Today, Honest Elections Project Executive Director Jason Snead and Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE) President and CEO Derek Lyons released a statement after filing a joint amicus brief in Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans v. Clean Elections USA. The brief, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and entered on behalf of neither party, argues that states have an obligation to protect against voter intimidation in all its forms, including coercive and threatening behavior that arises in the context of mail voting. The brief also argues that any court ruling should recognize that states need the ability to craft rules that protect uniquely vulnerable mail ballots.
“Voter intimidation is wrong in every form. No one should have to brave intimidation or harassment when they vote, whether they choose to vote in person, by mail, or return their ballot to a drop box. What happens at polling places and drop boxes is only the tip of the iceberg. As mail voting has expanded, so have the opportunities for intimidation and fraud. Unlike the allegations in this case, intimidation by vote traffickers takes place out of sight, and often goes undetected. It is every bit as toxic to our democracy, however. States have an obligation to protect the voting process, particularly vulnerable mail ballots, so that voters can be confident they will be able to cast ballots safely and securely.”
