LAS VEGAS, NV – This month, the Supreme Court issued its first ruling and blocked the extension of the deadline for absentee voting in the Wisconsin primary. The Court’s decision to prohibit readjustments to election procedures amidst the current pandemic split the vote 5 to 4. This decision has forced Wisconsin voters to choose between their health and their civic duty.
In her dissenting opinion, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg writes that “the court’s order, I fear, will result in massive disenfranchisement because gathering at the polling place now poses dire health risks, an unprecedented number of Wisconsin voters — at the encouragement of public officials — have turned to voting absentee,” she writes that, “About one million more voters have requested absentee ballots in this election than in 2016. Accommodating the surge of absentee ballot requests has heavily burdened election officials, resulting in a severe backlog of ballots requested but not promptly mailed to voters.”
The Asian American Pacific Islander Democratic Caucus of Nevada strongly supports NV Dems efforts to protect our democratic process during this forthcoming election cycle. Improving mail voting, allowing for voter assistance, and expanding in-person polling locations ahead of the June primary election are all essential steps to allow our community to have our voices heard in the midst of this global pandemic. Our elected officials should be doing everything in their power to prevent the disaster that recently took place in Wisconsin by prioritizing the health and safety of our citizens and making the process as accessible and inclusive as possible. Communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by this pandemic on top of being historically disenfranchised. We strongly urge Secretary Cegavske to take immediate action to protect our community’s ability to exercise our civic duties while not having to sacrifice the public health and safety of Nevadans.
