Could the vast disruption caused by Sandy prompt a delay in the Nov. 6 presidential election? Voting may be extensively disrupted in some of the swing states, including Virginia and Ohio.
MSNBC's Chris Jansing talks with NBC's Pete Williams about the impact Superstorm Sandy may have on the election, and the issues that would surround a possible postponement of the presidential election.
The answer is, yes, it could undoubtedly be delayed. But it almost certainly won't be.
The Constitution gives Congress the authority to establish the day for presidential elections, and since 1845, a federal law has set the date as "the Tuesday after the first Monday in November." Congress could change the date, just as it could change any federal statute. But it would have to act quickly.
And of course, it's the states, not the federal government, that run elections in America. Many states in areas not affected by Sandy's wrath would be likely to oppose a delay and its attendant costs. They could choose to go ahead with their elections for all but president and have a separate election for president later. But such a move would undoubtedly suppress the turnout.
Past disasters, including weather emergencies, have forced postponement of state and local elections. New York state suspended its primary election in 2001 -- on September 11th, the day of the suicide hijack attacks. But few states have a regular procedure for doing it. Florida, with its long experience in dealing with hurricanes, is one of the few with specific procedures in place, allowing the governor to suspend or delay elections.
John Fortier, a nationally respected expert on presidential elections, points out additional problems, writing on a blog sponsored by the Moritz School of Law at Ohio State University.
"If voting were disrupted and postponed in one state," Fortier says, "then we will likely know the results in all the other states before voting can resume in the affected state. If the affected state or states are determinative of the electoral college outcome, the pressure and focus on that one state would be enormous."
Among other questions, he says, are what to do with votes already cast.
Finally, consider the fact that never before the U.S. history has a presidential election been postponed or canceled, not even during the Civil War.




So Chris Christie is now the campaign surrogate for Obama, and Mitt Romney just told a wonderfully touching story about how one time at band camp someone left "refuse and other paper products" (that is really what he said,who talks like that ?) all over the football field and he organized a group to clean it up....and if they didn't help he would have his strong friends hold them down while he cut their hair for being gay.... TOUCHING !!!
yawn
What a bastard Romney is,...to be focused on his underhanded campaign,...as the people are reeling from the damage inflicted by hurricane Sandy.
How callous of Romney to hold a "relief rally" in Ohio at this time !! OMG. Just think of that, so UNGODLY self-serving . He must think they are pret-ty gullible to not be able to see right through that. SHAMEFUL !!
Everyone should understand that Romney's finishing strategy is to simply bombard the media and everyone's senses with ads,...ads,...ads that speak negatively about the president. Romney's messages do not ring true and are just CONSERVATIVE PROPAGANDA. It has been their goal to oppose everything about Obama's administration since day one of his administration - unconditionally. It's all a power play on behalf of their wealthy corporate masters.
Obama has accomplished a lot given the circumstances he was handed due to years of failed conservative policies. OBAMA NEEDS AND DESERVES ANOTHER FOUR YEARS.
A time like this is the PERFECT example of why we need to continue to think of ourselves as a COUNTRY OF PEOPLE not simply investors and competing business interests.
NOW we may again see clearly what it means to be,..and to have,...and to NEED a neighbor.
It will be awkward to watch Mitt Romney try to feign conservative compassion for the citizens he plans to kick to the curb and abandon with his corporate welfare policies.
There IS a need for the guiding hand of government. There IS a need for taxes. There IS a need for social programs. There IS a reason to watch each other's back.
I don't know if it is God,...or just fate,...but THIS hurricane happened at THIS time before THIS election for a reason.
Our leaders' job is now to unite the people of the region to try to recover from this catastrophe. Should we think of this use of tax money as redistribution of wealth ? Where is the return for our investors ? Now that we are "all in it together",...we will all be in it together.
BUT as the GOP has seen the perfect financial storm gathering over the past generatrion all they can think of is how to distance themselves from those who are struggling. More tax breaks and bonuses and huge salaries and vacation home for ME,....and more pink slips and stagnant wages and less benefits for YOU.
BASTARDS >>>and that is to say they act like they have no country,...or no father,...or no family. The new right is uniquely un-American.
This is a country of "We the people".
If you care about your neighbor,....if you care about the majority of US citizens,....if you care for the America that was before this era of unprecedented greed and self-interest,...vote Obama/Biden on Tuesday, November 6th 2012.
Please, please, please,...come out to the polls and vote.
Say no to Ayn Rand's "ethical egoism and pure self-interest",.....and come back to American values, family values and "ethical altruism".
This is the wealthiest country in the world.
There IS enough for us to help our neighbors in need.
Let's support our fellow American citizens as they recover from hurricane Sandy.
God bless America,...God bless the PEOPLE of America.
Vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden on Tuesday November 6th 2012
MITTS THE PITS !!!
serfdom
You are in more serious need of mental help than any LIVING humanbeing on the planet! WOW !
Take your meds man! If you can't read the instructions on the bottle, have someone read them to you !
Nice generalization, Teddy. I really learned my lesson.
If you don't agree with the right wing,...this is what you get.
Whatever.
He should wait until after the election in case Rahm gets a restraining order on Obama returning. Romney can get donations to get Barry a good used FEMA trailer.
PLEASE don't vote for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan !!!! If Mitts ticker stops we are looking at PRESIDENT PAUL RYAN !!!!!!!!! Ladies hide your hoo-hoo's.........
As opposed to Grinnin Joe.
Now all those poor folks on the east coast know what SEAMUS the dog felt like !!!!!
OBAMA/CHRISTIE 2012 !!!!
From a blogger on 528: Several states have statutes that allow the election to be delayed in case of a disaster. They include Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, New York N Carolina and Virginia.
And, one of the more salient points that the media is failing to cover: what about all of the mail-in ballots throughout the area that have literally been blown out to sea? There could be millions....
huh ???
think about it, mail boxes blown away, sacks of soggy mail in a truck, in a flooded post office, or ballots sitting on a kitchen table (lots of time to get that in the mail, right?) said kitchen table now under six feet of water. Etc. Etc.
Well there may be some of that, a friend of mine with the Romney campaign told me that not only have they already hired lawyers to question the vote count the day of the election in major swing states they also have begun a "recall committee" for after the election....hmmmmm......
Would sound better than the Obama campaign committee trying to explain how the dog ate them before Obama got to the dog.
Mitt wants to eliminate FEMA !!! How's that sound about now !!! YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB BROWNEYE !!!!!
What a bastard Romney is,...to be focused on his underhanded campaign,...as the people are reeling from the damage inflicted by hurricane Sandy.
How callous of Romney to hold a "relief rally" in Ohio at this time !! OMG. Just think of that, so UNGODLY self-serving . He must think they are pret-ty gullible to not be able to see right through that. SHAMEFUL !!
Everyone should understand that Romney's finishing strategy is to simply bombard the media and everyone's senses with ads,...ads,...ads that speak negatively about the president. Romney's messages do not ring true and are just CONSERVATIVE PROPAGANDA. It has been their goal to oppose everything about Obama's administration since day one of his administration - unconditionally. It's all a power play on behalf of their wealthy corporate masters.
Obama has accomplished a lot given the circumstances he was handed due to years of failed conservative policies. OBAMA NEEDS AND DESERVES ANOTHER FOUR YEARS.
A time like this is the PERFECT example of why we need to continue to think of ourselves as a COUNTRY OF PEOPLE not simply investors and competing business interests.
NOW we may again see clearly what it means to be,..and to have,...and to NEED a neighbor.
It will be awkward to watch Mitt Romney try to feign conservative compassion for the citizens he plans to kick to the curb and abandon with his corporate welfare policies.
There IS a need for the guiding hand of government. There IS a need for taxes. There IS a need for social programs. There IS a reason to watch each other's back.
I don't know if it is God,...or just fate,...but THIS hurricane happened at THIS time before THIS election for a reason.
Our leaders' job is now to unite the people of the region to try to recover from this catastrophe. Should we think of this use of tax money as redistribution of wealth ? Where is the return for our investors ? Now that we are "all in it together",...we will all be in it together.
BUT as the GOP has seen the perfect financial storm gathering over the past generatrion all they can think of is how to distance themselves from those who are struggling. More tax breaks and bonuses and huge salaries and vacation home for ME,....and more pink slips and stagnant wages and less benefits for YOU.
BASTARDS >>>and that is to say they act like they have no country,...or no father,...or no family. The new right is uniquely un-American.
This is a country of "We the people".
If you care about your neighbor,....if you care about the majority of US citizens,....if you care for the America that was before this era of unprecedented greed and self-interest,...vote Obama/Biden on Tuesday, November 6th 2012.
Please, please, please,...come out to the polls and vote.
Say no to Ayn Rand's "ethical egoism and pure self-interest",.....and come back to American values, family values and "ethical altruism".
This is the wealthiest country in the world.
There IS enough for us to help our neighbors in need.
Let's support our fellow American citizens as they recover from hurricane Sandy.
Thanks to the president for acting swiftly.
God bless America,...God bless the PEOPLE of America.
Vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden on Tuesday November 6th 2012
SERF FOR PRESIDENT !!!!
Haven't found your meds yet? Or you don't know anyone who can read?
Ticked Off in Ohio...are you off your meds? Settle down the elections a week away....Obama 2012
Peter Pander is out on the trail saving souls....what a guy......
i for one, need this election to be over.....IT'S TIME.... there's alway bad weather SOMEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY on election day.....HAWAII HAS THE BEST WEATHER OF ALL, BUT THE LOWEST TURNOUT, GO FIGURE.
and the least likely hood of anyone actually being born there.
The fact is that Gallup and Rassmussen are two of the most accurate polls in the country. BOTH have Romney winnng. Rassmussen nailed the 2008 election. If you liberals have ACTUAL statistics to refute that by all means post it.
Check your ELECTORAL map Bri.......Rasmussen has 289 electoral votes for Obama. You all shall see how it feels !!!! Virginia will put him over the top.....as much as you guys hate education I spose you are going to want to dismantle the electoral college too.....
or as W called it...the electrical college......
You do realize that the electoral map is decided on election night right Cowboy? Of course you do.
Ok brian, here you go,
If Rasmussen Poll was so accurate then what happen in 2008. Rasmussen didn't have Obama leading in most swing states, he had Mccain leading in OH, FL, VA and Tied in PA. What happen, Obama won all 4, I repeat, all 4 states and won them Huge.
Now, you said Rasmussen nailed it in 2008, BS. How could he nailed it and he had Mccain leading in OH,VA,FL in 2008.
There is this thing called VOTER TURN-OUT... You will see it in the coming days..
Rasmussen seems to be saying 237 with 95 that can as easily go Romney as Obama.
nibor, who cares what Rasmussen says.
Rasmussen didn't poll my Father or my Mother. There is no pollster that can determine how MILLIONS of people are going to vote. Unless they Poll every single person that is going to Vote.
Jason797, Apparently Cowboy17 does.
wrong again, we don't care. We get tired of hearing the same tired ol Rasmussen is the greatest Poll every from people like you Nibor.
It don't even matter Nibor, after next tuesday you will be no where on FR because all of the Obama supporters will be on here celebrating. You will become irrelvant in 7 days.
Now this tragedy with Sandy is the perfect example why FEMA should be closed down! GOP-TP plan.
At least that is what Mitt and Ryan want to do, I guess they remember how Bush failed miserably with Katrina and don´t want Obama to do anything that might appear to be helping those in need.
See Brian....the Rasputin poll shows Obama with a big lead.........
The key is not whether Obama is leading. It is whether Obama is anywhere near 50%. Incumbent have never tended to get more than 20% to 25% of the undecided. So if an incumbent is not at or at 49.5% of the vote on election day, he is in huge trouble. The electorate has seen Obama for 4 years and made up their mind on him. If they were going to vote for him, they will have decided for him. The undecided is trying to decide whether to vote for the challenger or someone else. So when campaign pollsters say the undecided always votes for about 75% to 80% for the challenger. Obama MUST be at 50% or higher on election day.
Wouldn't help Obama to postpone the election. Would only hurt.
As strange as it may sound, this storm is benefiting Obama tremendously. Throw in people like Chris Christie who is PRAISING the President and his leadership and if I am an undecided voter, this may well remind me of W and Brownee and Cheney and Sununu and etc......FOMOFO-O !!!
I honestly don't see how this can help Obama/Romney or anyone else. Billions in damages, Americans who died because of the storm, suffering, etc. This should not even be an ELECTION discussion period.
agreed, that wasn't the point. In this environment EVERYTHING has a political spin. But like Katrina....leadership matters.......
You mean the fact that Obama actually HAS NO CHOICE but to act Presidential 7 days before election day? Liberals may be that stupid. The rest of the country IS NOT.
Fine, wish Obama could have been a leader on 9/11/12
It would if he could postpone it indefinately. May use a national emergency because Michelle wouldn't get free designer clothes or take 40 of her closest friends for a European vacation if he loses.
Boning up on his copy of "Presidential for Dummies".
In 7 days you can run and hide in your corner until 2016 after Obama is re-elected. Troll...
Is anyone moderating these comment boards?? The comments are becoming abusive.
"politics ain't bean bag".......(Mitt Romney) Sorry Sara..........some tend to get abusive when the future of the country is in the balance......and people are lying to them....i.e. "JEEP IS SHIPPING OUR JOBS TO CHINA"...............(Mitt Romney)
People need to take responsability for their words. Being mad at your country does not give anyone the right to call a women "fishy", or someone else "retarded", etc.
If people are unhappy about their country and its direction then get off the computer and get out there and do something about it. Pointing fingers only makes the problem worse.
Obama sold Chrysler to the Italians (Fiat). Fiat is building a couple of new assembly plants in China. Democrats tells us no jobs from the US will be going to China but there are no guarantees of that. Funny thing is GE said the same thing when they opened their CAT scan and MRI device plant in China. But now all the GE equipment manufacturing is in China. Amazing how all the guys on the Obama jobs creation council keep moving jobs to China.
Federal Law=Cannot Delay.
The date has been set for YEARS. There would be so much chaos will all the polling booth (Schools would have to switch their dates....and parents would have to take the NEW day off).
I mean...if this happened in September...and we wanted to push the date back...then possibly it could happen...but one week to go before Election, it is IMPOSSIBLE!!
Mitt Romney: Stay out of the spotlight til Thursday...hunker down with your team. This could turn out to be a HUGE advantage for him going into election day. But then again, Obama has acted 'Presidential' in the efforts so far, and so most might applaud him...HOWEVER...as the death toll goes up, Obama could be seen as GW Bush was with KATRINA..."Why didn't we warn People sooner?!" Well...they did...problem is people don't Fu***n listen!! People NEVER listen....so again...this is gonna be a REAL BIG ISSUE come next Tuesday....but as for the hogwash of "Postponing the Election" I give a .000000000000001 chance of happening.
Any delay in the actual election date is up to the state governments. So no matter what liberal blogs say such as Salon say, Obama has no control over moving the election day. He has no legal authority to do so. Of course, that hasn't stopped him in other areas.
When has federal law been more than a minor inconvenience to Obama? Immigration and gun running are also covered under federal law.
While it ,probably won't delay the Election, it seems it WILL delay the BLS from reporting the dismal jobs numbers!
How transparent is this ? Last month they "Forgot" to include the terrible numbers for California now they can't(won't) release this month!
yea teddy...this whole storm thing was part of a vast left wing conspiracy !! you are missing your tea party...run along....
dont forget the libyan scandal,., where high ranking officials DIED!! while washington 'fiddled'!!
Thor...Cowboy doesn't know anything about a Libyan Scandal. He's a liberal. They won't be informed about Benghazi until after election day.
let's not have another DAY of these horrible campaign ads.. you know the ones where each lies about the other.. so sick of the hate speech!!! lets vote, and get a new president!!
Democrats have been all over MSNBC telling us Obama is leading in early voting by 2-3 to 1 just like they did in 2008. But they offer no evidence of this claim. Well, as part of today's daily tracking poll, Gallup did a survery on the early voting numbers. Seems Gallup is reporting Romney is ahead in early vote by 52% to 47%. But what is more important is that almost 70% Obama early voters have voted for the Democrats on the average 3 to 4 of the last elections. But of the Romney voters almost 70% have never voted for a Republican candidate before. That does this mean? Of the early voters, most of the Obama voters are coming from long term existing Democrats while Romney is drawing from new voters and not pulling from the traditional GOP base which has yet to vote. Not a very good sign for Obama.
They are only counting the foreign ballots.
What a bastard Romney is,...to be focused on his underhanded campaign,...as the people are reeling from the damage inflicted by hurricane Sandy.
How callous of Romney to hold a "relief rally" in Ohio at this time !! OMG. Just think of that, so UNGODLY self-serving . He must think they are pret-ty gullible to not be able to see right through that. SHAMEFUL !!
BTW,...Mitt Romney wants to eliminate FEMA. How ironic a turn of events this is. !!!
Everyone should understand that Romney's finishing strategy is to simply bombard the media and everyone's senses with ads,...ads,...ads that speak negatively about the president. Romney's messages do not ring true and are just CONSERVATIVE PROPAGANDA. It has been their goal to oppose everything about Obama's administration since day one of his administration - unconditionally. It's all a power play on behalf of their wealthy corporate masters.
Obama has accomplished a lot given the circumstances he was handed due to years of failed conservative policies. OBAMA NEEDS AND DESERVES ANOTHER FOUR YEARS.
A time like this is the PERFECT example of why we need to continue to think of ourselves as a COUNTRY OF PEOPLE not simply investors and competing business interests.
NOW we may again see clearly what it means to be,..and to have,...and to NEED a neighbor.
It will be awkward to watch Mitt Romney try to feign conservative compassion for the citizens he plans to kick to the curb and abandon with his corporate welfare policies.
There IS a need for the guiding hand of government. There IS a need for taxes. There IS a need for social programs. There IS a reason to watch each other's back.
I don't know if it is God,...or just fate,...but THIS hurricane happened at THIS time before THIS election for a reason.
Our leaders' job is now to unite the people of the region to try to recover from this catastrophe. Should we think of this use of tax money as redistribution of wealth ? Where is the return for our investors ? Now that we are "all in it together",...we will all be in it together.
BUT as the GOP has seen the perfect financial storm gathering over the past generatrion all they can think of is how to distance themselves from those who are struggling. More tax breaks and bonuses and huge salaries and vacation home for ME,....and more pink slips and stagnant wages and less benefits for YOU.
BASTARDS >>>and that is to say they act like they have no country,...or no father,...or no family. The new right is uniquely un-American.
This is a country of "We the people".
If you care about your neighbor,....if you care about the majority of US citizens,....if you care for the America that was before this era of unprecedented greed and self-interest,...vote Obama/Biden on Tuesday, November 6th 2012.
Please, please, please,...come out to the polls and vote.
Say no to Ayn Rand's "ethical egoism and pure self-interest",.....and come back to American values, family values and "ethical altruism".
This is the wealthiest country in the world.
There IS enough for us to help our neighbors in need.
Let's support our fellow American citizens as they recover from hurricane Sandy.
God bless America,...God bless the PEOPLE of America.
Vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden on Tuesday November 6th 2012
The people voting for Romney don't even know what FEMA is Serfdom. They could care less and don't believe in government emergency aid. (Even if they understood what it was)
Obama caused Sandy to hit the coast. He's responsible. Just wait for the ads. /s
Eric Cantor will make sure no one is helped in his district.
More time for shennanigans from the GOP voter suppressors.
Attacking Newvine participants (red head or not) is against the CoH....
And you are wrong, Romney will not be the President. Why you would be excited about such a liar being President anyway?. Remember, you are part of the 47% that Romney holds in such disdain.
You want to vote for someone who lies and disrespects you?... You'll get what you're givin'.
Maybe you should actually try to comprehend what he was saying when he talked about the 47%. The sentence started by talking about 'the 47% of the country that will vote for the President, no matter what'. Therefore, by thinking logically, anyone voting for Romney would NOT be part of that 47%! DOH
~~If you're not outraged by the direction of this country, you're just not paying attention~~
What a bastard Romney is,...to be focused on his underhanded campaign,...as the people are reeling from the damage inflicted by hurricane Sandy.
How callous of Romney to hold a "relief rally" in Ohio at this time !! OMG. Just think of that, so UNGODLY self-serving . He must think they are pret-ty gullible to not be able to see right through that. SHAMEFUL !!
BTW,...Mitt Romney wants to eliminate FEMA !! How ironic is this turn of events ?
Everyone should understand that Romney's finishing strategy is to simply bombard the media and everyone's senses with ads,...ads,...ads that speak negatively about the president. Romney's messages do not ring true and are just CONSERVATIVE PROPAGANDA. It has been their goal to oppose everything about Obama's administration since day one of his administration - unconditionally. It's all a power play on behalf of their wealthy corporate masters.
Obama has accomplished a lot given the circumstances he was handed due to years of failed conservative policies. OBAMA NEEDS AND DESERVES ANOTHER FOUR YEARS.
A time like this is the PERFECT example of why we need to continue to think of ourselves as a COUNTRY OF PEOPLE not simply investors and competing business interests.
NOW we may again see clearly what it means to be,..and to have,...and to NEED a neighbor.
It will be awkward to watch Mitt Romney try to feign conservative compassion for the citizens he plans to kick to the curb and abandon with his corporate welfare policies.
There IS a need for the guiding hand of government. There IS a need for taxes. There IS a need for social programs. There IS a reason to watch each other's back.
I don't know if it is God,...or just fate,...but THIS hurricane happened at THIS time before THIS election for a reason.
Our leaders' job is now to unite the people of the region to try to recover from this catastrophe. Should we think of this use of tax money as redistribution of wealth ? Where is the return for our investors ? Now that we are "all in it together",...we will all be in it together.
BUT as the GOP has seen the perfect financial storm gathering over the past generatrion all they can think of is how to distance themselves from those who are struggling. More tax breaks and bonuses and huge salaries and vacation home for ME,....and more pink slips and stagnant wages and less benefits for YOU.
BASTARDS >>>and that is to say they act like they have no country,...or no father,...or no family. The new right is uniquely un-American.
This is a country of "We the people".
If you care about your neighbor,....if you care about the majority of US citizens,....if you care for the America that was before this era of unprecedented greed and self-interest,...vote Obama/Biden on Tuesday, November 6th 2012.
Please, please, please,...come out to the polls and vote.
Say no to Ayn Rand's "ethical egoism and pure self-interest",.....and come back to American values, family values and "ethical altruism".
This is the wealthiest country in the world.
There IS enough for us to help our neighbors in need.
Let's support our fellow American citizens as they recover from hurricane Sandy.
God bless America,...God bless the PEOPLE of America.
Vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden on Tuesday November 6th 2012
serfdom101, Are you REALLY this STUPID?
Shock to Obama Camp: Gallup finds early voters favor Romney 52-47%
In what States is Romney leading Obama in early voting,
NONE. Boy you people try to make up stuff but its folk like me thats here to call you on it every time.
wrong - Florida
Go read Gallup shi&head. It is in ALL early voting so far.
What the hell are you ignorant poops going to do when obama is kicked out of office?
They will have to pry the ObamaPhone from their cold dead hand.
You stupid little fools.
OH early voting, Obama lead 60% to 30%.
BTW, You got that information from Brietbart.com (Conservative website). Gallup did a National Poll that says Romney leads in early voting. I repeat @!$%#head, National Poll that means all 50 states of early voting. Only a hand full of states will decide this election.
Fl Obama leads in early voting and leads in early voting in Iowa @!$%#head..
If Obama carry's OH, they is no way Romney going to win anway. Talking about some Gallup National Poll.
And since Obama is leading OH by 30 points early vote, sit back and watch Obama get re-elected next week. After next week, I'm done talking to all you idiots.
It would take an act of congress to delay the election ~ and that's not happening. It'll rain just as much on Romney's side of the fence as Obama's. Besides, this will all be history a week from today. What remains to be seen is how states with extended power outages will fire up their electronic voting machines in the many hundreds of precinct polling places. That could be the larger issue come Tuesday.
Wrong, Jim.......read the article again. It's the states that run elections. Many states (including here in Florida) have procedures on the books to delay elections in the event of a natural disaster.
~~If you're not outraged by the direction of this country, you're just not paying attention~~
Brian says Rasmussen nailed it in the 2008 election
Rasmussen didn't have Obama leading in most swing states, he had Mccain leading in OH, FL, VA and Tied in PA. What happen, Obama won all 4, I repeat, all 4 states and won them Huge.
How accurate is that for a Rasmussen Poll.
Keep hope alive Brian
This election result is all about the number. One number. The percentage of the electorate that can't think for themselves. Will the very same Lemmings run into the sea once again? Obama, however, has been right about one thing. Transparency. It's easy to see through shallow substance.