1. I'm not entirely sure. Last year they said they interviewed about 180 kids, and there are about 10 kids per interview. They interview on Mondays and Fridays, with a few skipped (I think), and December 1st is a little more than 12 weeks away. Considering all this, it seems as if roughly one set of interview invites per week would be logical, but I don't know if they only send out ten at a time. They could send out more, or possibly fewer. Last year's thread would be the best place to check.
2. This election is an absolute dumpster fire. I haven't decided if I will vote based on strategy or based on conscience, and the two options yield very different choices. Hillary Clinton would essentially ensure that the next 4 years will be as similar to the last 8 as far as what can be controlled by the POTUS. I've done just fine, my parents haven't lost their jobs, and big bad China, Mexicans, Muslims, free trade, intellectually disabled people, women, decorated war veterans who are also Senators, North Korea etc have not ruined my life (I think you get the picture here). So in terms of strategy, in order to avoid the instability and uncertainty of a self aggrandizing buffoon who is at odds with "his own" party on many issues, not to mention at war with any semblance of the truth, and whom I think would make a disastrous President, I would vote for Hillary Clinton for all of her drawbacks (of which they are many, but at least if she's President I can sleep at night and my life will not suddenly or drastically change).
This is very much at odds with what I would do if I were to vote my conscience, with would mean casting a vote for Gary Johnson. While the Libertarian Party is a little out there, and full of preposterously stubborn hardliners, I feel like Gary Johnson strikes a good balance with fiscal conservativism, a stance that any reasonable human being would have on social issues, antipathy towards bloated Washington beauracracy, and international and environmental policies. While he stands no chance of actually being elected, it would be cool to see him reach the poll threshold to participate in debates, and shed some light on the party and the movement to restore individual liberties and more efficient government, while giving it a reasonable, successful, and not insane face.
I live in CT, a pretty safe blue state, so I'll have to track the polls closer to November to see if I need to cast a vote for Hillary to stop Trump from having any chance at CT's electoral haul. If I don't have to vote for her, I won't. If I have to, I will even though my views probably align more with Johnson than her's.
