Elections are run by the states — that’s what the Constitution says. Trump says he wants to put an end to mail in ballots and to otherwise interfere with elections. And while there is legally nothing he can do to stop it, illegality won’t stop him from trying. So, he’ll intimidate state and local election boards to limit or ban mail-in ballots. In Vermont, our secretary of state and director of elections have already stated they will resist any efforts of the executive branch to interfere with elections, and based on past performance, there’s a darned good chance that our Republican governor won’t comply. We can assume that many most boards controlled by Republicans will capitulate. That means that those controlled by Democrats must stand strong.
Trump can’t change the law, so he hopes that his fearmongering about mail-in voting will cause a decline in the practice. That it will become unavailable in some places and that some people who can’t cast ballots in-person will choose to not vote at all.
We can’t let that happen. There are no problems with mail-in voting. It’s an important way for millions of Americans to be able to exercise their right to vote. We must defend it everywhere — in the courts and in the court of public opinion. We must urge our state and local officials to uphold it. We must urge our members of Congress to advocate for it as well. We cannot let Trump and the vote suppressors win.
Denise Maria Fontaine