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Despite coronavirus, Wisconsin is holding an election Tuesday. It could hold lessons for Pa. and N.J.
“This is an election where decision-makers failed to plan for what an election can look like in the midst of a crisis. As a result of that, we have an opportunity to really learn some lessons if we act now,” said Shauntay Nelson, Wisconsin director for All Voting Is Local. The shift to absentee voting is “not something that anyone in the state planned for, because that’s not the way we are used to in Wisconsin.”
WKSU: How To Vote-By-Mail In Ohio’s Extended Primary
"Unfortunately this proposed date of April 28 is just simply unacceptable," says Mike Brickner, state director of All Voting Is Local. Voter rights advocates say this process is cumbersome and requires too much interaction with the postal service which can take time.
South Florida Sun Sentinel: Coronavirus is generating a surge of interest in voting by mail in the 2020 presidential election. It’s not a panacea.
Hannah Fried, national campaign director of All Voting is Local, a campaign affiliated with the the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and other civil rights organizations said expanded access to vote by mail would help every voter to vote. But, Fried said, it isn’t a solution by itself. “It’s so critical to ensure in-person voting options for people this year and not just default to vote by mail. It’s also why it’s so important for state and local elections officials to undertake widespread aggressive voter education campaigns."
Cleveland Scene: Groups Say New Plan for Ohio’s Primary Falls Short, Voting Should Extend Into May
Mike Brickner, state director with All Voting is Local Ohio, says it's too tight of a timeline for voters to request an absentee ballot and send it back to boards of elections. "Systems are not operating in an optimal way," says Brickner.
Talking Points Memo: Ohio Governor, Secretary Of State Split Over Restrictive Primary Voting Bill
Mike Brickner, Ohio director for All Voting is Local, condemned the legislature’s plan. He predicted that county boards of elections would be flooded with absentee ballot requests, an issue compounded by their operating with a “skeleton staff.” He added that even if LaRose gets the postcards out to voters by the first week of April — a best-case “breakneck speed” scenario — unless the postal service, overwhelmed elections board and voters act quickly and completely accurately, many ballots will likely blow the deadline.
Politico: Ohio to run all-mail primary through April 28
Voting rights groups immediately expressed concern over the new primary, arguing that it disenfranchised voters. “The April 28 deadline is unworkable,” tweeted Mike Brickner, the Ohio state director of the group All Voting is Local. “It will take time to print & send out postcards to 7.2 million Ohioans. Every piece of mail typically takes 3-5 days. Not sending an app directly to voters draws out already tight timeline.”