Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg issued a disturbing dissent on Monday as the conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court intervened in Tuesday’s upcoming Wisconsin election with a move she warned could result in “massive disenfranchisement.”
The election, which includes the Democratic presidential primary, a Wisconsin Supreme Court race, and a raft of other local campaigns, has become embroiled in controversy as observers warn the coronavirus pandemic threatens the safety and integrity of the election. While Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has pushed to delay the election until June in light of the pandemic, the Republican-dominated legislature has refused to act, apparently believing the chaos caused by the crisis will depress turnout and benefit the GOP.
A federal district court had previously stepped in and issued a ruling extending the deadline for the state to accept absentee ballots because, due to the pandemic, demand for such ballots has surged. Some fear that not all eligible voters will receive their ballots by April 7, election day, so the lower court had ruled that any ballot that was mailed in to the state by April 13 would be valid. Continue reading.