A 100% increase in searches for "voter intimidation" in my city (Seattle) is interesting. I'd love additional context on who is searching for that (i.e. is it the intimidators or the fearful?)
Nonetheless, this seems like the beginning of an interesting tool. What would it take to do some sort of fuzzy matching on related searches, like broken voting machines for voting machine problems? I suppose you could wait for a related term to breach a threshold and begin tracking it with related terms.
It could also be people who had a /wonderful/ easy voting experience, and heard from some guy who reads HN that 'voter intimidation' was a trending search term, so decided to search and see what the fuss was about...
Given that Washington State is all mail-in, I doubt we're seeing a lot of actual voter intimidation! I'm also in Seattle, and dropped my ballot off at one of three drop-off points. There were some nice people in smocks there who thanked me for voting.
This. I don't understand the whole going to a location to vote on two dozen things that I probably don't know well enough versus reading a pamphlet and taking an hour or so to fill it out at my leisure.
Seriously why do we have voting places anymore? Just do it all by mail.
I don't understand the whole going to a location to vote on two dozen things that I probably don't know well enough versus reading a pamphlet and taking an hour or so to fill it out at my leisure.
You're doing it wrong. Before you go to vote, do all of that stuff you listed after the word "versus". Instead of marking a ballot, just write it down on a piece of paper. Bring that paper with you when you vote. Worked well for me during 30 years of going to a polling place.
Me, as a Washington resident, I miss going to the polling place. I dunno, I just liked the whole physical process of going to our designated place, mingling with my neighbors and fellow citizens...and going into work late because you wouldn't dare ding me for voting. Because you don't hate democracy...do you? Now voting is just more paperwork I have to do, along with rebalancing my 401K and filling out those insurance forms I've been putting off.
"Rural Right Wing Nuts Challenging Voter Credentials" , "Urban Left Wing Maniacs Handing out Booze for Votes" and "Voting Machines Problems" are staple news stories on Election Day in America.
Just regular people scared by media propaganda. That would be my guess. Exactly like the other items in the list. 'Long lines' doesn't mean people forming long lines are searching for it.
Nonetheless, this seems like the beginning of an interesting tool. What would it take to do some sort of fuzzy matching on related searches, like broken voting machines for voting machine problems? I suppose you could wait for a related term to breach a threshold and begin tracking it with related terms.