https://talkingpointsmemo.com/live-blog/democrats-virginia-new-jersey-election-senate

Like clockwork, the takes are rolling in after Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe lost the Virginia governor’s race to Republican Glenn Youngkin. People’s hypotheses for why McAuliffe lost vary from Youngkin’s dressing up of white grievance to Democrats sucking at messaging to congressional gridlock to historical precedent to schooling amid a pandemic and beyond. But a general conclusion among pundits, bolstered by the extremely tight governor’s race in New Jersey is: this was a bellwether, and Democrats are screwed.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/right-wing-network-one-america-news-sued-by-voting-technology-firm-smartmatic-2021-11-03/?

WASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Voting technology company Smartmatic on Wednesday sued right-wing U.S. television network One America News for libel and slander, according to court records.

Smartmatic's complaint against OAN has not yet been posted to the court's docket. The case is in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

A representative from OAN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hanging "Chads" ?

https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2021/11/no-winner-no-loser-yet-in-murphy-versus-ciattarelli-nj-governors-race-2021-too-close-to-call/

A contest once seen as a race between an incumbent with more supporters, more money and more chances to win against a little-known challenger remains undecided.

Gov. Phil Murphy and his Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli remained separated Wednesday by only thousands of votes out of more than 2 million cast.

Both men urged supporters to remain patient and wait for results now being counted from across the state. Election officials have until next Tuesday to complete that count. Also outstanding and left to be counted are any provisional ballots, ballots cast by voters whose ability to vote may have been in question.

https://newjersey.news12.com/election-day-2021-56-districts-in-essex-county-did-not-count-votes-last-night-here-s-why

“It’s a mix but they are mostly in Newark, in East Orange, Irvington, Maplewood, Montclair, the majority of those 56 districts,” says Durkin.

Durkin says you can call it poll worker error. There will be an investigation as to why it happened. He asks New Jersey residents not to jump to conclusions as to why the 56 voting machines were shut down last night without being counted first.

“Those machines are at the polling places right now,” says Durkin. “Those machines have to be brought back to the warehouse and the judge will issue an order for us to open those machines, retrieve the results and post those results.”

But it doesn’t look like that will happen today.

“No,” says Durkin. “We need to compile a list of the results that are missing then need to schedule a hearing in front of a judge and then the judge issued the order and then were able to go and retrieve those results.”

Durkin says issues like this happen in every election in every county. The fact that it’s 56 voting machines in such a close race has obviously magnified this situation.

Meanwhile, five districts in Paterson are in a similar situation with their voting machines, according to Mayor Andre Seigh.

Obama's change being realized

https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-welcomes-string-of-historic-barrier-breaking-american-muslim-electoral-victories-in-ma-mi-mn-ny-nj-pa/

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/3/21) — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today recognized the historic victories of several American Muslim candidates breaking barriers in Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

CAIR congratulated the following American Muslims on their hard-fought and groundbreaking electoral victories:

Tania Fernandes Anderson, first Cape Verdean American immigrant and American Muslim elected to the Boston City Council, Massachusetts.

Etel Haxhiaj, first Albanian American refugee and American Muslim elected to the Worcester City Council, Massachusetts.

Abdullah Hammoud, first Lebanese American Muslim elected mayor of Dearborn, Michigan.

Amer Ghalib, first Yemeni American immigrant and American Muslim elected to mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan.

Azrin Awal, first Bangladeshi American immigrant and American Muslim elected to the Duluth City Council, Minnesota.

Shama Haider, first Pakistani American and American Muslim elected to the New Jersey State legislature

Umar Muhammad, first Pakistani American and American Muslim elected to the Galloway Township Council, New Jersey

Shahana Hanif, first Bangladeshi American and American Muslim women elected to the New York City Council, New York.

Amira Muflahi, first Yemeni American and American Muslim woman to be elected to the Lackawanna City Council, New York.

Dr. Mariam Mahmud, first Pakistani American and American Muslim elected to the Central Bucks School Board, Region 5, Bucks County, Pennsylvania (Note: Projected to win.)

Taiba Sultana, first Pakistani American immigrant and American Muslim elected to the Easton City Council, Pennsylvania.

CAIR also congratulated Lebanese American Muslim Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi who fended off a challenge to continue being mayor. He was appointed to that post by the city council in January.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-11-03/l-a-mayor-eric-garcetti-tests-positive-for-covid-19

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced Wednesday morning.

Garcetti, who is fully vaccinated, “is feeling good and isolating in his hotel room,” according to a statement posted on Twitter.

The mayor is attending a United Nations conference on climate change in Glasgow, Scotland.