On Politics: Remember When Trump Claimed Fraud in Florida?

The findings of Florida’s 18-month inquiry into allegations of ballot fraud in 2018 received little attention when they were released this year. But they proved the president wrong. [View in browser](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P4Q1AWh0dHBzOi8vbWVzc2FnaW5nLWN1c3RvbS1uZXdzbGV0dGVycy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS90ZW1wbGF0ZS9vYWt2Mj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01NiZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbl8yMDIwMDkzMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMjY4MCZubD1vbi1wb2xpdGljcy13aXRoLWxpc2EtbGVyZXImcHJvZHVjdENvZGU9Q04mcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTM5NDg2JnRlPTEmdXJpPW55dCUzQSUyRiUyRm5ld3NsZXR0ZXIlMkY3MmU3NTBiOC1iN2RiLTU4YzItYmM4ZS1jZTFiNmZjMDQ3Y2QmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)|[nytimes.com](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0S9aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTU2JmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuXzIwMjAwOTMwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIyNjgwJm5sPW9uLXBvbGl0aWNzLXdpdGgtbGlzYS1sZXJlciZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Mzk0ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgBAfwN1X8CMcadSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)[Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-ad-marquee) ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTYyMjExJmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDkzMFcDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ [On Politics](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0TNaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc2VjdGlvbi9wb2xpdGljcz9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01NiZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbl8yMDIwMDkzMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMjY4MCZubD1vbi1wb2xpdGljcy13aXRoLWxpc2EtbGVyZXImcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTM5NDg2JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) September 30, 2020 [Author Headshot](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0TPaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vYnkvcGF0cmljaWEtbWF6emVpP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTU2JmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuXzIwMjAwOTMwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIyNjgwJm5sPW9uLXBvbGl0aWNzLXdpdGgtbGlzYS1sZXJlciZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Mzk0ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgBAfwN1X8CMcadSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) By [Patricia Mazzei](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0TPaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vYnkvcGF0cmljaWEtbWF6emVpP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTU2JmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuXzIwMjAwOTMwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIyNjgwJm5sPW9uLXBvbGl0aWNzLXdpdGgtbGlzYS1sZXJlciZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Mzk0ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgBAfwN1X8CMcadSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) Hi. Welcome to [On Politics](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0TSaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc3BvdGxpZ2h0L29uLXBvbGl0aWNzP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTU2JmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuXzIwMjAwOTMwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIyNjgwJm5sPW9uLXBvbGl0aWNzLXdpdGgtbGlzYS1sZXJlciZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Mzk0ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgBAfwN1X8CMcadSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~), your guide to the day in national politics. I’m Pati Mazzei, filling in for Lisa Lerer. Florida has seen the play before. President Trump, without proof, complains repeatedly about ballot fraud in communities rich with Democratic voters, questioning the legitimacy of the election. That is a reference not to [Tuesday night’s debate](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0TraHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wOS8yOS91cy9wb2xpdGljcy90cnVtcC1iaWRlbi1kZWJhdGUuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01NiZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbl8yMDIwMDkzMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMjY4MCZubD1vbi1wb2xpdGljcy13aXRoLWxpc2EtbGVyZXImcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTM5NDg2JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) but to 2018, when Mr. Trump [claimed](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0T7aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAxOC8xMS8xMi91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9mYWN0LWNoZWNrLXRydW1wLWZsb3JpZGEtZWxlY3Rpb24tLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NTYmZW1jPWVkaXRfY25fMjAyMDA5MzAmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjI2ODAmbmw9b24tcG9saXRpY3Mtd2l0aC1saXNhLWxlcmVyJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0zOTQ4NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKAEB_A3VfwIxxp1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) in the middle of a recount that the midterm election results in Florida had been tainted. “An honest vote count is no longer possible — ballots massively infected,” Mr. Trump falsely asserted on Twitter on Nov. 12, 2018, adding that ballots had “showed up out of nowhere, and many ballots are missing or forged.” “Don’t worry, Florida — I am sending much better lawyers to expose the FRAUD!” he wrote on Nov. 8. That same day, Gov. Rick Scott, the Republican nominee for Senate who was awaiting a recount in his race, had accused two of the state’s largest counties, Broward and Palm Beach, of [“rampant fraud”](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0T8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAxOC8xMS8wOC91cy9mbG9yaWRhLXJlY291bnQtbmVsc29uLXNjb3R0LWRlc2FudGlzLWdpbGx1bS5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTU2JmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuXzIwMjAwOTMwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIyNjgwJm5sPW9uLXBvbGl0aWNzLXdpdGgtbGlzYS1sZXJlciZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Mzk0ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgBAfwN1X8CMcadSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) and asked officials in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate. Investigate they did. And earlier this year, at the end of their nearly 18-month inquiry, the investigators found no evidence of widespread fraud. No, there was nothing sinister about vote totals being updated slowly overnight. No, Republicans were not illegally barred from observing the recount. No, Democrats did not act unlawfully when they tried to help voters fix problems on their mailed-in ballots. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-0) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0RsaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MzMzNTEmbGk9Q04mbT1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkNyZwPUNOXzIwMjAwOTMwVwNueXRCCgBAfwN1X8CMcadSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NDUyODUwJmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDkzMFcDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NTgzOTIwJmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDkzMFcDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ The only evidence of wrongdoing that investigators pointed to was that an elections supervisor in Bay County, in a heavily Republican part of the Florida Panhandle that had been ravaged by [Hurricane Michael](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0T2aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAxOC8xMC8xMS91cy9odXJyaWNhbmUtbWljaGFlbC1saXZlLXVwZGF0ZXMtZmxvcmlkYS5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTU2JmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuXzIwMjAwOTMwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIyNjgwJm5sPW9uLXBvbGl0aWNzLXdpdGgtbGlzYS1sZXJlciZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Mzk0ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgBAfwN1X8CMcadSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~), counted 12 votes sent in via email, a possible violation of state law. Prosecutors determined there was not enough evidence to bring a case. The findings, released in May, drew relatively little attention amid the coronavirus pandemic. But they dismantled the false fraud claims made in 2018 by Mr. Trump and Mr. Scott, [who won the race](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0T9aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAxOC8xMS8xOC91cy9mbG9yaWRhLXJlY291bnQtc2VuYXRlLXJpY2stc2NvdHQtYmlsbC1uZWxzb24uaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01NiZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbl8yMDIwMDkzMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMjY4MCZubD1vbi1wb2xpdGljcy13aXRoLWxpc2EtbGVyZXImcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTM5NDg2JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) and is now Florida’s junior senator. It is worth revisiting that investigation in light of the [baseless fraud claims](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0ThaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vbGl2ZS8yMDIwLzA5LzI5L3VzL2RlYmF0ZS1mYWN0LWNoZWNrP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTU2JmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuXzIwMjAwOTMwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIyNjgwJm5sPW9uLXBvbGl0aWNzLXdpdGgtbGlzYS1sZXJlciZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Mzk0ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgBAfwN1X8CMcadSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) that Mr. Trump made on Tuesday in the debate against Joe Biden. If one of the lessons of Florida’s infamous presidential recount in 2000 was to avoid confusing ballots with hanging chads, perhaps a lesson of Florida’s 2018 recount is to be wary of bombastic, unproven claims of shenanigans. Fraud has become “a standard Republican talking point,” former Senator Bill Nelson, who lost to Mr. Scott two years ago, told me today. “It’s not surprising that Trump would say the same thing now, anticipating that the mailed-in ballots are going to be heavily Democratic.” [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-1) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTYyMjA4JmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDkzMFcDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTYyMjA5JmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDkzMFcDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NTY0NzIzJmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDkzMFcDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ After the 2000 recount, state officials tried to make it easier to vote, Mr. Nelson noted. “And then that trend reversed,” he lamented. Now he and others fear that crying fraud could scare voters away from the polls. “I’m so frustrated by these claims that really are clearly designed to destroy the credibility of our election system,” said Ion V. Sancho, who worked as the elections supervisor in Leon County — home to Tallahassee, the state capital — for nearly 30 years. “There are plenty of problems within the elections process itself without raising false claims of vote rigging. We just have to stop playing partisan politics with our election system.” Maybe next cycle. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-2) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzIzMjk3JmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDkzMFcDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzIzMjk4JmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDkzMFcDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzIzMzAwJmxpPUNOJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1DTl8yMDIwMDkzMFcDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ Read the investigation: ‘The Attack on Voting’ Voter fraud is largely nonexistent in America. But as the 2020 presidential election nears, it is becoming clear that the Trump administration and the Republican Party are using the false claim of voter fraud to disrupt the election. Vice President Mike Pence, for one, has played a larger role in the disinformation campaign than has been previously understood. [Read The New York Times Magazine’s five-month investigation.](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0TnaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wOS8zMC9tYWdhemluZS90cnVtcC12b3Rlci1mcmF1ZC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTU2JmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuXzIwMjAwOTMwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIyNjgwJm5sPW9uLXBvbGl0aWNzLXdpdGgtbGlzYS1sZXJlciZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Mzk0ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgBAfwN1X8CMcadSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) We’ll talk with the author, our colleague Jim Rutenberg, in tomorrow morning’s On Politics newsletter. Drop us a line! We want to hear from our readers. Have a question? We’ll try to answer it. Have a comment? We’re all ears. Email us at onpolitics@nytimes.com. The Upshot: Biden wins the instapolls By Nate Cohn In the wake of Tuesday’s messy debate, we got a different kind of survey: a so-called instapoll. This is a survey of people who tell a pollster they will watch a debate and agree to take a poll after the debate is over. These surveys are quirky in some ways, but they do a decent enough job of helping us gauge the effect of a debate. This time, the news was generally good for Joe Biden. Why the huge spread? Instant-reaction poll samples can be pretty biased. Often, you’re looking at respondents who have negotiated three steps: They agree to take a poll before a debate; they agree to take a poll after watching a debate; they actually follow through and participate in the poll after the debate. They’re also people who have watched a debate, who aren’t representative of the overall electorate. On top of that, pollsters have to decide whether or how to undo those biases. All of this can lead to a huge spread in the results. You might be tempted to just discount these instant poll results altogether. But a closer look suggests good news for Mr. Biden. His favorability rating improved by a net four percentage points, compared with how the same respondents answered before the debate. The president’s rating declined by a net four points. Similarly, the CBS poll found that voters said the debate had made them think better of Mr. Biden by a margin of 38 percent to 32 percent, while just 24 percent said the debate had made them think better of Mr. Trump and 42 percent said the debate had made them think worse of him. The results are kind of useful. Historically, the winner of these polls tends to gain in the real polls over the next week. John Kerry, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton all picked up a couple of points after debate performances that instant polls suggested they had won. This year, it’s hard to be sure whether to expect a similar shift. The national polls have been extremely steady compared with prior years (Mr. Biden has a consistent seven-point lead nationally in [our average](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vbGl2ZS8yMDIwL3ByZXNpZGVudGlhbC1wb2xscy10cnVtcC1iaWRlbj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01NiZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbl8yMDIwMDkzMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMjY4MCZubD1vbi1wb2xpdGljcy13aXRoLWxpc2EtbGVyZXImcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTM5NDg2JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)). And if there’s similar shift, it’s worth being cautious. We’ll have to wait a week or two before we know whether any post-debate shifts are durable. The big picture: It’s hard to say that anyone clearly won the debate last night, and that’s a win for Mr. Biden. He was the front-runner heading into the debate, and it was the president who needed a win to try to narrow the race. None of the instant poll results, whatever their merit, do much to dispel that view. For more updates on polling, check out Nate Cohn’s [daily polling diary](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vbGl2ZS8yMDIwL3ByZXNpZGVudGlhbC1wb2xscy10cnVtcC1iaWRlbj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01NiZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbl8yMDIwMDkzMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMjY4MCZubD1vbi1wb2xpdGljcy13aXRoLWxpc2EtbGVyZXImcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTM5NDg2JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~). WHAT TO READ TONIGHT [[Article Image] Ruth Fremson/The New York Times](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0T6aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wOS8zMC9idXNpbmVzcy9tZWRpYS9jaHJpcy13YWxsYWNlLWRlYmF0ZS1tb2RlcmF0b3IuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01NiZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbl8yMDIwMDkzMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMjY4MCZubD1vbi1wb2xpdGljcy13aXRoLWxpc2EtbGVyZXImcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTM5NDg2JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)   [Chris Wallace Calls Debate ‘a Terrible Missed Opportunity’ The veteran anchor conceded he was initially “reluctant” to step in during the Trump-Biden matchup. “I’ve never been through anything like this,” he said. By Michael M. Grynbaum](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0T6aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wOS8zMC9idXNpbmVzcy9tZWRpYS9jaHJpcy13YWxsYWNlLWRlYmF0ZS1tb2RlcmF0b3IuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01NiZlbWM9ZWRpdF9jbl8yMDIwMDkzMCZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMjY4MCZubD1vbi1wb2xpdGljcy13aXRoLWxpc2EtbGVyZXImcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTM5NDg2JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAQH8DdV_AjHGnUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) [[Article Image] Nati Harnik/Associated Press](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0T5aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wOS8zMC91cy9tYWlsLXZvdGluZy1kZW1vY3JhdHMtcmVwdWJsaWNhbnMtdHVybm91dC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTU2JmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuXzIwMjAwOTMwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIyNjgwJm5sPW9uLXBvbGl0aWNzLXdpdGgtbGlzYS1sZXJlciZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Mzk0ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgBAfwN1X8CMcadSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)   [Both Parties Fret as More Democrats Request Mail Ballots in Key States Republicans fear that President Trump’s messaging on voting by mail could depress turnout. But Democrats worry an overreliance on the mail could be damaging to their side, too. By Luke Broadwater](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0T5aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wOS8zMC91cy9tYWlsLXZvdGluZy1kZW1vY3JhdHMtcmVwdWJsaWNhbnMtdHVybm91dC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTU2JmVtYz1lZGl0X2NuXzIwMjAwOTMwJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIyNjgwJm5sPW9uLXBvbGl0aWNzLXdpdGgtbGlzYS1sZXJlciZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9Mzk0ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgBAfwN1X8CMcadSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) Were you forwarded this newsletter? [Sign up here](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhV4h_P0TRaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vbmV3c2xldHRlcnMvcG9saXRpY3M_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NTYmZW1jPWVkaXRfY25fMjAyMDA5MzAmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjI2ODAmbmw9b24tcG9saXRpY3Mtd2l0aC1saXNhLWxlcmVyJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0zOTQ4NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKAEB_A3VfwIxxp1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) to get it delivered to your inbox. 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