Why the real threat to the 2026 midterms isn't at the ballot box, but in the server rooms and sealed affidavits of a newly centralised federal machine.
Truly frightening this is happening under our noses and no one is talking about it. Trump's administration continues to push the boundaries and see what it can get away with , gradually taking more and more of the populations liberty and freedom.
Yes, that’s what I felt too. I sat on it for a few days thinking that surely someone else would join the dots, surely someone else would cover it? But while there is reporting on aspects, no-one seems to be seeing the big picture.
Thank you for staying with it — I know it was a lot to wade through.
What the current regime is asking for is PII, personally identifiable information, any one combination of which can identify you, and all of which together is a breach of your privacy. Bad enough DOGE and Musk, and the Palantir database being built by the Feds breaks every intentional silo of data between agencies, AND THE LAW regarding use of the data only for the purpose for which it was gathered, but now they are trying to aggregate it with state-collected and managed data! BigBrother IS watching us, and that is terrifying. George Orwell was right, just off by 40 years.
Thank you Anthony. I hold you and your work in the highest regard, so coming from you, that’s high praise indeed.
And for anyone reading the comments, if you want to stay informed about how the regime is shaping the narrative, you should subscribe to Anthony’s work. I’m a founding member, which is as high a recommendation as I can give.
There's very little to say after this. Just a lot TO DO.
This was not an easy subject but your writing, as always, is crystalline.
I will be contacting the representatives in my state with this information which, surprise! surprise!, the mainstream media is either unaware of or reluctant to pursue.
And who needs the Washington Post (I had unsubscribed a while back) when we have you?
(This is not to put more work on you! I can't imagine the hours that go into a piece. I know you will pace yourself. 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️)
I'm learning that not only do I need to pace myself, I should pace my readers. It helps none of us if I inundate you with information, no matter the quality — as you so rightly say, there is a lot to do. And that takes focus and steadiness. So while y'all take action, I'll get to work on another grounding post. I think we may need it, after this work.
I laid out as best I could what citizens can do. The foundation of that is “spread the word” because I don’t think Democrats are even aware of this, let alone fighting it Mindy.
"The point is not that ballots can be linked to individual votes — US ballot systems are designed to prevent that."
Then in my area, the election folks are already NOT preventing exactly that. I got a ballot to be mailed in, as an absentee vote. It was numbered. It demanded that I put my PII on the OUTSIDE envelope! I was stunned. Said my vote wouldn't count, if I didn't. Being on the receiving end of non-stop, decades long, ID Theft, I put no identifying info, anywhere on that ballot. I also didn't make any selections, on it, either. Instead, I wrote a note about that surreal demand, on the ballot, and mailed it back.
I got a letter from my election office, addressed to my name, telling me my vote wouldn't count. So - they figured out who I was, by the number on the ballot.
Contrast: Decades ago, one voted in a curtain enclosed booth - kind of like the Wizard of Oz. Your privacy was maintained. None of this open, elbow to elbow cubicles nonsense we have, for in person voting, nowadays.
Apparently many states require some combination of name, address, signature, DB, driver’s license number or last 4 digits of SSN. It’s used to verify the voter before the ballot is separated and counted. So the information is provided on the outside envelope but the actual marked ballot remains anonymous.
For example:
Texas requires voters to provide either a Texas driver’s license number or the last four digits of their SSN on the mail ballot carrier envelope.
Florida requires a signature; ID numbers may be required depending on registration status.
North Carolina requires voter information on the envelope plus a witness signature (ID number not always required). Rules changed in several states after 2020, so this has become more common in certain places.
Why It’s On the Outside Envelope:
Election officials must verify eligibility before opening the ballot. So the voter fills out the outer envelope with required identifying info; officials verify the information against the voter registration record; the ballot envelope is separated from the identifying envelope; and
the ballot is then counted anonymously.
So although the envelope has identifying details on the outside, the vote itself remains secret once processed.
I think I may have been as stunned to read this as you were to receive the instruction Aleithia.
Let me make sure I’ve got this right: your note was anonymous, written on the ballot paper, yet the election office response to your note was addressed and mailed to you? When was this, Aleithia?
Yes: You understood, correctly. This happened within the past 2 months.
And again, my name, address, DOB, SSN-portion, were all REQUIRED on the OUTSIDE envelope, for my absentee vote to count.
"If we can't commit Fraud on your good name, and compel a construct whereby we can chalk it up to anyone, thereby obfuscating that we are the ones who did so, then YOU MAY NOT VOTE!!!!"
The city finance officer was very cagey with me, years ago, when I asked about her involvement in muni voting. Now, she and another interceptor, intercept my public records requests, to the local police dept.
In the small town I'm in, the election officials see the PII / eligibility to vote info, and, also, open the envelope - Yes - same person - and then have direct - in their hands - access to that ballot. They can simply read what and who, that voter voted for. Easy as pie. And yes, in this small town, everyone knows everyone. The data would not be overwhelming, as it might be in a large city. But even in large cities, they are going to recognize SOME of the voters. And they can read.
Truly frightening this is happening under our noses and no one is talking about it. Trump's administration continues to push the boundaries and see what it can get away with , gradually taking more and more of the populations liberty and freedom.
Another fantastic post Lori thank you!
You’re welcome, Ian.
Yes, that’s what I felt too. I sat on it for a few days thinking that surely someone else would join the dots, surely someone else would cover it? But while there is reporting on aspects, no-one seems to be seeing the big picture.
Thank you for staying with it — I know it was a lot to wade through.
What the current regime is asking for is PII, personally identifiable information, any one combination of which can identify you, and all of which together is a breach of your privacy. Bad enough DOGE and Musk, and the Palantir database being built by the Feds breaks every intentional silo of data between agencies, AND THE LAW regarding use of the data only for the purpose for which it was gathered, but now they are trying to aggregate it with state-collected and managed data! BigBrother IS watching us, and that is terrifying. George Orwell was right, just off by 40 years.
Exactly this, Karen.
Moreover, much of that data is FALSE. Got proof of your own accurate data? It won't matter, to the algorithms, databases, and AI.
Seriously one of the best pieces I have read on the subject. And laid out so clear and perfectly, that its scary asf. Thank you
Thank you Anthony. I hold you and your work in the highest regard, so coming from you, that’s high praise indeed.
And for anyone reading the comments, if you want to stay informed about how the regime is shaping the narrative, you should subscribe to Anthony’s work. I’m a founding member, which is as high a recommendation as I can give.
There's very little to say after this. Just a lot TO DO.
This was not an easy subject but your writing, as always, is crystalline.
I will be contacting the representatives in my state with this information which, surprise! surprise!, the mainstream media is either unaware of or reluctant to pursue.
And who needs the Washington Post (I had unsubscribed a while back) when we have you?
(This is not to put more work on you! I can't imagine the hours that go into a piece. I know you will pace yourself. 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️)
Thank you John, that remark made me laugh.
I'm learning that not only do I need to pace myself, I should pace my readers. It helps none of us if I inundate you with information, no matter the quality — as you so rightly say, there is a lot to do. And that takes focus and steadiness. So while y'all take action, I'll get to work on another grounding post. I think we may need it, after this work.
WaPo got bought out years ago, by Amazon's Bezos.
This was powerful.
You’re the best.
Back at you, Pasqual. 😊
Thank you wonderful. You’re welcome.
What can we as citizens do? Are the Democrats doing anything to fight and stop this?
I laid out as best I could what citizens can do. The foundation of that is “spread the word” because I don’t think Democrats are even aware of this, let alone fighting it Mindy.
You wrote,
"The point is not that ballots can be linked to individual votes — US ballot systems are designed to prevent that."
Then in my area, the election folks are already NOT preventing exactly that. I got a ballot to be mailed in, as an absentee vote. It was numbered. It demanded that I put my PII on the OUTSIDE envelope! I was stunned. Said my vote wouldn't count, if I didn't. Being on the receiving end of non-stop, decades long, ID Theft, I put no identifying info, anywhere on that ballot. I also didn't make any selections, on it, either. Instead, I wrote a note about that surreal demand, on the ballot, and mailed it back.
I got a letter from my election office, addressed to my name, telling me my vote wouldn't count. So - they figured out who I was, by the number on the ballot.
Contrast: Decades ago, one voted in a curtain enclosed booth - kind of like the Wizard of Oz. Your privacy was maintained. None of this open, elbow to elbow cubicles nonsense we have, for in person voting, nowadays.
I understand now Aleithia.
Apparently many states require some combination of name, address, signature, DB, driver’s license number or last 4 digits of SSN. It’s used to verify the voter before the ballot is separated and counted. So the information is provided on the outside envelope but the actual marked ballot remains anonymous.
For example:
Texas requires voters to provide either a Texas driver’s license number or the last four digits of their SSN on the mail ballot carrier envelope.
Florida requires a signature; ID numbers may be required depending on registration status.
North Carolina requires voter information on the envelope plus a witness signature (ID number not always required). Rules changed in several states after 2020, so this has become more common in certain places.
Why It’s On the Outside Envelope:
Election officials must verify eligibility before opening the ballot. So the voter fills out the outer envelope with required identifying info; officials verify the information against the voter registration record; the ballot envelope is separated from the identifying envelope; and
the ballot is then counted anonymously.
So although the envelope has identifying details on the outside, the vote itself remains secret once processed.
I think I may have been as stunned to read this as you were to receive the instruction Aleithia.
Let me make sure I’ve got this right: your note was anonymous, written on the ballot paper, yet the election office response to your note was addressed and mailed to you? When was this, Aleithia?
Yes: You understood, correctly. This happened within the past 2 months.
And again, my name, address, DOB, SSN-portion, were all REQUIRED on the OUTSIDE envelope, for my absentee vote to count.
"If we can't commit Fraud on your good name, and compel a construct whereby we can chalk it up to anyone, thereby obfuscating that we are the ones who did so, then YOU MAY NOT VOTE!!!!"
The city finance officer was very cagey with me, years ago, when I asked about her involvement in muni voting. Now, she and another interceptor, intercept my public records requests, to the local police dept.
Sigh. Distinction without a difference.
In the small town I'm in, the election officials see the PII / eligibility to vote info, and, also, open the envelope - Yes - same person - and then have direct - in their hands - access to that ballot. They can simply read what and who, that voter voted for. Easy as pie. And yes, in this small town, everyone knows everyone. The data would not be overwhelming, as it might be in a large city. But even in large cities, they are going to recognize SOME of the voters. And they can read.