On Aug. 28, California Black Media held a briefing that focused on the attack on Black voting rights from the federal administration. Representatives of California-based civil and voting rights organizations came together to discuss how the federal administration is figuring out ways to violate people’s constitutional rights as elections are occurring in various states. They also discussed why over eighty percent of California voters –who vote by mail– can still do so as the November 3rd election is approaching.
This conversation comes swiftly after a federal court temporarily halted the U.S. Postal Service restrictions on mail-in ballots. Civil Rights activists suggest that the ruling is vital yet only a temporary measure before the November election arrives.
“The bottom line here is that the postal office should deliver ballots, not decide who receives one or which votes do not count. We’re gonna fight this attack at every point, at the mailbox, on the voter rolls, in the protection of personal data. We’re gonna fight for our communities, and we’re gonna fight in the courts, said Rick Callender, president of the California-Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP.
President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14399 and the Postal Service’s “Ballot Mail for Federal Elections” rule brought forth the restrictions. The rule requires election officials to use a federal website and follow new rules for federal ballot-mail envelopes. A federal judge issued a 14-day temporary order stopping key aspects of the rule while the court reviews a request for a temporary court order.
The Secretary of State, Shirley Weber, declined to hand over the state’s full voter-registration list without any information removed, referencing privacy concerns and federal and state law. California is currently involved in a lawsuit sparked by that, known as United States v. Weber.
The ACLU, the NAACP, and the League of Women Voters of California backed California in this litigation. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in January; the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed an appeal.
Deputy Director of the League of Women Voters of California, Dora Rose, said the latest ruling involving the Postal Service only offers a temporary success, stating, “USPS restrictions are blocked” as of now but the ruling is still an “important victory.”
Rick Owen, board leader of the California Association of Black Lawyers said, “Voting matters. If it didn’t matter, so much time, money, political energy and resources wouldn’t be spent trying to change the rules and keep people from voting and sending in their ballot. So whenever someone asks or says, ” My vote doesn’t count. Ask them one simple question. If our votes don’t matter, why are so many working so hard to keep us from casting them?”
Lisa Holder, a civil rights attorney and president of the Equal Justice Society, said, “Attacking mail-in voting is an attack on Black voters and voters from other communities. Black voters use mail-in voting more than white voters. Restricting mail-in voting would disproportionately harm Black voters.”
Despite what is happening under the federal administration, a growing number of people in California are calling for stricter voting rules. Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (R- Escondido) supports Proposition 39, one of the many propositions that are on the upcoming Nov. 3 election ballot. If passed, the measure would require voters to show a government-issued ID at the polls and provide additional identification for mail-in ballots. It would also require election officials to confirm each voter’s citizenship.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli has supported the administration’s election rules and said that some noncitizens are incorrectly registered to vote in California, as the state requires people to be U.S. citizens, and if they are not, they are subject to penalty under perjury.
