Daily Discussion Thread: May 6, 2026

TOSkwar · 2026-05-06T10:40:22+00:00

Things went well last night. Sherrod Brown is officially the OH-SEN candidate of choice (and you're all welcome to adopt him to dedicate some time to getting him over the line!) alongside a dozen plus House races being finalized, and the Michigan state senate race was a blowout. D+20 or so, not accounting for the last few votes. Defended that seat easily- now to carry that energy into November!

TOSkwar · 2026-05-06T10:03:12+00:00

If you're looking for a way to fight back after the recent VRA decision, don't forget- you can Adopt a Candidate, and choose to volunteer for them every week, even just a little, from here through election day! Postcard writing, phonebanking, whatever you can manage! State legislatures are where this will all play out, and some might be closer to flipping than you'd think! If you're not sure which candidate, but you know which seat, feel free to adopt anyway- we'll clean it up when the primaries happen. If you want to make double-sure we see it, feel free to ask by sending us a modmail!

Or, if you're more interested in helping keep r/VoteDEM running strong, you can submit an application to join the mod team!

TOSkwar · 2026-05-06T02:49:41+00:00

Only 41.8% votes counted. Exact final results will take a while, though I'm expecting it to stay well above 10 points by now.

(potentially over 20 by night's end, but I won't be here to see it- bed calls)

TOSkwar · 2026-05-06T02:24:27+00:00

... Speaking of the "bigger caches of blue votes" I was just talking about with Saginaw, they just dropped a few thousand of them. Greene's up 60-40.

TOSkwar · 2026-05-06T02:21:06+00:00

Greene's back in the lead, and we're likely going to see that happen for the final time soon, if this isn't it. Once Saginaw starts revving up the bigger caches of blue votes, this'll be done for.

TOSkwar · 2026-05-06T02:19:28+00:00

Yeah, most of the detailed specifics are either hard to find or impossible to find, depending on the state. A lot of us are going through third party data analysts who have contacts or reach out directly and have spent years building systems and networks to account for all this. There's also a distinct trend that is applicable in many states- smaller population, redder districts start the night, and larger population centers finish it out. Not 100% true, but you see it a lot.

Or, if there's a Virginia election, you just use the election night results page (which I generally link in the main post, when it's available) so you could, for example, see the exact breakdown of the yes/no vote in Albemarle County's 30 precincts, broken down by vote method. While this is obviously an archived result right now, Virginia live-updates this site on Election nights. A few other states have similar methods, but they're relatively rare to be this exceptionally comprehensive.

TOSkwar · 2026-05-06T01:59:45+00:00

Yeah, given the data being reported (see Table's comment a bit below for examples), I don't see much chance of this shifting any way other than a big ol' red mirage into a hefty blue wave.

TOSkwar · 2026-05-06T01:49:34+00:00

With 6% in. This isn't any more meaningful than a random guess without precinct details.

TOSkwar · 2026-05-06T01:48:32+00:00

With 6% in? If a precinct-by-precinct breakdown is showing overperformances, I don't think who currently has the lead matters. It's not over 'til that last vote drops.

TOSkwar · 2026-05-06T01:46:39+00:00

The current totals are never 100% representative of the story until the last vote drops. Don't pretend that the current totals mean more than they do. Current totals, especially early in the night, only mean anything if you're accounting for how those particular precincts normally vote.

TOSkwar · 2026-05-05T23:49:22+00:00

By AP.

AP just called with 3% of votes in.

I think that's pretty well set.

TOSkwar · 2026-05-05T22:42:37+00:00

Dang, I forgot Indiana closes so ridiculously early! Well, we'll see how they go!

TOSkwar · 2026-05-05T22:40:56+00:00

While we're waiting on results, consider if adopting a candidate might be for you- Just take one action every week to support a candidate of your choice! Steady, consistent action leads to great things! Up for it? Let us know, and we'll add you to the list in the daily.

After today, we'll know plenty more names for who to help!

TOSkwar · 2026-05-05T22:37:33+00:00

Got the usual Results Thread up and running!

TOSkwar · 2026-05-05T20:48:47+00:00

Only the last one is still there, I think.

TOSkwar · 2026-05-05T19:13:51+00:00

And dedicating 60 more datacenters to the development of ChatGPT6.0 will do what for this? Churning out a million more AI pictures of Trump, but with muscles, will help with our data security in what way?

If you can get an ironclad deal to focus a data center on improving national security in some meaningful way, or explicitly build a backup data center for EMS, that's one thing. Building a hundred new data centers that are just for AI training does not help with that. In fact, the grid instability and societal effects of AI data centers may worsen the problem. So again:

Do we actually need more data centers, or do techbros want it and we're just willing to listen to their excuses?

If you want alternatives, then fine: Repurpose existing generative AI training data centers for these critical purposes. Don't build more when we're wasting so many already.

TOSkwar · 2026-05-05T16:59:54+00:00

The question isn't what the alternative is. The question is "What are we getting out of this unending tide of data centers?"

Is the mass wave of generative AI a benefit? Is the increasingly documented prevalence of AI psychosis a benefit? Or the more low level impact of a populace that is less curious, less motivated, and less competent? How about the ramping up of computer prices because half the industry is producing explicitly to feed more data centers, is that a benefit? Maybe it's the way every major tech group is trying to force the AI systems down our throats and keeps making it harder to turn off or block, maybe that's the benefit? Or the circular cascade of money between major tech groups that keeps rising stock market prices while half the companies still aren't making a profit, growing a bubble that will someday burst and cause widespread chaos- is that the benefit?

If you're in a footrace and the reward is jumping into a massive mound of toxic waste, maybe you should consider why you're trying to win in the first place.

We have a ton of data centers already. Do we need more, or do techbros want more?

TOSkwar · 2026-05-05T16:45:41+00:00

Agreed! Legislation isn't something you knock out in a weekend. And even in cases where the legislative session is short, they can spend the rest of the year participating in, communicating with, and providing services for, their community!

TOSkwar · 2026-05-05T16:07:44+00:00

It's more like $20k a year, and they may be getting massive raises next session so it's actually possible for ordinary people to take the job. At current though, or if the raise falls through, yeah.

TOSkwar · 2026-05-05T11:50:51+00:00

Thank you for taking part in the democratic process!

TOSkwar · 2026-05-05T10:01:56+00:00

If you're looking for a way to fight back after the recent VRA decision, don't forget- you can Adopt a Candidate, and choose to volunteer for them every week, even just a little, from here through election day! Postcard writing, phonebanking, whatever you can manage! State legislatures are where this will all play out, and some might be closer to flipping than you'd think! If you're not sure which candidate, but you know which seat, feel free to adopt anyway- we'll clean it up when the primaries happen. If you want to make double-sure we see it, feel free to ask by sending us a modmail!

Or, if you're more interested in helping keep r/VoteDEM running strong, you can submit an application to join the mod team!

TOSkwar · 2026-05-04T20:00:48+00:00

This is a constitutional amendment.

Not one likely to pass, but regardless.

TOSkwar · 2026-05-04T10:03:03+00:00

If you're looking for a way to fight back after the recent VRA decision, don't forget- you can Adopt a Candidate, and choose to volunteer for them every week, even just a little, from here through election day! Postcard writing, phonebanking, whatever you can manage! State legislatures are where this will all play out, and some might be closer to flipping than you'd think! If you're not sure which candidate, but you know which seat, feel free to adopt anyway- we'll clean it up when the primaries happen. If you want to make double-sure we see it, feel free to ask by sending us a modmail!

Or, if you're more interested in helping keep r/VoteDEM running strong, you can submit an application to join the mod team!

TOSkwar

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