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Southern Coalition for Social Justice

Southern Coalition for Social Justice

Partnering with communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities in the south to defend and advance their political, social and economic rights through the combination of legal advocacy, research, organizing and communications.

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Statement from the Voting Rights Working Group on Counting Every Vote in the 2020 Election

WASHINGTON D.C. — As we near the end of this general election, the will of the people must be respected. In record numbers and in the face of a global pandemic, Americans voted early and on Election Day, and availed themselves of mail-in voting. But the right to vote includes the right to have your vote counted.

November 11, 2020 by Tazeen Dhanani Focus Area: Voting Rights

Art by Celeste Byers for Amplifier

PRESS STATEMENT
November 10, 2020 

Media Contact: Juan Martinez
media@naacpldf.org, 212-965-2200

WASHINGTON D.C. — As we near the end of this general election, the will of the people must be respected. In record numbers and in the face of a global pandemic, Americans voted early and on Election Day, and availed themselves of mail-in voting. But the right to vote includes the right to have your vote counted.

As is the case in every election, the process to count votes takes time and extends beyond Election Day. That is particularly true because of overseas military ballots and the right that some voters have to cure trivial errors with their ballots. Election officials and ballot counters across the nation are to be commended for their ongoing efforts to ensure that every vote is counted and that the fundamental elements of our democracy are protected.

Over the last week, however, these ballot counters have been assailed by death threats and intimidation. Their reputations have been sullied and, in some cases, their personal information posted online. This follows a pattern of voter intimidation and suppression that has marked this entire electoral season—from refusals to expand mail voting and suspend onerous witness and notary requirements during the pandemic to caravanning in and around polling sites, sometimes with weapons of war. Such attacks have no place in our nation and must be repudiated by elected officials in the strongest of terms.

As members of the VRWG, we have full confidence in the outcome of this election, the ballot counting processes established by state laws, and the commitment of our election officials to count every vote. They are true patriots, and we stand with them as they work to ensure every vote is properly counted.

###

The Voting Rights Working Group is a loose consortium of 12 of the nation’s most prominent and experienced non-profit organizations pursuing voting rights litigation on behalf of racial minorities. Our member organizations are non-partisan legal advocacy groups with decades of experience in using the law to promote and protect the voting rights of people of color. Our member organizations are:

  • American Civil Liberties Union
  • Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
  • Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC
  • Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles
  • Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law
  • Demos
  • LatinoJustice PRLDEF
  • Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
  • MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund)
  • NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
  • Native American Rights Fund
  • Southern Coalition for Social Justice

Category iconPress Release,  Recent News,  Voting Rights

Next Article: Voter Turnout in 2020 Leads to Monumental Election
Previous Article: Statement from Members of the Voting Rights Working Group on Voter Integrity and the 2020 Elections

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SAVE THE DATE: Fri, 1/29, Mitch Brown, our VR Counsel & @EJW_org Fellow sponsored by the Ottinger Foundation will be a panelist during the George Henry White Day Program hosted by the Phoenix Historical Society! Visit our FB or LinkedIn pages to learn more and for the Zoom link. pic.twitter.com/TMNc…

About 2 days ago

SAVE THE DATE: Sat, 2/27, from 9AM-noon CST, @AllisonJRiggs will be speaking on a panel about #redistricting. Hosted by @LWVLouisiana, this convention is free, open to the public & incredibly important to attend as redistricting occurs this year. Register: bit.ly/3sLX10F pic.twitter.com/FabD…

About 2 days ago

Congressman John Lewis spent his life fighting for racial justice & voting rights. We teamed up w/ @Participant @MagnoliaPics & @JohnLewisDoc to #MakeGoodTrouble in the record-breaking election. To our fellow good troublemakers: we're just getting started. bit.ly/goodtroubleca…

About 3 days ago

Mitch Brown, our VR Counsel & @EJW_org Fellow sponsored by the Ottinger Foundation, spoke w/ @NCPolicyWatch about voting while on felony probation or parole: those who do so can be prosecuted for voting illegally even if they don’t know they’re ineligible. bit.ly/3sIQunB

About 3 days ago

1. Today, we filed an amicus brief to protect voters’ rights in Arizona. In 2016, Arizona lawmakers passed laws limiting ballot collection and out-of-precinct voting to make it easier for local and state government officials to discriminate against voters of color.

About 4 days ago

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