Voters React to Mail-In Ballot Ruling
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) The Supreme Court handed President Trump a win on Monday in his fight to impose restrictions on mail-in voting.
The United State Supreme Court Justices voted 6-3.
The vote lifts a lower court injunction and paves the way for President Trump to impose restrictions on mail-in ballots, but due to other court orders, it won't impact the upcoming Nov. 3rd midterm election.
"Today, the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door for the Trump Administration to try to make it harder for Americans to vote. But today's decision was not a ruling on the merits, and this fight is far from over," California Attorney General Bonta shared Monday. "As I have said from the beginning, the U.S. Constitution gives the President no authority over how states administer their elections. We will continue to use every legal tool at our disposal to fight back against unlawful federal overreach whenever it occurs."
The president signed an executive order in the spring that instructs the Department of Homeland Security to create lists of U.S. citizens that will be sent to states before an election.
It would make it a priority to investigate ballots coming from people who are not listed as eligible to vote.
It would require states to give the United States Postal Service a list of voters who will be mailed ballots and it would prohibit those not on the list from getting a ballot in the mail.
The Santa Barbara Clerk Recorder Joe Holland said he is still reviewing the 37-page decision.
But he said the elections offices will not be doing anything different in November.
Holland said the mail-in voting will begin in early October.
We asked several voters for their reaction.
"I think that mail-in ballots are safe and valid and should be respected at all costs because it is peoples way of voting," said Anjali Vincelette.
"My first thought is if he is challenging mail in ballots it probably hurt him in some way I don't know the full research on it, but knowing the track record with the president they probably hurt him," said Joaquin Santamaria.
But Santamaria said he prefers to vote in person.
805 Patriots founder Charles DiMauro would like to see Election Day become a holiday that allows people to go to the polls to vote.
"I honestly believe this is a very big stepping stone for President Trump for voting here in United States, but honestly I believe that mail-in ballots shouldn't even be a thing, or at least be very few of them for people that actually need them, um, voting day should be a national holiday where everything has to be shut down everyone does not have an excuse to go vote go in person with a voter ID, simple as that," said DiMauro.
Mail in voting for Tuesday November 3rd begins in early October.
People are welcome to register to vote untl 15 days before the election.
The last day to register in this election is Oct. 19.
You can register in person or online.
For more information visit https://RegisterToVote.ca.gov.
