To the average American citizen, the time between election day and opening day seems to be a time of rest after all the energy and effort to vote. But there is a complete checklist of things to do before the inauguration of the next president. Let’s divide all the steps of transfer of power of the President into three main steps.

“Planning stage”

Before election day, starting in April or May, transition team members are assembled. The team met with members of Congress to work with the current administration, the General Services Administration, the Office of Government Ethics, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Office of Personnel Management to set goals and prepare plans for transition.

“Change phase”

Counting is done after the election day (and recounted if necessary) and each state certifies their results. Under the Electoral Count Act, all states must meet a deadline where all votes are counted, disputes are resolved, and the Electoral College vote is declared the winner.

Elections are held on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. Voters meet in their respective states to cast their ballots for the presidency and send the results to Washington. The new Congress will be sworn in at noon on January 3, before the official counting of votes.

According to the official guidelines for proceedings on the Senate floor, “the Senate follows a well-established routine on the opening day of a new congress. Procedures include swearing in of senators elected or re-elected in recent general elections (approximately one-third of the Senate) or newly appointed to the convening Senate;

• To establish the presence of a quorum
• Administrative decision making
• Adoption of permanent order of the new Congress
• Bills and joint resolutions may begin to be enacted on a date agreed upon by consensus, excluding the date of assembly.
• In the event of a vacancy or a change in party control, a new president and one or more Senate officials will be elected temporarily. “

The President of the Senate (aka the Vice President) then leads a special session with members of Congress to count the electoral votes. There are 538 electoral votes and a candidate must win at least 270 votes. Each vote will be counted in alphabetical order by two nominees, each from the House and Senate. The president of the Senate announces the long numbers and listens to any objections.

At the same time, the transition team can work within these 75 days. The main activities during this period (described in the Presidential Transition Guide) include “staffing of the White House and agencies; deploying agency review teams to inspect the agency; formulating a policy and management agenda and schedule for the president-elect; and implementing the new president’s priorities.” Identify the key talent needed for.

“Handover stage”

The next president will be sworn in at noon on January 20. At this stage, the new administration identifies the President’s top priorities and finalizes the staff and employers who will work to achieve these immediate goals. It is estimated that more than 4,000 politicians will be recruited.

The importance of peaceful passage

The peaceful transfer of power from one administration to another is a long-standing American tradition. When George Washington voluntarily relinquished his presidency, it established an uninterrupted practice of delegating power to presidents after losing an election.

On a practical level, there is a need to transfer power within the administration because the federal government of the United States is one of the largest agencies. Transferring control to this level is quite complex. Without adequate relocation – especially in the case of national security briefings – the country’s security is at risk.

Symbolically, when the president relinquishes power after a loss, it implies that the will of the electorate truly rules the country. The refusal to acknowledge poses a threat to the confidence of American citizens in the government, which is already in question after a series of cases of voter repression and confusion over the importance of the vote. A peaceful transition strengthens the people’s faith in the democratic process.

Read about new and re-elected officials in Voterley. You’ll find past work experience, campaign finance, and (#Comingsun!) Outlined politician profiles where candidates stand on important issues such as climate change, healthcare, and gun rights.

The transfer of power to the president, explained, was originally published in Voterly on Medium, where people continue the conversation by highlighting the story and reacting.

Last year was one of the political conflicts in America, especially for the black community. From a deadly epidemic to escalating violence against minorities, the Black Lives Matter movement has gained great momentum toward the recognition of a defined date in the history of Black America. On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed a new U.S. federal holiday law, Juventus National Independence Day. Every year the holiday is celebrated on June 19, commemorating the day of the liberation of slaves in Texas, the last and largest state in the Union to enforce slavery. This day has been celebrated in the black community for decades, but will now be shared with the rest of the country as a celebration among Americans.

The first federal holidays were established by Congress in 1870, granting pay time for federal workers on New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Ten years later, George Washington’s birthday was added, followed by Decoration Day (now Memorial Day) and Labor Day. In the early 1900’s, Armistice Day was added (now Veterans Day), followed by Opening Day which is celebrated only in the District of Columbia, then Columbus Day. The most recent holiday was the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., another milestone in American black history. However, like Juntinth, it went a long way to gaining recognition as a civil rights leader. The controversy lasted for 15 years, with proposals honoring Dr. King’s memory flooding the country since his assassination in 1968. However, the bill fell short of four votes, failing to secure a two-thirds majority. Speed ​​increases and the campaign to recognize Dr. King increases. The House reconsidered the matter on August 2, 1983, and finally passed legislation that would make the third Monday in January a federal holiday in his honor. Then the long debate in the Senate began before the bill was passed in October. President Reagan signed the bill into law in November 1983.

After 38 years, Junting National Independence Day has been established. The holiday was on June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and free all slaves. Although President Abraham Lincoln announced his release two years earlier, on January 1, 1863, he did so in the midst of the American Civil War. Although this was the first step in freeing all slaves, it would become a process in later years. After the Union won the war in April ’65, a few months later, federal troops regained control and implemented what President Lincoln had announced two and a half years earlier. The celebration took place immediately among the recently released slaves, but not without exception. Violence by whites against blacks has been going on for years, especially in the southern states. Celebrations continued into the 20th century. Black people treated the day as the 4th of July, with small incidents in communities across the country. Some events in the early 1900’s will include speakers, a prayer service, liberation reading lessons, games, rodeo and dancing. In many parts of Texas, free men and women will even purchase land as a “field of liberation.” The celebration of Juventus declined during the Second World War in the mid-1900s, when the civil rights movement began. In the 1970s, the holiday was revived in some communities across Texas, prompting the Houston Democrat, Al Edwards, to propose a June 19 holiday in the state of Texas. The law was passed by the state legislature in 1979, and was signed into law by Governor Clements Jr. Since then, 48 states and Washington, D.C., have declared Juntinth a holiday, but only a few have recently recognized it as a pay holiday for state employees. .

According to the Congressional Research Service, technically there is no such thing as a national holiday, where all 50 states are tied together for a holiday these days. The precedent, instead, is to declare federal leave for Congress and the President where only federal workers are affected. States are then left to establish their own version of memory. However, most states recognize these federal holidays as their own, creating a national dialogue around what is being honored. That feeling motivated many black activists to fight for federal recognition of Juntinth. It has taken decades to create, but the cause has really gained momentum after the violence against the black community last year. Soon after the death of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, Texas Senator John Corinne and Texas Representative Sheila Jackson raised a bill to declare Juntinth a holiday. 155 years after the first celebration and 41 years after Texas declared a state holiday. The US Senate unanimously voted to declare June 19th, Juventus National Independence Day. One day later, on June 17, 2021, the House of Representatives voted 415-14 in agreement with the Senate, and President Biden signed the law.

This historic law is an example that the representatives you vote for can have a lasting effect on our country. Juventus will not only be a holiday for federal workers, it will be a day of conversation, reflection and celebration. Which will continue for the next few decades.

The History of Federal Holidays and the Road to Juventus was originally published in Voterly on Medium, where people continue the conversation by highlighting the story and reacting.

Where do politicians stand on issues like abortion, climate change and gun control? – Take a look at the latest features of Voterly

It is easy to assume the best among the political leaders of your party – assuming that a politician of your party must have the same values. These assumptions make it so easy for candidates to vote on party lines in elections without further research. The new feature of VoterLe does research for you, so that you can quickly find the truth of a candidate’s position and vote based on it.

In order to encourage users to vote on the basis of values ​​rather than party affiliation, the Voterly’s Issue feature informs you of a politician’s position on the issues under discussion.

Problem properties have been explained

With Voterly’s new issue feature, you can go to a politician’s profile and see where they stand on up to 30 different topics. Clicking on an issue will reveal a scale with labels for both sides of the argument. For example, in the case of abortion, one end of the spectrum is labeled “abortion rights” while the other end is labeled “abortion restriction”. It will be placed somewhere along the scale to show where politicians are positioned on this issue.

The following topics are currently live on Voterly.

• Abortion
• Campaign Finance
• Climate change
• Contraceptives
• Criminal justice
• Drug policy
• Foreign policy
• Free trade
• Gun rights
• Healthcare
• Housing assistance
• Immigration
• Labor Council
• LGBTQ rights
• Medicare
• Military intervention
• National debt
• Net neutrality
• Policing
• Universal education
• Ethnic justice
• Regulations
• Religious freedom
• Social Security
• Student loan
• Taxes
• Suffrage
• Welfare

Location calculation

So how does Voterley determine the rating of a politician on every subject?

Each issue contains a set of interest groups representing one side or the other of the argument. For example, in the gun rights issue, gun rights interest groups include:

• National Rifle Association (NRA)
• American gun owner
• National Shooting Sports Foundation
• Eagle Forum.

Interest groups for gun control include:

• Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Each mission of this group is to advocate for their cause at both the local and federal levels. Keeping their goals in mind, these interest groups publish annual ratings of politicians, basically grading politicians to see how much better they serve their purpose. By setting an example of gun rights, NRA Representative Jim Jordan could be highly valued because he actively voted against gun control legislation in the House of Representatives.

Voterly is able to collect these ratings and then display them as transparently as possible If the politician is rated as a pro-gun right, you will see the first scale that shows the average rating from the pro.Gun rights Selfish party. The second scale that users will see is the average rating from ProGun control Group Voterly will then average those two scores to create an overall rating for those politicians. Users can dive deeper if they like to see the ratings of each of the politicians, individual interest groups.

The calculations may seem complicated, but so Voterly has come up with an enjoyable and efficient display. Start exploring the problem by searching for politicians Here!

What’s next for the issue feature?

This is just the beginning of the latest feature of Voterley. We plan to expand this tool to make it more interactive and informative.

After all, Voterly will not only count the position of a politician on an issue, it will also count your position as a voter! After selecting the issues that matter most to you, and then answering in-depth questions about each one, Voterly will be able to compare your position against a politician. This rating will be displayed next to any politician, so you can see See How well you both deal with the most important issues.

Voterley’s vision is to help modern Americans make quick and informed voting decisions when using technology to do this. We hope you will follow to create the insightful, interactive political database needed for 21st century politics. To stay up to date on our issue features and much more, follow us on Medium and subscribe to our email newsletter!

Where do politicians stand on issues like abortion, climate change and gun control? Originally published in Voterly on Medium, where people continue the conversation by highlighting the story and reacting.

After a year like 2020, it is normal to want to take a political breath. Most of us have a laid back attitude when it comes to painting a picture about politics, politics and candidates. Yet the cycle does not stop. Although federal elections do not take place during the year, city and state elections can take place depending on the election schedule or whether a representative has left office. Participating in off-year elections is just as important and arguably more influential because they affect anyone close to home. They have the power to influence the daily life of a voter and to set the course for the upcoming midterm and general election cycle.

With the exception of some special elections, the election of the year takes place on Tuesday after the first Monday in November, just like the general election cycle. This makes the election date for 2021, November 2nd. Although hundreds of local elections will be held across the country, 10 elections will be held across the state, including 2 governorates, and 1 for the US House of Representatives seats.

What a race to see

Virginia Governorate Elections

The Virginia race for governor replaces Ralph Northam, a high-profile, term-limited governor. Currently, the state is completely controlled by Democrats, and Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe is likely to remain so if he confirms the governorship. However, he is running against popular Republican candidate Glenn Yankin, who is known to support President Trump and is trying to keep appealing to more moderate voters in the state. According to a recent survey, this election could be very close and certainly worth a look.

Things that Virginia voters will consider

Since securing control of the State House of Delegates, Senate, and Governorship, the Virginia Democrats have made some progress in policy reform, primarily expanding voter access. In this race for governor, the issue of voter rights versus electoral integrity has become a contentious issue, with the state becoming the easiest to vote for. At the beginning of his campaign, Yunkin expressed concern for the integrity of the election and called for the creation of an “Election Integrity Commission”. McAuliffe’s campaign also addresses this issue, claiming that the current audit method is sufficient to ensure the integrity of the election.

Following the 2020 presidential election, a Politico poll found that 70% of Republicans believe the election was not free and fair. Since this has become a national conversation, Virginia voters are sure to consider this issue when going to the polls.

Ohio Special Election for the US House of Representatives

The race will be competitive for Ohio’s 15th district, as the district is rather divided by party lines. Although Ohio is generally a red state, the 15th District is known to be less conservative. Trump-backed candidate Mike Kerry will run against Democrat Allison Rousseau. Although winning this seat will not change House party control, it will indicate what to expect from Ohio in the mid-2022 term.

It’s a tough fight for Rousseau, but he and other Democrats are hoping for a 2018 victory for Democratic Senator Sherd Brown in the 15th District. Anything is possible and both sides see this competition as an opportunity to build momentum towards the ’22 midterm ‘.

Things that Ohio voters will consider

Republican Kerry’s platform highlights controversial issues such as critical race theory and abortion. Both the 2020 protests against police brutality and the recent abortion laws in the states are highly relevant. He also advertised his approval of Trump, citing it throughout his campaign and on his merchandise. These tactics prove that President Trump has influence over the Republicans, however, with the more moderate voters in the district can block him.

Pennsylvania Judicial Election

States across the country will elect state judges who will have the power to interpret the law. While these elections tend to get less media coverage, they have the potential to change the course of a state’s law. Judges either overturn or set a precedent for each case they face. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the Superior Court, and the Commonwealth Court all have vacancies that will be filled on November 2.

Judicial races in Pennsylvania are high profile because their courts played an influential role after the 2020 presidential election. The Commonwealth court was the first to deal with Trump’s campaign case, contesting state elections. Seven Republican judges were in favor of President Trump, a decision confirming that the no-excuse vote-by-mail violated the state constitution. When the cases went to the state Supreme Court, they were overturned These decisions influenced the outcome of the presidential election, and demonstrated the immense power of the judiciary, even at the state level.

Things that Pennsylvania voters will consider

Pennsylvania courts have been controversial in recent years. Voters are keeping an eye on the future of the election, with decisions on garimandering, voter law and Trump campaign lawsuits.

Boston mayoral election

Whatever the outcome, Boston’s mayoral race is sure to be historic. If both candidates win, they will be the first woman and the first person to be elected mayor of Boston. Although they are both Democrats, Michelle Woo and Anissa S.B. George have a lot to worry about. The race has become more competitive, with some calling it a “progressive-versus-moderate conflict.” Wu is currently the most advanced who has been identified as more progressive, while SIB George has claimed a moderate approach.

Things that Boston voters will consider

One of the biggest issues between U and SB George is police reform. SEB George has set himself apart from all other candidates by rejecting the idea of ​​reducing police funding. Rather, he spoke in favor of recruiting more diverse teams of officers to address the problem of police brutality. Wu condemned the move, citing his support for defending the police force. They also discussed hot topics such as rent control, school and testing methods, climate change and public transport. Again, even though they belong to the same group, they have shown complete differences in their approach to solving each problem.

Things that voters across the country will consider

Although some races gained more traction, there were several hundred more races at the local level on November 2nd. Given Pew Research’s poll and national conversations with Google Trends data, it’s clear that voters have the following issues on their minds when it comes to this year’s election.

• Abortion
• Budget
• Climate change
• Covid regulations
• Criminal justice
• Electoral reform
• Healthcare
• Housing
• Medicaid
• Pension
• Policing
• Racism
• Redistricting
• Transportation

Find out where the candidates stand on the subject you care about

With Voterly’s new issue feature, you can go to a politician’s profile and see if they’re up to 30 different topics, including many listed above! Find candidates on your ballot using our Browse Politician tool and view their profiles to find out which issues are most important to them. From there, you can click on each, individual issue to see the position of politicians based on a calculation of group ratings of interest.

To learn more about our most interactive features, take a closer look at our previous blog Happy voting!

The issues that voters will consider in the 2021 off-year elections were originally published in Voterly on Medium, where people continue the conversation by highlighting the story and reacting.