New calls rising to change the way Americans vote in the midst of a pandemic
WASHINGTON (SBG) -- Tuesday brought another unfamiliar sight in this unprecedented time - voters in Wisconsin waiting to cast their ballots in masks, with many more choosing to stay home in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The primary election in the Badger State was held, despite an attempt by the governor to cancel in-person voting and extend the deadline for people to turn in mail-in or absentee ballots. That move was blocked by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, later backed by the U.S. Supreme Court, blocked an attempt to suspend in-person voting and expand voting by mail.
The prospect of more scenes like this, raising questions of what to do nationwide if dangers don’t dissipate, with some raising concerns voting by mail could unfairly impact African American communities, especially in districts with large numbers of people in public housing.
“I think we have to ensure the integrity of those persons completing that application, a mail ballot, sending it in without getting undue influence but also making sure it’s the actual person sending it back in," said Rev. Alvin Hathaway, a pastor at the United Baptist Church, in Baltimore.
But voters in Washington State, have been using mail-in ballots for more than a decade, and Washington's Secretary of State says there are plenty of ways to ensure accuracy.
"We actually compare every single signature of every single ballot that comes in and we compare it and make sure that it matches the one on their voter registration record," said Kim Wyman, Washington's Republican Secretary of State.
The prospect of expanding the vote-by-mail option has become a hot topic in Washington D.C. Many Democrats are hoping to tie it to any future coronavirus-related funding bills, as more states' primaries have been postponed and the presidential election draws closer.
President Donald Trump has made no secret he’s against it.
"I think a lot of people cheat with mail-in voting. It shouldn’t be mail-in. It should be you go to a booth and you proudly display yourself," the president said when asked about it Friday during a White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing.
Even supporters say an overhaul to the system would need to begin as soon as possible.
"You have to deal with the capacity to mail out the ballots and then once they come back in ... do you have enough staff and machines to count the ballots in an efficient manner?" Wyman said.
These are just a few of many questions being raised as the country faces new concerns over health and safety, all during an election year.
