The Media and the Democrats have really pushed the mail in voting due to fears of COVID. The Democrats want more lenient rules and the Republicans argue that lenient rules will lead to more abuse and fraud.
Supreme Court Allows Longer Deadlines for Absentee Ballots in Pennsylvania and North Carolina
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By Adam Liptak Published Oct. 28, 2020Updated Oct. 30, 2020, 9:59 a.m.
WASHINGTON — In a pair of decisions welcomed by Democrats, the Supreme Court on Wednesday let election officials in two key battleground states, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, accept absentee ballots for several days after Election Day.
In the Pennsylvania case, the court refused a plea from Republicans in the state that it decide before Election Day whether election officials can continue receiving absentee ballots for three days after Nov. 3.
In the North Carolina case, the court let stand lower court rulings that allowed the state’s board of elections to extend the deadline to nine days after Election Day, up from the three days called for by the state legislature.
The court’s brief orders in the two cases were unsigned. The Pennsylvania order appeared to be unanimous, while the North Carolina one was issued over three noted dissents. Read more…
It appears there are inconsistencies with the mail-in ballots. The Supreme court is allowing some states to have more time, while other states are not allowed more time even though requested. In Wisconsin, mail-in ballots must be received by election day. A federal district court had allowed Wisconsin to receive ballots six days after the election but the federal appeals court blocked the order and the higher court upheld the blocking.
Why the Supreme Court let some states count mail-in ballots received after Election Day but not others
By Ariane de Vogue, CNN Supreme Court Reporter Updated 5:20 PM ET, Thu October 29, 2020
(CNN)In the final days before the presidential election, the Supreme Court has been pelted with requests from parties in battleground states seeking last-minute approval to change election rules, especially regarding whether mail-in votes can arrive after Election Day and still be counted. The court, issuing some of the orders after hours, has navigated a minefield with justices seeking consensus and coherence where possible, hindered without the benefit of a full briefing schedule. The situation was complicated by the fact that emergency requests came in before and just after Justice Amy Coney Barrett took the bench.
On the face of it sometimes the orders seemed contradictory. In North Carolina, ballots can arrive up to nine days after Election Day; in Pennsylvania, ballots can arrive up to three days late — for now; and in Wisconsin, the court said ballots must be in by election night. Some themes have emerged. It is now clear that four conservative justices are ready to take a sharp right turn when it comes to the power of state legislatures to set the rules for elections. In addition, Chief Justice John Roberts served as swing vote at times, but still worked to preserve the court’s institutional legitimacy, and the liberals on the bench again expressed their fear that the pandemic could disenfranchise voters in some states. Read more…
The Media and Google are pushing that President Trump’s claims of mail-in voter fraud are impossible. However, ABC13 reports:
Texas official and 3 others indicted on 134 felonies in mail-in ballot fraud case
Thursday, September 24, 2020
KILGORE, Texas (KTRK) — With top Republicans, including the president, bringing up claims of fraud involving voting-by-mail, indictments announced Thursday against a Democratic county commissioner in East Texas appear to bolster those accusations.
The office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced 134 felony charges were filed against Gregg County Commissioner Shannon Brown and three co-defendants in connection to an alleged vote harvesting scheme involving a Democratic primary in 2018.
According to Paxton’s office, Brown and others targeted “young, able-bodied” voters to cast ballots by mail by fraudulently claiming the voters were “disabled,” in most cases without the voters’ knowledge or consent. The indictments claim this was done to increase the pool of ballots needed to swing the race in Brown’s favor.
In recent months, Paxton, a Republican, has led the charge in quelling vote-by-mail opportunities that he believes violates state law, citing those ballots are “specifically reserved for those who are physically ill and cannot vote in-person as a result.”
There is an ongoing court battle between Paxton and Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins involving the latter sending unsolicited vote-by-mail applications to more than two million registered voters.
“It is an unfortunate reality that elections can be stolen outright by mail ballot fraud. Election fraud, particularly an organized mail ballot fraud scheme orchestrated by political operatives, is an affront to democracy and results in voter disenfranchisement and corruption at the highest level,” said Paxton. “Mail ballots are vulnerable to diversion, coercion, and influence by organized vote harvesting schemes. This case demonstrates my commitment to ensuring Texas has the most secure elections in the country, and I thank the Gregg County Sheriff and District Attorney for their continued partnership. Those who try to manipulate the outcome of elections in Texas must be held accountable.”
The vote-by-mail issue has been prominently voiced by Pres. Trump, who went as far as admitting to blocking U.S. Postal Service funding to stop mail-in ballots.
Like Paxton, Trump claims the possibility of voter fraud. Democrats, however, contend voter suppression in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Back in May, the Texas Supreme Court ruled a fear of the virus is not a valid reason to request a mail-in ballot.
As for the Gregg County case, the charges against the group include engaging in organized election fraud, illegal voting, fraudulent use of an application for a mail-in ballot, unlawful possession of a mail-in ballot, tampering with a governmental record, and election fraud. Paxton’s office said the penalties for these offenses range from six months in state jail to 99 years in prison.
The Constitution Mobile encourages voters to consider all of these questionable situations. We at the Constitution Mobile believe it is best that you vote early in person if available or vote in person on election day if at all possible. This is the safest and most secure way to cast your vote.