[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Wonder if Washington is thinking about conditions that might be justified to automatically postpone an election?
And for how Long?

[DBrow]

An actual attack that shut down or postponed a national election would have to be one heck of an attack.

OTOH, a mere rumor of an anthrax attack at a polling place may be sufficient in spreading panic and reducing participation, and the government would not respond quickly enough to matter. Of course, our media outlets would have to cooperate with the terrorists- no way would they do that to oust Bush.

[AntiGuv]

That question has already been answered resoundingly by the Supreme Court, in ex parte Milligan (1866).

"Martial law ... destroys every guarantee of the Constitution."

"Civil liberty and this kind of martial law cannot endure together; the antagonism is irreconcilable; and, in the conflict, one or the other must perish."

"If, in foreign invasion or civil war, the courts are actually closed, and it is impossible to administer criminal justice according to law, then, on the theatre of active military operations, where war really prevails, there is a necessity to furnish a substitute for the civil authority, thus overthrown, to preserve the safety of the army and society; and as no power is left but the military, it is allowed to govern by martial rule until the laws can have their free course. As necessity creates the rule, so it limits its duration; for, if this government is continued after the courts are reinstated, it is a gross usurpation of power. Martial rule can never exist where the courts are open, and in the proper and unobstructed exercise of their jurisdiction. It is also confined to the locality of actual war."

Presumably, an election may be similarly suspended only in the event that it is impossible to conduct the election. From that moment, the government authority will no longer be exercised under the auspices of the U.S. Constitution.

[spald]

"Wonder if Washington is thinking about conditions that might be justified to automatically postpone an election?"

Ernest, I've read and appreciated your comments for a long time now and even have received FRmails from you concerning certain posts of mine. I can't believe you could state this so callously.

We are at war with global terrorism and this type of questioning of the intentions of our president and the current administration is quite severe.

You trolling?

[metesky]

Get hold of yourself, Ernest.
:O)

We haven't cancelled elections yet, including 1864 when a Confederate Army was camped about forty miles from D.C.

[texasflower]

The elections should have been postponed in Spain. Those people were in too much pain to make really good choices.

[freedom moose]

your post reminded me (that doesn't mean i'm agreeing with it) of something that i heard today several times. there is a lefty rumor circulating that says that the PP tried to call off the elections on Saturday and then tried on Sunday to have the reuslts discounted. It's gaining momentum over the internet and being discussed here on the radio.
p.s. ping Libius