(The Economic Collapse Blog)—We should be so thankful for vigilant election officials that are trying to do a great job of protecting the integrity of our system. The incidents that I am about to share with you are deeply disturbing, but it is also encouraging that these crimes are being caught. We should all be able to agree that the American people should be able to choose who they want in 2024.
No matter which side wins or which side loses, the will of the American people should be respected. Sadly, there are those that wish to interfere in that process, and those people are committing crimes against all of us.
In Colorado, some ballots that were “intercepted” before reaching voters were filled out and mailed in. The following comes from the Colorado Secretary of State’s official website…
The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office is monitoring a developing situation in Mesa County, Colorado regarding intercepted ballots.
On Tuesday, October 23, the Department of State learned that at least 12 ballots appear to have been intercepted before reaching voters. Those ballots were voted and then returned to the Mesa County Clerk and Recorder via USPS mailboxes. This issue was flagged during Colorado’s secure signature verification process.
Several of the affected voters contacted the Mesa County Clerk’s office after receiving communication that their ballot required curing due to a discrepant signature. One affected voter notified the Mesa County Clerk after they received notification through BallotTrax that their ballots had been received for processing by the Mesa County Clerk. BallotTrax is Colorado’s statewide tracking and notification system that lets voters who’ve signed up know where their ballot is.
If 12 of these ballots were caught, how many others slipped through without notice?
Colorado is a state that could play a significant role in the outcome of this election. In early voting, Democrats have a lead of less than 3 percent in votes cast so far, and so the state could still go either way.
On Friday, I shared a story with my core supporters about a crime that is far, far worse than what is being reported in Colorado.
Pennsylvania is the most important swing state in this election, and the Lancaster Board of Elections has announced that “thousands of suspected fraudulent voter registrations” have been caught in that county alone…
A criminal investigation has been launched after thousands of suspected fraudulent voter registrations were discovered in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania.
The Lancaster County Board of Elections announced Friday that staff members identified 2,500 suspected fraudulent voter registration applications, which had been dropped off at the election office.
Some had false names, suspicious handwriting, questionable signatures, incorrect addresses or other problematic details.
Whoever is behind this scheme should be put in prison for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, it appears that this isn’t just happening in Lancaster County.
In fact, it is being reported that “similar applications” have been received by two other counties in Pennsylvania…
Two other Pennsylvania counties ‘received similar applications’ and were notified to check into them, Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams said at a news conference. She declined to name the other counties.
Why aren’t the big news networks making a big deal out of this?
When you mess with the vote, you are messing with every single American. In such a close race, a little monkey business can go a long way. At the moment, the early voting results look much different than they did last time around.
During the early voting period in 2020, the Democrats built up a lead of more than 14 percent in votes cast…
- Democrats 22,250,979 44.8%
- Republicans 15,168,587 30.5%
- Minor 337,192 0.7%
- No Party Affiliation 11,912,722 24.0%
But here in 2024, the Democrats have a lead of less than 4 percent when mail ballots and in-person early voting are combined…
- Democrat 8,248,007 40.0%
- Republican 7,466,403 36.2%
- None/Minor 4,898,844 23.8%
This would appear to be really good news for the Trump campaign.
And things look even better for the Trump campaign when you look at some of the individual swing states.
For example, Democrats built up a 4 point lead in Nevada during early voting in 2020…
- Democrats 445,351 39.7%
- Republicans 400,248 35.6%
- No Party Affiliation/Minr 277,371 24.7%
So far in 2024, it is a completely different story in the state, because Republicans have built up a lead of more than 5 percent at this point…
- Democrat 213,331 34.8%
- Republican 244,453 39.9%
- None/Minor 154,700 25.3%
A similar thing is taking place in Arizona. In 2020, Democrats narrowly cast more votes than Republicans did during early voting…
- Democrats 923,805 37.4%
- Republicans 914,172 37.0%
- Minor/No Party Affiliation 633,600 25.6%
But this time Republicans have jumped out to a huge lead in Arizona…
- Democrat 443,598 35.1%
- Republican 530,604 42.0%
- None/Minor 289,921 22.9%
I want to stress that we do not know who any of these people are voting for at this stage.
But it is clear that Republicans are doing a much better job at getting people to participate in early voting than they did four years ago.
During the month of October, Donald Trump has been surging in the polls, but to me the early voting numbers are far more important than the poll numbers.
With each passing day, the early voting numbers have been getting better and better for the Republicans, and I think that many top Democrats are justifiably beginning to panic.
But we still have more than a week to go until we reach Election Day, and as we have seen in the past, anything can still happen.
So buckle up and hold on tight, because things could potentially get really crazy this week.
And no matter who wins, there are going to be tens of millions of Americans that will feel absolutely devastated.
In fact, a Wall Street Journal poll just found that a whopping 87 percent of all U.S. voters “believe America will suffer permanent damage if their candidate loses”…
In a Wall Street Journal poll released last week, 87% of voters said they believe America will suffer permanent damage if their candidate loses. Among Harris’s voters, 57% said they would feel “frightened” if Trump is elected, while 47% of Trump voters said they would feel frightened if Harris wins; smaller percentages expected to feel the milder reactions of anger or disappointment. At least half of voters said they think violence is likely if either Trump or Harris wins, and 53% say America’s divisions will keep growing regardless of the election’s outcome.
For a long time, I have been warning that tremendous chaos would be coming to the streets of America.
Now we are almost there.
At this moment, both sides still believe that their candidate will emerge victorious.
But November 5th is right around the corner, and when the results are finally announced there will be millions upon millions of people that will be deeply upset and deeply angry.
Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
