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Ask HN: Do you or those you know have US election contingency plans?

What contingency plans, if any, do people in the HN community (and people you know) have relating to next week's US election? I'm not looking to start a political debate; there are lots of other places on the internet for that. I'm hoping to find out, specifically: a) what people are planning to do if Harris is elected, b) what people are planning to do if Trump is elected, c) what people are planning to do no matter who is elected, and d) what people have already done in anticipation of particular election outcomes and/or post-election events. Please feel free to chime in whether you live in the US or not.

toomuchtodo 2y ago
Have a modest place in Western Europe, will relocate the family there and reevaluate in four years if necessary.
- thelastparadise 2y ago
  What do you think will happen that is worth relocating your entire family twice?
  - beretguy 2y ago
    US shifting towards fascist ideology.
    - haswell 2y ago
      It seems really problematic to me to run away vs. stay and work against this ideology. The quickest way for these ideas to become a majority is for the people who don’t hold them to leave.
      - archagon 2y ago
        That's true, but the people who fled Germany before the mid 30s were surely able to lead a better life than those who remained.
  - toomuchtodo 2y ago
    I am not confident enough to predict the future, but experienced and resourced enough to know that options are freedom and safety. I’m remote and mostly financially independent, my kids are homeschooled, relocating is just experiencing another place and culture for a bit. They’ve spent months living in Europe and Mexico, so this wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for us (besides the extended duration). Worst case, we’re there long enough (~5 years) I can get them EU citizenship, giving them more options when they become adults.
    - haswell 2y ago
      Whatever happens on Tuesday, it’s going to be extremely close. The implication being that the US isn’t a lost cause, and failing to win is a signal that more people need to get involved in politics and pushing against the tide. How do you expect improvement/positive change if the people who align with your values all flee? If everyone does, it only accelerates the problematic ideologies that are growing. As harmful as the undesired outcome might be, things won’t turn into some dangerous authoritarian dictatorship overnight. The guardrails that exist need to be tended and cared for. Throwing up one’s hands and running away seems deeply problematic and arguably more harmful than the “wrong” election result itself if enough people choose the same path.
      - toomuchtodo 2y ago
        As a US expat, I am permitted to vote from abroad in the last state of residence, which for me is Florida. So, my progressive vote will still be counted without having to expose my family to peril. I will also continue to max out FEC contributions to candidates that support democracy and human rights. I owe the US active effort to improved governance, but also owe my children a safe environment. I believe what I’ve described balances both.
      - archagon 2y ago
        The guardrails should have prevented Trump's 2016 election, but they didn't. I'm sorry to say that any remaining guardrails are nearly worn down to the nubs, especially with the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing the president to essentially act as a king. When half the country is angry and foolish enough to select someone like Trump and his MAGAs to lead them, there's only so much you can do other than waiting for the next generation(s) to replace them.
giantg2 2y ago
Answers A through D are... nothing. There's really nothing to do. Any actual changes will be slow to occur, and you'd need the details of how those changes will take effect to work on any mitigation.
- uberman 2y ago
  I would say a,b,c are too late to be relevant. If you or a friend, coworker, employee are in the USA on a visa or opt the winner could be almost instantly relevant.
lysace 2y ago
a-d: I'll read the heated discussions online for a while and then do something else. Probably work.
wumeow 2y ago
I plan to drink a lot Tuesday night.
- GianFabien 2y ago
  ... and for the following weeks. I don't expect a conclusive result for quite sometime.
fsagx 2y ago
I know of one business in Minneapolis that has made plans (ie the communications are already written, extra private security headcounts have been scheduled) to shut down their locations in case of civil unrest of the sort in 2020. I'm not from there, so I don't know how likely this is.
- koolba 2y ago
  I’m going to guess that the business owner is not worried about Trump voters.
internetter 2y ago
My actions are exclusively financial. For context, my portfolio is currently high risk, high reward. Stocks, ETFs and Mutual Funds, zero leverage, no options. a. If Harris wins, I plan to take a leveraged position in the S&P, as I expect the economy to be less volatile under her. I will begin monitoring small caps more closely. b. If Trump wins, I will not take out a leverage. I do not have the gut strength. Potentially, I may make my portfolio slightly more conservative, but I am not yet sure. I'd expect oil to pump if he's elected, but I don't have interest in this. c. Under both, I'd be eying opportunities to invest in domestic production. Democrats are pursing it via stuff like the CHIPS act, and conversely, if Trump's tariffs are enacted, it will look a lot more appealing to businesses
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
082349872349872 2y ago
d) left the Old Country long ago This means that while to some degree I remain interested in, I am no longer committed to[0], the vagaries of a regime which, with its paucity of parties, shambles through a political Cupid Shuffle[1] every 4-8 years. [0] compare the pig and the chicken at breakfast [1] "...to the right, to the right / To the left, to the left,..."
marssaxman 2y ago
a) cheer, open a bottle of expensive champagne, and share it b) groan, open a bottle of cheap whiskey, and drink it c) get on with life, looking after the people around me as best I can
GianFabien 2y ago
Viewing the events from the 51st state, aka Australia, that big island south west of Hawaii, I get the impression that the election is just a huge distraction. It bifurcates the population, manufactures various groups to be outraged by other groups. The Blob goes about business as usual, humongously profitable for the globalists. I think the far bigger question is how are the hundreds of thousands of people impacted by the hurricanes going to rebuild their destroyed lives and livelihoods. The Blob has conveniently forgotten about them, focusing instead on international misadventures.
JohnFen 2y ago
I'm a US citizen living in the US. None of my plans are dependent on who becomes president. I'll just keep on doing what I do. I think this is true of those I know as well, regardless of their political stance, but it's hard to tell because it's not a topic of conversation. Most people I know just want the whole thing to be over.
archagon 2y ago
Yes. I intend to immediately enact my UK immigration plans if Trump wins the election, or if he successfully steals it through legislative tricks. (And I also have an Australian visa application sitting somewhere in the queue, viability TBD.) At that point, the US that I know and care about is lost for several generations at minimum (if not forever) and I simply do not have the mental or emotional energy to remain politically invested.
SammyStacks 2y ago
What does it actually mean when a thread is "Flagged"? This thread is marked as so, and often there is a comment explaining why the thread should be flagged, but I don't see one here.
- throwaway314155 2y ago
  Just means that some threshold of users clicked the flag button beside the post.
  - SammyStacks 2y ago
    Gotcha. Thanks
    - throwaway314155 2y ago
      No problem! I'm not always fond of the system myself. Seems ripe for abuse/misuse.

toomuchtodo 2y ago

Have a modest place in Western Europe, will relocate the family there and reevaluate in four years if necessary.

thelastparadise 2y ago
What do you think will happen that is worth relocating your entire family twice?
- beretguy 2y ago
  US shifting towards fascist ideology.
  - haswell 2y ago
    It seems really problematic to me to run away vs. stay and work against this ideology. The quickest way for these ideas to become a majority is for the people who don’t hold them to leave.
    - archagon 2y ago
      That's true, but the people who fled Germany before the mid 30s were surely able to lead a better life than those who remained.
- toomuchtodo 2y ago
  I am not confident enough to predict the future, but experienced and resourced enough to know that options are freedom and safety. I’m remote and mostly financially independent, my kids are homeschooled, relocating is just experiencing another place and culture for a bit. They’ve spent months living in Europe and Mexico, so this wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for us (besides the extended duration). Worst case, we’re there long enough (~5 years) I can get them EU citizenship, giving them more options when they become adults.
  - haswell 2y ago
    Whatever happens on Tuesday, it’s going to be extremely close. The implication being that the US isn’t a lost cause, and failing to win is a signal that more people need to get involved in politics and pushing against the tide. How do you expect improvement/positive change if the people who align with your values all flee? If everyone does, it only accelerates the problematic ideologies that are growing. As harmful as the undesired outcome might be, things won’t turn into some dangerous authoritarian dictatorship overnight. The guardrails that exist need to be tended and cared for. Throwing up one’s hands and running away seems deeply problematic and arguably more harmful than the “wrong” election result itself if enough people choose the same path.
    - toomuchtodo 2y ago
      As a US expat, I am permitted to vote from abroad in the last state of residence, which for me is Florida. So, my progressive vote will still be counted without having to expose my family to peril. I will also continue to max out FEC contributions to candidates that support democracy and human rights. I owe the US active effort to improved governance, but also owe my children a safe environment. I believe what I’ve described balances both.
    - archagon 2y ago
      The guardrails should have prevented Trump's 2016 election, but they didn't. I'm sorry to say that any remaining guardrails are nearly worn down to the nubs, especially with the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing the president to essentially act as a king. When half the country is angry and foolish enough to select someone like Trump and his MAGAs to lead them, there's only so much you can do other than waiting for the next generation(s) to replace them.

giantg2 2y ago

Answers A through D are... nothing. There's really nothing to do. Any actual changes will be slow to occur, and you'd need the details of how those changes will take effect to work on any mitigation.

uberman 2y ago
I would say a,b,c are too late to be relevant. If you or a friend, coworker, employee are in the USA on a visa or opt the winner could be almost instantly relevant.

lysace 2y ago

a-d: I'll read the heated discussions online for a while and then do something else. Probably work.

wumeow 2y ago

I plan to drink a lot Tuesday night.

GianFabien 2y ago
... and for the following weeks. I don't expect a conclusive result for quite sometime.

fsagx 2y ago

I know of one business in Minneapolis that has made plans (ie the communications are already written, extra private security headcounts have been scheduled) to shut down their locations in case of civil unrest of the sort in 2020. I'm not from there, so I don't know how likely this is.

koolba 2y ago
I’m going to guess that the business owner is not worried about Trump voters.

internetter 2y ago

My actions are exclusively financial. For context, my portfolio is currently high risk, high reward. Stocks, ETFs and Mutual Funds, zero leverage, no options. a. If Harris wins, I plan to take a leveraged position in the S&P, as I expect the economy to be less volatile under her. I will begin monitoring small caps more closely. b. If Trump wins, I will not take out a leverage. I do not have the gut strength. Potentially, I may make my portfolio slightly more conservative, but I am not yet sure. I'd expect oil to pump if he's elected, but I don't have interest in this. c. Under both, I'd be eying opportunities to invest in domestic production. Democrats are pursing it via stuff like the CHIPS act, and conversely, if Trump's tariffs are enacted, it will look a lot more appealing to businesses

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

082349872349872 2y ago

d) left the Old Country long ago This means that while to some degree I remain interested in, I am no longer committed to[0], the vagaries of a regime which, with its paucity of parties, shambles through a political Cupid Shuffle[1] every 4-8 years. [0] compare the pig and the chicken at breakfast [1] "...to the right, to the right / To the left, to the left,..."

marssaxman 2y ago

a) cheer, open a bottle of expensive champagne, and share it b) groan, open a bottle of cheap whiskey, and drink it c) get on with life, looking after the people around me as best I can

GianFabien 2y ago

Viewing the events from the 51st state, aka Australia, that big island south west of Hawaii, I get the impression that the election is just a huge distraction. It bifurcates the population, manufactures various groups to be outraged by other groups. The Blob goes about business as usual, humongously profitable for the globalists. I think the far bigger question is how are the hundreds of thousands of people impacted by the hurricanes going to rebuild their destroyed lives and livelihoods. The Blob has conveniently forgotten about them, focusing instead on international misadventures.

JohnFen 2y ago

I'm a US citizen living in the US. None of my plans are dependent on who becomes president. I'll just keep on doing what I do. I think this is true of those I know as well, regardless of their political stance, but it's hard to tell because it's not a topic of conversation. Most people I know just want the whole thing to be over.

archagon 2y ago

Yes. I intend to immediately enact my UK immigration plans if Trump wins the election, or if he successfully steals it through legislative tricks. (And I also have an Australian visa application sitting somewhere in the queue, viability TBD.) At that point, the US that I know and care about is lost for several generations at minimum (if not forever) and I simply do not have the mental or emotional energy to remain politically invested.

SammyStacks 2y ago

What does it actually mean when a thread is "Flagged"? This thread is marked as so, and often there is a comment explaining why the thread should be flagged, but I don't see one here.

throwaway314155 2y ago
Just means that some threshold of users clicked the flag button beside the post.
- SammyStacks 2y ago
  Gotcha. Thanks
  - throwaway314155 2y ago
    No problem! I'm not always fond of the system myself. Seems ripe for abuse/misuse.