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U.S. NEWS Monday 7 SepteMber 2020
Voting in person Nov. 3? Expect drive-thrus, sports arenas

By SOPHIA EPPOLITO at the Massachusetts Insti-
Associated Press tute of Technology.
Report for America In Los Angeles, Dodger Sta-
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Vot- dium will be used as a vote
ing will look a little different center as part of a joint ef-
this November. States are fort with More Than A Vote,
turning to stadiums, drive- a voting rights organization
thrus and possibly even launched by LeBron James
movie theaters as safe op- that's dedicated to maxi-
tions for in-person polling mizing Black turnout in No-
places amid the corona- vember. Many Black voters
virus pandemic and fears — one of the Democratic
about mail-in ballots failing Party's most important vot-
to arrive in time to count. ing groups — are wary of
The primary season brought voting by mail amid histori-
voters to an outdoor wed- cal skepticism of a system
ding-style tent in Vermont that tried to keep Black
and the state fairgrounds people from the polls and
in Kentucky. The general worries that a mailed ballot
election on Nov. 3 is ex- won't get counted.
pected to include voting Several teams, including
at NBA arenas around the the Milwaukee Bucks, De-
country, part of an agree- troit Pistons and Atlanta
ment owners made with In this Aug. 11, 2020, file photo, a voter casts a ballot at a drive-thru voting station in the Barre Civic Hawks, had already com-
players to combat racial Center in Vermont's statewide primary in Barre, Vt. Associated Press mitted their arenas to be
injustice. voting sites prior to the
Large venues and outdoor changes at the U.S. Postal polling places. tive voting methods. NBA's announcement last
spaces allow for social dis- Service and President Don- One suburban Salt Lake "The more options for voting week.
tancing that helps prevent ald Trump stoking unfound- City county ran a primary in terms of mechanisms or Madison Square Garden
the spread of the virus, ed claims of voter fraud. polling place where voters ways that people can ex- also will be among the
though there are questions Several states conduct their drove through an indoor ercise their franchise I think sports stadiums used.
about keeping people elections almost entirely by convention center to pick is helpful," said Berbert, who The idea to use large
warm as the weather gets mail, and mail-in voting is up their ballots, completed lives in Layton, Utah, and spaces for in-person voting
cold and the possibility that well established in others. them in their cars and then works at a management started in Kentucky, where
fewer traditional neighbor- In June, Utah broke voter dropped them off in an consulting firm. Louisville's only option in
hood polling places could turnout records despite outdoor parking area. Da- Less than 1% of Utah voters the June primary was an
lower voter turnout. not opening traditional vis County Clerk Curtis Koch chose in-person options in exposition center at the
Election Day is expected to polling places because of said the system will be in June, according to elec- state fairgrounds. Organiz-
bring a surge in mail-in vot- the virus. In-person voting place for the general elec- tion officials. But in states ers carefully laid out chalk
ing, but some people may will be back in November, tion, too. where voters are less famil- markings where voters
feel more comfortable but rather than only us- Chad Berbert, a 46-year- iar with mail-in voting, un- could safely stand in line,
casting their ballots in per- ing schools, churches and old Republican, said he'll orthodox in-person options though there were compli-
son amid concerns about public buildings like usual, probably vote by mail in will provide a safe alterna- cations as voters struggled
recent mail delays follow- clerks also are permitted to the fall, but he's glad of- tive, said Charles Stewart, a to find parking at the end
ing a series of operational set up drive-thru or outdoor ficials are offering alterna- political science professor of the day. q

El Chapo’s lawyers appeal his US drug conspiracy conviction

NEW YORK (AP) — The no- comment Saturday. confinement.
torious Mexican drug lord Guzman was sentenced At trial, Guzman's lawyers
Joaquin "El Chapo" Guz- last year to life behind bars argued he was the fall guy
man wants his U.S. conspir- in for a massive drug con- for other kingpins who were
acy conviction thrown out. spiracy that spread mur- better at paying off top
An appeal filed Friday ar- der and mayhem for more Mexican politicians and
gues that a judge made rul- than two decades. law enforcement officials
ings allowing a jury to hear Before the federal case, he to protect them.
faulty evidence at his trial. had attained near-mythi- "Chapo Guzman's pros-
It also cites reports that be- cal status by escaping from ecution was marred by
fore reaching a guilty ver- prison twice in Mexico, the rampant excess and over-
dict, some jurors sought out second time through a tun- reach, both governmen-
news accounts about sex nel dug into the shower of tal and judicial – needless
abuse allegations against his cell. resorts if he was really the
him that were barred from He was recaptured and kingpin extraordinaire his
the trial. sent in 2017 to the United adversaries insisted," the
Prosecutors declined to States and put in solitary appeal says.q
In this Jan. 19, 2017 file photo provided U.S. law enforcement,
authorities escort Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo"
Guzman, center, from a plane in Ronkonkoma, N.Y. On Friday,
linda.reijnders@cspnv.com Sept. 4, 2020, Guzman's attorneys filed an appeal to his U.S.
conspiracy conviction.
Associated Press