Vote-By-Mail

Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections with Common Cause, said decisions about how to handle voting during a pandemic are not easy but “have to be made.” “There is no waiting it out,” Albert said, noting that as more time passes, the shorter the window for educating voters about any changes becomes. “As a state legislator, as a secretary of state, as a governor, you are responsible for ensuring that voters can access the ballot. By not moving ahead, they’re really abdicating their responsibility to the voters.”

Suzanne Almeida, the interim executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, a nonpartisan organization working for good government, says she worries that some election lawsuits could make it harder for people to vote. “I am always concerned when I see legal filings or policies that are designed to make it more difficult for people to vote. We know that the June 2 primary was challenging for a lot of folks—for voters, for election administrators,” she says. “Ultimately, our goal at Common Cause is to make sure that every eligible voter can cast a ballot and not create an atmosphere that scares people away or makes it more difficult for them to get to the ballot box.” “We have time, we have political will” to make changes, Almeida says. “Ensuring that we have an election that works for everyone from election administrators to voters is something that I think both Republicans and Democrats in Pennsylvania have demonstrated that they want to get behind.”

Richard Beliles, Common Cause Kentucky board chairman, said the primary “went remarkably smoothly for most who made it to the polls but certainly not for all.” “We don’t know how many never made it to the polls in the first place in an election where many counties -– including those encompassing Louisville and Lexington — had only one polling location for voters,” he said.

Lines were short all day in Louisville, though, with reporters on site noting the process appeared to be running mostly smoothly. “I’m really happy people didn’t have that much trouble,” Richard Beliles, the chairman of the board of Common Cause Kentucky who was in Louisville observing the polls, said. “The only problem was cars [coming in].”

Today’s primary election went remarkably smoothly for most who made it to the polls but certainly not for all. And we don’t know how many never made it to the polls in the first place in an election where many counties – including those encompassing Louisville and Lexington – had only one polling location for voters. Too many Kentuckians never received the mail-in ballots they requested. As a result, many older voters and other citizens at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 had to choose between risking their safety or giving up their right to vote.

Sarah Goff, Deputy Director at Common Cause New York, said the primary election process has moved “remarkably smoothly” so far, given the challenges, though people may have to wait two to three weeks to know Tuesday's official results. “So we just ask voters and candidates for patience,” Goff said. “And it’s more important that the local boards of elections take the time they need to get the count right and make sure every vote is counted.”