What time is it? It's time to Vote!
ZWF #39: Sunday, November 6, 2022
The calendar has turned to November, and with that comes the end of the 2022 election season. Election Day is this Tuesday, and Americans will be heading to the polls to decide the future of the United States.
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, everything you need to know about Election Day in the United States, and a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Plus, a compilation of the top news and sports headlines from the past week.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 81 features Zander’s fact-filled preview of the 2022 Midterm Elections! Zander’s got all the facts you need on what the most competitive races are, what the polls and forecasts are saying, and what the top issues voters are thinking about are this year. Before you go to vote on Tuesday, you’ve got to listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Go download and listen to the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Zander’s Weekend Facts is here to give you the facts about what has been going on in the world around us this past week. You’ll just have to read these facts, instead of listening to them on the Zander’s Facts podcast.
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, November 6, 2022:
Election Day is Tuesday, November 8
The time has come for Americans to head to the polls once again. Election Day is this Tuesday, and voters will make major decisions about who they want representing them in Congress, their state governments, along with many other decisions voters have to make.
If you want to learn all about how to vote and what’s on the ballot this year, then you’re in luck. Zander’s Weekend Facts is here to bring you a guide on everything you need to know about voting this year.
To begin, make sure you are registered to vote. If you already are, that’s great! But if not, make sure you are a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, and comply with your state’s registration requirements. You will register with your state’s election officials.
You technically have three options to vote in most of the country. To vote before Election Day, you can request a mail ballot or vote in-person early at a designated polling location. However, since Election Day is only two days away, your best bet right now is to vote in-person on Election Day. Your local government can provide you information on where exactly you will be able to fill out a ballot in-person.
There is a lot on the ballot, and what will be on your ballot depends on where you live. 2022 is a Midterm Election year, meaning the President is not on the ballot, but a whole lot of other races are.
This year, 35 U.S. Senate seats and all 435 U.S. House of Representative seats are up for grabs in the United States Congress. Depending on the state you vote in, there may not be a Senate election on the ballot, but everyone will be voting in a House election, no matter your location.
Additionally, there are 36 governorships, 30 lieutenant governorships, 30 attorney general seats, and 27 secretary of state seats up for grabs in states across the country. 88 of the 99 state legislative chambers are also on the ballot this year, with other statewide races such as judges and downballot executive positions also on the ballot. You’ve also got many ballot measures, including some on abortion and marijuana in several states.
And that doesn’t even mention all the local races happening in the many cities, counties, towns, parishes, districts, etc.
To summarize, there are lots of elections that will show up on the ballot this year, and they are all extremely important. But to get full analysis of the most important Congressional and Gubernatorial races this year, check out this past week’s edition of the Zander’s Facts Podcast:
That’s a lot of information, and you might be overwhelmed. However, I have just the source to help guide you on your voting journey.
It’s tagline, Everything You Need to Vote, is extremely accurate. On this site, you can check if you are registered to vote, and if not, find where you can register. You can also find the polling place you need to go to to vote on Tuesday, and what exactly will be on your ballot. It’s one of the greatest sources of information we have on the internet, so definitely go check it out!
But to wrap up this Zander’s Facts Voting Guide, I just wanted to remind you all for the final time, TO VOTE!!! AS citizens of the greatest country on earth, the United States of America, the right to vote and express our opinion is just that, not a privilege, a right. There are many countries on this planet where that right is non-existent and there are actively people working in this country to make sure the U.S.A becomes one of those. In this election, and all the elections that you can, express your right, express your voice, and VOTE!! It’s one of the greatest things about being an American. Never forget that, especially if you are thinking about skipping out this year. No matter whether it’s for President, Congress, Governor, State Legislature, or your local City, County, Town, District, Parish, whatever elections. YOUR VOTE MATTERS!!!
Election Day is Tuesday, November 8. Make sure you vote! Be there, or be square.
What Zander’s been reading this week
Hopefully you set your clocks back, because today marks the end of daylight saving time in the United States. Talk of ending the twice-annual time change has picked up in recent years, but the question is, should we go to standard time or daylight saving time permanently? Turns out, there are studies showing how both options have benefits.
Check out this week’s featured articles on USA Today - Making daylight saving permanent could save more than 30,000 deer every year, study suggests (Link for article on Apple News)
USA Today - Is daylight saving time healthy for you? No, experts say, pointing to lost sleep (Link for article on Apple News)
Rapid-fire Facts
Here are the top news headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Basketball star Kyrie Irving has come under fire for a tweet that promoted a book and movie that featured anti-Semitic language. To make matters worse, Irving repeatedly declined to apologize for sending the tweet until Friday, one week after the tweet was posted. Irving was subsequently suspended a minimum of five games by the Brooklyn Nets, with the Nets reportedly requiring to issue a verbal apology, complete sensitivity trainings, and satisfy the Nets organization in other factors before being allowed to return to the team. Irving has caught the ire of many players, fans, and media members around the league, including his ex-teammate LeBron James and Deni Avdija of the Washington Wizards, the only active Jewish player in the NBA. Irving, who has come under previous controversy for this take that the earth is flat and for refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine, had his contract with Nike suspended earlier this week.
The Federal Reserve announced the sixth rate hike of the year on Wednesday, raising the short-term borrowing rate to 3.75-4.00%. The hike brings rates to their highest levels since 2008, with this being the fourth straight time the Fed has raised rates by 0.75 basis points. However, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell noted that future rate hikes may be smaller in stature in order to accomplish the Fed’s goal of lowering inflation to around 2%.
Brazil and Israel both held major elections this past week. In Brazil, former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was elected with 51% of the vote, ousting incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro announced he would not contest the results of the election, which will bring Lula back to power after leading the country from 2003-2010. In Israel, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to build a coalition that will return him to power for the first time since he was ousted last year. After the fifth Israeli election in less than four years, the current Prime Minister Yair Lapid conceded and congratulated Netanyahu.
North Korea test-fired over 30 missiles this week in an apparent escalation of tensions with the South, along with other countries such as Japan and the United States. The launches into nearby waters prompted evacuation alerts in Japan and rising tensions with South Korea. In response, the U.S. and South Korean militaries performed joint aerial exercises, including B-1B bombers that made their way to the Korean peninsula for the first time since December 2017. South Korean officials believe that the North could soon detonate a nuclear test device for the first time since 2017.
Elon Musk’s first week as CEO of Twitter has produced lots of controversy within the company and outside of it. Since Musk took over the social media company last Thursday, he tweeted and then deleted an article containing misinformation regarding the attack on Paul Pelosi, the company introduced a $7.99 per month paid service where users can receive a blue checkmark, and the company laid off nearly 50% of staffers on Friday. Some former Twitter employees have filed a lawsuit alleging the lawsuits violate federal regulations, and advertisers have begun to pause showing ads on Twitter.
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top sports stories from the past week in the Sporting Club:
The Houston Astros won the MLB World Series in six games over the Philadelphia Phllies. The AL champion Astros clinched the title in game six in Houston with a 4-1 victory over the NL champion Phillies, who were seeking their first time since 2008. Instead, the Astros capture their first title since 2017, with manager Dusty Baker becomes the oldest manager at 73 years old to win a World Series.
Washington Commanders owner Daniel Synder has hired BofA Securities to “consider potential transactions,” with many believing that could mean a sale of the team. While the team has struggled since Snyder took over ownership in 1999, he and the organization have also been under investigation for allegations of workplace misconduct and engaging in financial improprieties. Coincidentally, on the same day Synder announced the hiring of a division of Bank of America, the U.S. attorney's office in the Eastern District of Virginia opened a criminal investigation into the financial impropriety allegations. While nothing is official, potential bidders for the team have ranged from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to comedian and media mogul Byron Allen.
The Big 12 Conference announced a new media rights deal with ESPN and Fox Sports this week. The deal, which runs through the 2030-2031 academic year, is worth a total of $2.28 billion, an average of $380 million per season. While the deal will stabilize the conference in a period of uncertainty in college athletics, the conference’s members will still make far less from media rights than their counterparts in the Big Ten and SEC. ESPN will air the top football games each season, along with the football championship game and basketball tournament, while Fox will continue to air football games and broadcast Big 12 basketball games for the first time. While Oklahoma and Texas will leave the conference in 2025, the Big 12 is adding BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF in 2023.
Week 9 in the NFL is highlighted by a Sunday night matchup of 5-2 AFC squads, with the Titans will face the Chiefs at 8:20 pm et tonight. In the 1:00 pm et afternoon window, the Bills take on the Jets in an AFC East showdown, and the Dolphins face the Bears. Later in the afternoon, three of the four NFC West teams square off, with the Cardinals hosting the Seahawks, and the Rams taking on the NFC South’s Buccaneers. On Monday night, the Ravens travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints. Meanwhile on Thursday night, the Eagles remained the league’s lone undefeated team with a 29-17 win over the Texans.
Week 10 in College Football was headlined by the top teams in the SEC. In the first week that College Football Playoff rankings were used, the conference featured two games featuring both teams in the top ten. #3 Georgia was able to knock off #1 Tennessee at home 27-13, and #10 LSU got a huge win against rival #6 Alabama 32-31. Outside the southeast, #2 Ohio State struggled in their 21-7 win over one-win Northwestern, #24 Texas was able to beat #13 Kansas State on the road 34-17, and #16 Illinois was upset at home by Michigan State 23-15. Additionally, Kansas continued #18 Oklahoma State’s slide with a 37-16 win, Notre Dame got a massive 35-14 win over #4 Clemson, and #17 North Carolina survived an upset bid from Virginia with a 31-28 win.
Check out Zander’s Facts SC on Instagram
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to the latest episode of the podcast, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts.
Check out Zander’s Facts’ Linktree page for more on anything Zander’s Facts related: Zander's Facts on Linktree
You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.substack.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment. Including the next ZF Flashback, which comes out this Wednesday!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The Facts in print return next Sunday, November 13, 2022.
