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U.s. news Diahuebs 17 september 2020

Judge: Louisiana must return to pandemic mail-in voting

(AP) — Louisiana must re- for their voting rights and our opinion was “really mea- evidence” to back up claims COVID-19-related catego-
instate coronavirus pandemic democracy," Gov. John Bel sured,” boiling down to “just that expanding mail-in vot- ries — and they made up less
voting plans used for summer Edwards said in an emailed go back and do what you did ing would make fraud more than 0.4% of total votes.
elections rather than using statement. Edwards, a Dem- in July and August,” Edwards likely. “Strikingly absent is “Simple arithmetic indi-
a more restrictive plan pro- ocrat, had rejected the more said during his monthly call- even a hint of fraud in the cates that a continuation of
posed by the Louisiana secre- restrictive plan proposed by in radio show. Ardoin issued July and August primaries, the COVID-19 excuses for
tary of state and approved by Republican Secretary of State a two-sentence statement by where expanded mail voting mail voting would result in
the Legislature for elections Kyle Ardoin and passed by email: “We have received and was available to voters with an additional 8,400 mail bal-
in November and December, the Republican-dominated are currently reviewing Judge COVID-19 comorbidities, lots,” she wrote. Dick said
a federal judge has ruled. Legislature. “No one should Dick’s ruling. A decision as to caretakers, and others,” she that disproves claims that al-
“The state’s failure to provide have to risk their health or how to proceed will be made wrote. lowing the same reasons for
accommodation for pandem- their life to vote, and I am re- after careful consideration State Commissioner of Elec- later elections “would wreak
ic-affected voters is likely lieved that the court agrees," of the facts is weighed with tions Sherri Wharton Had- havoc on the integrity of the
unconstitutional because it Edwards continued. "Simply the fact that absentee voting skey testified that she was system.”
imposes an undue burden on put: COVID-19 remains a currently (is) underway for already worried that workers
Plaintiffs’ right to vote,” U.S. serious problem in Louisiana some voters, and early voting wouldn't be able to tabulate Plaintiffs Jennifer Hard-
District Chief Judge Shelly and voting should not be a mere weeks away.” results on Nov. 3 because ing, who cares for her 71-
Dick of Baton Rouge wrote super spreader event.” State plans to require poll requests for mail-in ballots and 72-year-old parents and
in her opinion Wednesday. workers to wear protective from voters at least 65 years 93-year-old grandmother,
Dick said the state must al- equipment and to clean vot- old had surged from about and Jasmine Pogue, who has
The plan used in July and Au- low mail-in voting for people ing machines after each use 60,000 to nearly 165,000. asthma and a history of upper
gust, which had five pandem- with conditions that the U.S. don't go far enough, Dick “Be that as it may, a poten- respiratory infections, were
ic-related reasons for getting Centers for Disease Control wrote. She noted that voters tial expansion of mail voting told of the decision by email,
mail-in ballots, worked just and Prevention has listed as won't be required to mask to accommodate voters with said NAACP attorney Cath-
fine, she wrote. It “was not making people more vul- up, “social distancing is as- comorbidities or caretak- erine Mesa.
broken; the bumbling at- nerable to COVID-19, their pirational but cannot be as- ers has nothing whatsoever
tempts to fix what was not caretakers, and three other sured; and high anticipated to do with the state’s failure “Essentially the court relied
broken have brought us to to- groups. She also ordered ex- voter turnout will produce to be prepared to tabulate on medical evidence that we
day,” she said. “Today’s ruling pansion of early voting from long lines.” mail votes,” Dick wrote. She put forth regarding the risk
is a huge victory not only for seven days to 10 for the Nov. noted that in July, only 2% of posed by the pandemic,” she
the health and safety of the 3 presidential election but She said elections officials voters who used mail-in bal- said.
people of Louisiana, but also not for a Dec. 5 election. The didn't provide “a scintilla of lots were in one of the five

Biden says he trusts vaccines and scientists, not Trump

(AP) — Joe Biden said “I trust vaccines, I trust scien- first. His running mate, Ka- briefing Wednesday. Accord- got to be based on who is
Wednesday that while he tists, but I don’t trust Donald mala Harris, has said she ing to the proposal, first re- most vulnerable.” Biden also
trusts what scientists say Trump," Biden said, "and at wouldn’t trust Trump to be sponders and those “at the talked about his proposal to
about a potential coronavi- this moment, the American honest about the safety of any greatest risk” — including instate a national mask man-
rus vaccine, he doesn’t trust people can’t, either.” potential vaccine and wor- those in nursing homes and date, which he says could save
President Donald Trump. On Wednesday evening, ries that experts and scientists people with serious preex- tens of thousands of lives.
His comments come as the Trump raised new questions would be “muzzled” by the isting conditions — would When Biden first proposed
debate over a vaccine — how about the administration's president because he's so ea- get the vaccine first and not it, Trump decried the idea of
it will be evaluated and dis- rollout of a vaccine when he ger to get a vaccine approved necessarily people in minor- bringing “the full weight of
tributed when it’s ready — publicly contradicted the di- by his stated goal of Election ity communities, which have the federal government on
has taken center stage in the rector of the Centers for Dis- Day. The Trump campaign been disproportionately hit law-abiding Americans” to
presidential race with seven ease Control and Prevention, has accused Biden and Har- by the impacts of the virus. enforce mask-wearing.
weeks to go until the No- who said at a congressional ris of sowing doubt about a Biden said that “children,
vember election. hearing earlier Wednesday potential vaccine by express- ironically, might be the last During his event Wednesday,
that a vaccine wouldn’t be ing concerns that the approv- people to get the vaccine” Biden acknowledged that he
Trump and Biden have been broadly available to most al process could be tainted because it would take time wasn’t sure if he had the legal
trading accusations that the Americans until the summer by politics. On Wednesday, to safely test the vaccine on authority to sign an executive
other is undermining pub- of 2021. Trump said Biden has “start- them. "It has to be done fairly order imposing a federally
lic trust in a potential coro- ed talking negatively” because and well," he said of the vac- mandated nationwide mask
navirus vaccine. Biden has Trump said that CDC Di- “they know we have it or we cine distribution. “It can’t be mandate, but said he had
expressed concerns that the rector Robert Redfield had will soon have it, and the an- based on your tax returns, sought legal advice on the is-
vaccine approval process misspoken and that the U.S. swer to that is very soon.” figuratively speaking; it’s sue.
could be politicized, while could start distributing a vac- Biden, meanwhile, respond-
Trump and his allies coun- cine starting in mid-October. ed during his Delaware event
ter that such comments from “I think he made a mistake to the question of whether
Biden and other Democrats when he said that. I think it’s his comments could under-
are turning off the public to a just incorrect information,” mine trust in scientists.
potentially lifesaving vaccine Trump said of Redfield’s “No," Biden said, because
when it’s released. comments. “When he said it, Americans “know (Trump)
Biden, speaking in Wilm- I believe he was confused.” doesn’t have any respect for
ington, Delaware, after be- He said he called Redfield af- scientists.”
ing briefed by public health ter his testimony. “I think he He added that the vaccine ap-
experts about a potential just made a mistake. He just proval process should be “to-
vaccine, cited Trump’s “in- made a mistake. I think he tally transparent” and evalu-
competence and dishonesty” misunderstood the question, ated by a “board of scientists”
surrounding the distribution probably.” that could give the public an
of personal protective equip- For his part, Biden has said unbiased opinion.
ment and coronavirus test- he would take a vaccine “to- Biden also discussed a vaccine
ing. The U.S. “can't afford to morrow” if it were available distribution proposal crafted
repeat those fiascos when it but that he would want to by public health experts and
comes to a vaccine," he said. “see what the scientists said” shared with him during his