/Elections chief to appeal ruling that allows early voting for some during pandemic

Elections chief to appeal ruling that allows early voting for some during pandemic

Late Wednesday’s ruling by Chancellor Denise Owens stated that people with pre-existing conditions which could be made worse by the coronavirus may vote early, either in person at the circuit clerk’s office or via mail. Owens did not grant a request from a group Mississippi voters for all COVID-19-related safety concerns to vote early. The ruling of the judge was made in response to a lawsuit brought by the Mississippi Center for Justice and the ACLU of Mississippi. Watson, who was also a defendant in this case and oversees elections in Mississippi said that his office will appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court in an effort to get more guidance from the courts regarding who can vote early during the pandemic. According to the groups that filed the lawsuit, they will file a cross-appeal. Rob McDuff, director at the George Riley Impact Litigation of the Mississippi Center for Justice, stated that the court correctly ruled that Mississippi voters can vote absentee if their medical conditions will cause them to suffer severe consequences if they contract COVID-19. “But, we believe that the right to vote extends further and requires that absentee voters be available to all Mississippi residents who follow public health guidance. Owens’ ruling was based on a state law provision that allows people to vote early if they have a temporary or permanent disability that puts them or others in danger at the polling station. The Legislature modified that provision earlier this year to allow people to vote early if they are under a quarantine imposed by a doctor because of the coronavirus. Some wondered how the change would affect the existing provision. Others argued that people could vote early if they had a temporary disability. Because health professionals at both the national and state levels had warned people to avoid crowds, the lawsuit claimed that the legislation change should allow everyone the right to vote early. Owens, however, refused to allow anyone to vote early due to COVID-19. Watson stated that he was appealing to “encourage clarification for our circuit clerks so they can understand exactly what constitutes a temporary disability according to the statute.” Because of Mississippi’s limited early voting laws, this lawsuit is one of two. Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Southern Poverty Law Center filed a lawsuit last week in federal court for Southern District of Mississippi. This lawsuit was filed on behalf of residents of the state and organizations that claim the absentee voting rules of the state are unconstitutional as they could affect the health of those who tried to vote during the COVID-19 epidemic. According to the second lawsuit, Mississippi is among six states that “does not allow legitimate fear of COVID-19 illness to be used as an excuse for requesting an absentee vote.” According to the lawsuit, Mississippi’s laws and regulations are not in compliance with federal Centers for Disease Control and Preventions guidelines that were created to ensure voter safety. Mississippi was one of a few states that didn’t allow early voting by mail or in person, even before the pandemic. Mississippi requires that a person over 65, disabled or from another state be able to vote early. Mississippi is the only state that requires both a ballot application form and a notarized ballot for mail-in voting.