomi-    tial election. Falsifying busi-  that a judge's Feb. 16 find-  the  case  and  reverses  the  happen until the ballots are
            nee's  participation  in  the  ness  records  is  punishable  ing  that  the  former  presi-  judge's  ruling  that  Smith's  cast.q
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