Fair Election in a Pandemic Without Vote By Mail?

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With undoubtedly, literally and figuratively, the most important and consequential election of our lifetime, will our constitutional right to vote become a choice of venturing out into the world of a second wave of COVID-19 joined up with the seasonal flu this fall
to possibly a reduced number of polling places due to explosion of coronavirus cases and deaths (over 100,000 currently in the US and counting), or to just stay home, be safe, and not vote?  

 

We must not let this happen.  Every Minnesotan who desires to vote, must be able to vote as if their life depended on it, one way or another.  We are now at a point of no return!

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The only way to safely, from our own home, exercise our right to vote for the candidates of our choice is to VOTE BY MAIL. I have used this method of voting previously and it is very easy and secure.  Registered voters can receive ballots by mail and other households can receive voter registration forms by mail.  But our lawmakers in St. Paul must act NOW! Time is of the essence.

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We do not want to follow in the footsteps of Wisconsin, their tragedy of at least 50 people, voters and poll workers, contracting COVID-19, in their brave quest to exercise their fundamental right to vote because of last minute court rulings that resulted in Vote By Mail ballots not being received by tens of thousands in time to vote. 
    
We must contact the governor asking for action NOW to ensure every registered voter is sent an election ballot.  Remember, we don't know how safe it will be to vote in person in November if waves of the virus (and flu) sweeps the country again.  VOTE BY MAIL in this election could save our democracy or, if not, could be the election that let our democracy slip away.

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Tim Gella
Blaine

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Editor’s note: At the time Tim wrote this letter, the last paragraph “ask” was to legislators and the Governor.  Now the Governor is the only one who could see that every registered voter gets a ballot mailed to their home.  So the “ask” has been modified.  Letters need to get to local papers NOW!
 

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