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U.S. election season approaches: Election camps prepare for legal battles

2024-09-03 22:09:39Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
U.S. election season approaches: Election camps prepare for legal battles
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Although it may seem like the U.S. presidential election is still far away, they are coming.

Election Day on November 5 is only about two months away, and significant 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 much of the country.

The first ballots for the vote by mail will be sent to voters this Friday. The first presidential debate is set for September 10. On September 18, the sentencing is expected to be handed down in New York for former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, over payments made to gain the silence of a pornographic film actress ahead of the 2016 election. And polling stations in some states could open as early as September 20 for early voting.

Let's look at the circumstances of why the election calendar is expected to progress rapidly, with the end of both Democratic and Republican parties already, and the National Labor Day holiday (the first Monday in September) that signaled the traditional start of the U.S. election season.

Who is ready to vote?

The first batch of mail ballots are usually for voters serving in the armed forces and those found abroad. Under federal law, this must be done at least 45 days before the election, i.e. september 21.

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

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

Almost all states offer a version of early voting by going to a polling station. In Pennsylvania, one of the key states in the electoral battle, voters can go to local office to search, fill in and send a mail-in ballot starting September 16. So a little over two weeks from now.

Debatet A Ardhashme

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 confrontations are planned.

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

Harris' choice of vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Trump's nominee, Ohio Senator JD Vance, agreed to a debate on October 1 hosted by CBS News in New York City.

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

Vance also proposed holding another debate with Walz on Sept. 18, which he has not yet agreed on.

The possibility of a criminal conviction for former President Trump

The sentencing measure for former President Trump is scheduled to be handed down Sept. 18 for payments made to win the silence of a pornographic film actress. His lawyers have asked the judge to postpone the proceeding until after Election Day. The decision is expected to be made early this month.

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

Trump was found guilty in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to pornographic actress Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election. Falsifying business records is punishable by up to four years in prison. Other potential penalties include a probation penalty, a fine or a parole that would require former President Trump not to commit further violations, to avoid additional penalties.

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

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

On September 26, a New York appeals court will hear the trump's verbal appeal arguments against a decision made in a civil litigation lawsuit with a fine of nearly $500 million based on the indictment of New York Attorney Letitia James. The court rules usually about a month after hearing arguments, meaning a decision can be made before November elections.

Trump's lawyers say it was "wrong" and "shocking" a judge's decision on February 16 that the former president lied for years about the value of his real estate. Attorneys for the state responded through documentation filed in court this week that there was "ample evidence" to support the decision made.

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

A georgia court case accusing Trump and 18 other people of a scheme to overturn his 2020 election loss has been stalled without a chance of getting to trial before the election date.

Federal prosecutors have filed two criminal cases against Trump, but one was fired by a judge last month and the other is likely to be remedied after the Supreme Court's recently issued opinion that grants ex-presidents broad immunity for official actions they take while in office.

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

Another indictment facing Mr. Trump is one for conspiring to overturn the result of the 2020 election. Given the Supreme Court's immunity decision, the federal court in Washington must now decide which of the charges can remain part of the criminal proceedings and which should be dismissed. Making a decision on which acts are official and which ones are not is likely to be a difficult process.

Clashes for the vote 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 increase this year. The former President has appointed to the Republican National Committee, an election integrity executive, which has previously backed his efforts to overturn Biden's 2020 victory. 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 noncitable voters from the voter rolls, arguing that these purges will also be affected by legitimate voters. /VOA


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