Elections in Washington Likely to Change

In late June or early July the US Supreme Court will issue a ruling in the case of Watson v. Republican National Committee. During the oral arguments before the Court, experienced Court observers noted that the majority of right-wing members of the Court are disposed to overturn a Mississippi election law designed to help make sure people’s votes are counted.

The Mississippi law that is likely to be overturned allows mail-in ballots to be counted if they are postmarked by election day and are received within five days after election day. The challengers seeking to eliminate the Mississippi election law are the Republican National Committee, the Mississippi Republican Party, and the Mississippi Libertarian Party. Their argument was that the Mississippi law conflicts with federal laws that set the Tuesday after the first Monday in November as “election day.” This argument received favorable comments from right-wing members of the Court.

The Trump administration weighed in as a “friend of the Court” supporting the challengers to the Mississippi law. The Solicitor General of the US, appointed by the President, argued that the Mississippi law was too “general and permissive.” The Trump administration argued that the law was inconsistent with the laws passed by Congress in the 19th century.

The intention of the Trump administration has been made clear by the actions they are taking. The naked call for racist gerrymandering, along with the March 31 executive order authorizing the executive branch of government to determine voter eligibility, makes it crystal clear that the Trump administration and the Republican Party will resort to any means they can muster to retain their control of Congress, including restricting voter turnout and ignoring voter choices.

The expected decision by a majority of members of the Supreme Court on Watson v. Republican National Committee will have a significant impact on Washington’s vote-by-mail process. If the decision goes the way knowledgeable observers anticipate, we must do everything we can to make sure all of Washington’s eligible voters’ ballots are counted. Frequently, the ballots of Washington voters, postmarked on election day and arriving after election day, are from more progressive voters. We want to encourage Washington’s voters to cast their ballots so that they will be counted.

We will not await the Court decision. Beginning to educate as many Washington voters as we can about the likely change on the horizon is the reasonable path forward. We will not know for sure until the decision is issued if the anticipated majority decision impacts Washington’s consequential August primary. Ballots for the primary will arrive in our homes in mid-July.

But, even if the Supreme Court decision does not affect our August primary, it will have a large impact on the crucial November election. PSARA, as a member of the Standing for Democracy organization, will work to educate Washington voters beginning now (this article being one example). We will do what we can to let WA voters know that many of us must change our behavior related to getting our ballots cast on time. Voting the first week we get the ballot and immediately mailing the ballot is one possible action to take to ensure our votes will be counted. If you don’t mail your ballot the first week you receive it, it is advisable to put the ballot directly into a ballot drop box in case there are delays in stamping a postmark and/or late deliveries that might interfere with our votes being counted.

Each of us can spread the word. Our vote is a precious right and the autocrats ruling our country are trying to consolidate their control of government policies. They know what they are doing does not have the support of a majority of people in our country.

Acting vigilantly to protect people’s right to vote and have their vote count is a necessary step in our resistance to autocratic/fascist domination.