Election officials get mail-in voting clarity after Supreme Court decision

Amna Nawaz:

Voters and elections officials have more clarity today around mail-in voting ahead of the November midterms. That comes after the Supreme Court last night blocked the Trump administration from imposing new restrictions on mail ballots.

In a brief unsigned order, the justices left in place a lower court ruling that prevents the U.S. Postal Service from requiring specialized ballot envelopes and collecting sensitive voter information. The legal battle has upended state and local election plans, as some voters have already received their mail ballots with Election Day just seven weeks from today.

Joining us now is Tammy Patrick. She's the chief executive officer of programs at the National Association of Election Administrators. She was also an elections official herself in Arizona for 11 years.

Tammy, welcome back. Thanks for joining us.

Tammy Patrick, National Association for Election Administrators: Thank you so much for having me.

Amna Nawaz:

So from the conversations you have had with state election officials today, what has been the reaction to this latest Supreme Court ruling?

Tammy Patrick:

There's, quite honestly, a collective sigh of relief, because it was almost an impossible ask to have election officials try and implement this rule in this late hour. As you mentioned, ballots have already gone out in the mail.

And so I think everyone is a little bit relieved that we don't have to do this for the November election, and they can focus on the tasks at hand and getting prepared for what is to come.

Amna Nawaz:

Even after the ruling, we should note one election official worried that this is far from over. We have seen the Department of Justice send threatening letters to dozens of states to get voter data. Attorney General Todd Blanche was in the Rose Garden today taking questions, and he said that ongoing investigations into illegal voting will continue.

He went on to say this. Take a listen.

Todd Blanche, U.S. Attorney General:

There should be nothing surprising about what we're trying to do when it comes to mail-in voting, which is we want to make sure that there is safe voting and that there is integrity, free and fair elections, and that there is one person placing one vote and that that person's eligible to vote.

Amna Nawaz:

Tammy, what other actions are elections officials preparing for or anticipating?

Tammy Patrick:

Well, our election professionals that conduct our elections are steadfast in maintaining the rule of law in their states and upholding their state statutes to make sure that only eligible voters are voting, but that all eligible voters have the ability to free and fairly and unencumbered participate in the process.

So they're continuing to do all of the things they've done in the past to safeguard our elections and make sure that election officials all across the country are ready and prepared in this moment to serve their voters and to serve their electorate.

It's important for voters to understand that, although this rule has not gone in place, there are still safety measures and security measures in place to make sure that voting by mail, voting early in person, or going to the polls on Tuesday on the 3rd of November are all safe and viable options for election officials, as well as for voters all across the country.

Amna Nawaz:

Attorney General Blanche was also asked if the president's challenges and all the court rulings have left people confused about whether or not they can reliably use mail ballots. He said he was not concerned about any confusion.

Are you?

Tammy Patrick:

Voters are confused by what the options are.

So it's important for them to know that the rules in place in their states remain. And so the rule has not gone into effect. Whatever rules were in place yesterday are in place today all across the country. The one thing I will say that is slightly different this time around is that some of the transportation routes for the Postal Service have changed.

So, some of the mail is taking a little bit longer. So make sure that anyone who does want to vote by mail, that you make that request early and get the ballot returned, given whatever options you have available in your state, a drop box, or if you're going to mail it back via the Postal Service, get it back early.

Amna Nawaz:

Tammy, in the minute or so we have left, what's your takeaway for folks who are confused about all this who want to use mail ballots? What should they do to make sure that their vote is counted?

Tammy Patrick:

The most important thing for voters to do in this moment is check with your state and local election officials, check with their Web Sites.

If you have questions, contact them, reach out to them. Don't necessarily believe everything you see on social media. And just make sure that the information you get, that you read it thoroughly, and be consistent in how you sign your name. Make sure you fill out the ballot and the information correctly and fully, and you then you will be fine.

As long as you make a plan and stick to it, you should have no problem participating in the November election.

Amna Nawaz:

All right, that is Tammy Patrick from the National Association of Election Administrators.

Tammy, thank you so much. Good to speak with you.

Tammy Patrick:

Thank you so much for having me.