What the Voters Want Vs. What They Get

The representation in Congress is rigged against the will of the voters.

First: The United States Senate.

The United States Senate is currently divided with 53 Republican Senators, 45 Democratic, and 2 Independents (Bernie Sanders, VT, and Angus King, ME) who caucus with the Democrats.

All but one of the Senators have been elected; McSally of AZ was appointed.

I put together an Excel sheet with the vote counts for the winners and losers for each of the United State Senators in their most recent election, i.e., the one that got the current sitting Senator elected. I only looked at the top two vote-getters. On occasion, Democrats and Republicans scored third or even fourth place with Independents, and in one instance, Libertarian filling in the top two spots. Narrowing the count to the top two vote-getters did little to change the numbers and percentages and saved a lot of work. Yes, there would have been independents and libertarians coming in third place.

First question: How many votes did the candidates of a particular party receive (as winners or losers)?

A total of 217,371,702 votes were cast for the top two vote-getting candidate in the elections that decided the current Senate. If two-hundred million plus votes sounds like a lot, it is due to the fact that the two senators mean each state votes twice, doubling the total.

Of the 99 elected members of the Senate, the cumulative votes that the Democratic candidates received in their last election (2014-2018) is 121,697,598 (56.0%). The corresponding number for the Republicans is 94,686,683 (43.6%). The Independents (two winning and two losing) received an additional 896,596 votes (0.4%). One second-place Libertarian candidate (AK) received 90,825 (0.04%).

The discrepancy between the numbers of Democrats receiving votes and the number elected is due to the fact that in populous states Dems either win large (California, New York), or lose small (Cruz in Texas (50.9%) and Scott in Florida (50.1%). Republicans win big in many of the low population states.

A slightly different question is: How many votes did the winners get among those who currently occupy the Senate? The Republicans received 57,432,949 (45.5%) and the Democrats 68,240,158 (54.1%). The Independents received 528,244 (0.4%).

 
A Different Analysis.

Using 2017 Census Figure estimates, the fifty states have a population of 325,025,206.

District of Columbia and U.S. territories (with no voting representation) have an additional 6,100,189.

The Senate has 18 states represented by two Democrats (2D). Total population: 143,129,375 (average state pop: 7,951,631)

There are 22 Republican-only states (2R). (22 of them) Population: 129,312,117 (average state pop: 5,877,826)

There are 8 Democrat-Republican split states (1 D, 1 R): Pop: 50,624,150

There is 1 Democrat-Independent state (Vermont) (1D, 1I): Pop: 623,567

There is 1 Republican-Independent split state (Maine) (1R, 1I): 1,335,907

Giving Republicans, Democrats and Independents 1/2 the population of split states and the full population of non-split states:

Democratic Senators represent: 168,753,234 (51.9%)

Republican Senators represent: 155,292,145 (47.8%)

Independent Senators represent: 979,737 (0.3%)

The Independents caucus with the Democrats, so that makes an adjusted 52.2% Democrats and 47.8% Republicans.

Continue reading →

Seth Bullock and the Stolen Election.

In response to the Deadwood movie being released on HBO on May 31, I have been posting newspaper stories from the early years of Deadwood. Here are links to parts #I, #II, #III, and #IV. 

Today I will look at the disputed election of 1878. 

Seth Bullock had been appointed Lawrence County sheriff in 1877. By court order, the office required an election, and in November, 1878 Bullock was the nominee for the Republican party ticket. His opponent was John Manning, Democrat, then sheriff of Lead City. The Democratic party in Lawrence County at that time was known for being corrupt.

As noted before, the Black Hills Daily Pioneer championed Bullock's candidacy, "Seth Bullock's long experience in discharging the duties of the office, both in Montana and Dakota, render him entirely competent and equal to any emergency," and portrayed Manning as a coward. "The sheriff [Manning] in person pursued according to our gentleman who witnessed the whole proceeding, in a manner best calculated to aid the escape of the robbers." (Black Hills Daily Pioneer, October 27, 1878, p. 4.)

In an election day article as to "How they [the candidates] feel about now, the Pioneer said with customary pomposity and lack of clarity, "Seth Bullock's vote will take the mote from evil eyes whose planning will only seem to turn the beam away from Johnny Manning." The paper predicted, "Bullock's majority will surprise the minority."

The loser?

"Perishing gloomily,
Spurred by contumely,
Poor, weak humanity,
Tripped by insanity,
    This is his fate;
With hands crossed humbly,
As if praying dumbly,
    The crushed candidate."

(Black Hills Daily Pioneer, November 5, 1878, p. 4.)

1884 Map of the Lawrence County region surrounding Deadwood. Sturgis is to the east.

The preliminary results of the election were reported in the Black Hills Daily Pioneer, November 7th, pages 3 and 4.

At that time the election stood at Seth Bullock 1874 and John Manning 1941 with some ballots outstanding from Deadwood Precinct. Several oddities appeared in the precinct by precinct breakdown.

Partial returns from Galena showed Bullock losing 55 to 62. The final returns had Bullock losing 35 to 62, with 20 of Bullock's votes gone.

Partial returns from Rochford precinct showed Bullock leading by 45 votes. The final returns had Bullock winning, 31 to 22.
 
According to he paper, in South Deadwood, all of the votes were counted with the exception of "172 scratched republican tickets. "

And from the Sturgis City Precinct: John Manning 73, Seth Bullock 0.

Sturgis City, had been around for two years. It was originally named "Scoop City" for scooping up all of the business from nearby Fort Meade. Not only did Bullock fail to garner a vote, the voters were also unanimous for other Democratic candidates. The reports (mentioned below) painted this as corruption.

The final tabulations were presented in the November 9th edition of the Black Hills Pioneer. Seth Bullock 2446, John Manning 2485, with Manning winning by 39 votes.

Yankton, about 400 miles from Deadwood, was at that time the capitol of the Dakota Territories. They noted the claims of cheating.

Daily press and Dakotaian, Wednesday, November 13, 1878, Yankton, SD, p. 2:

STURGIS PRECINCT FRAUDS.

Deadwood Times 7th.

If half the reports are true regarding the repeating, stuffing and illegal voting at Sturgis, that precinct will be counted out. It is said soldiers and transcient [sic] bullwhackers voted there as though they had been born on the spot forty years ago, and that some of the rounders voted early, often and late as though they had a license to do so.

Sandy, the Sturgis hack driver between Deadwood and that city says he saw one man cast three ballots within one hour, and can swear to it. Other parties, whose names we did not learn, report seeing the same thing done by other villains in that camp, and there is probably no doubt as to the truth of the existence of this demoralized condition of affairs at Sturgis on last Tuesday.

Seth Bullock was elected sheriff on Tuesday by the legal and qualified voters of Lawrence county, and the republican party should see to it that he is not defrauded out of his office by fraudulent and illegal votes. The election at Sturgis City was a swindle and faror, [sic] and there is enough evidence of a positive and direct and unquestioned character to throw the vote of that precinct out.

The severest penalties of the law should be applied and an example made of that precinct that will teach repeaters and illegal voters a lesson that will deter them hereafter from interfering to prevent the free and legal choice by the people of their county officials.


-----

Back in Lawrence County, the Republican party requested a recount.

Black Hills Daily Pioneer, Tuesday, November 12, 1878, p. 1:

A Recount Asked For.

During the progress of the official canvass of election returns, yesterday, B.C. Wheeler, Esq., presented a petition asking a recount of the votes cast in Central, Golden Gate, and Lead precincts. Also a petition accompanied by four affidavits praying that the precinct of Sturgis city be thrown out.

------
The request was denied. Later that month, Bullock visited Yankton.

Daily press and Dakotaian, Saturday, November 23, 1878, Yankton, SD, p. 5:

Seth Bullock, of Deadwood, arrived last night from the Hills, and will remain for a few days. In reply to enquiries upon the subject, Mr. Bullock confirms our previous conclusions that the republican county and legislative tickets in Lawrence county were defeated by fraudulent proceedings on election day.

------

Manning would be defeated in 1880 and would win a second term as Lawrence County sheriff in 1882. Seth Bullock never again ran for office. 

Next entry: Some correspondences and dispatches from early Deadwood.

Continue reading →