Will U.S. Democracy Survive the November Election? “Stand Back and Stand By” (AFTER You’ve Voted)

[Note to Readers: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or any other entity referenced.]

Last night’s Presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden has almost universally been panned as an unmitigated disaster.

Hand-delivering an absentee ballot in Minneapolis earlier today.

But, there’s at least one sense in which it may have been a resounding success: compelling people to vote — early, and either in-person, or by personally dropping off their absentee ballot (i.e., without using the mail).

Dropping Off Absentee Ballots . . . in-Person

Exhibit A: the very busy parking lot late this morning at the Minneapolis Elections and Voter Services office, located at 980 Hennepin Avenue.

Make that, 980 East Hennepin Avenue.

My wife and I first drove to 980 Hennepin Ave. South, which not only is located in downtown, a couple miles away, but is practically inaccessible now due to road construction (we found out the hard way, after navigating multiple road blocks).

I’d estimate we saw at least 100 people coming and going in the few minutes we spent at the correct location.

P.S.: Depending on what happens following the November 3 election, my guess is that, besides its chaotic tone, the near-unwatchable debate will be remembered for the President’s apparent shout-out (“Stand Back and Stand By”) to a far-right extremist group, “The Proud Boys.”

Until President(!) Trump uttered those words, the only major party Presidential candidate I can even remotely conceive of thinking, let alone saying such a thing is former Alabama Governor George Wallace, who competed for the Democratic nomination in 1968 and 1972 (and picked up 46 electoral votes as a third-party candidate in ’68).

About the author

Ross Kaplan has 19+ years experience selling real estate all over the Twin Cities. He is also a 12-time consecutive "Super Real Estate Agent," as determined by Mpls. - St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business Magazine. Prior to becoming a Realtor, Ross was an attorney (corporate law), CPA, and entrepreneur. He holds an economics degree from Stanford.
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