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Color Of Change PAC: Wisconsin results show mail-in voting possible and necessary

The following statement can be attributed to Rashad Robinson, spokesperson for Color Of Change PAC, in response to election results from Wisconsin’s primary released this week, following the dangerous decision by Republicans last week to block delay of in-person voting and the expansion of mail-in ballots.

“Voters in Wisconsin made their voices heard despite incredible barriers. The way they did it, and what they had to face, shows us three things.

“First, we can see that mail-in voting works. Facing this crisis and offered the choice, voters will trust and turn to mail-in ballots. Over a million were cast in Wisconsin, representing a huge growth over past elections. Mail-in ballots represented 80 percent of votes cast, up from the usual 10 percent. The cynical attacks on mail-in voting delivered by the president and other Republicans in recent weeks are a blatant attempt to continue the trend started by Wisconsin Republican officials to deny the vote to as many people as possible. They don’t want to empower voters — they fear them.

“Second, despite respectable overall turnout numbers, we are certain that the Republican insistence on holding the election and limiting mail-in voting did disenfranchise voters. Thousands of requested mail-in ballots were never delivered. Thousands of people faced the impossible choice of prioritizing their health or their civil rights. Many chose not to take the risk of standing in crowded voting lines on election day, or could not afford to spend hours waiting in line. We heard from one Color Of Change member who explained that although she requested a ballot on March 26, one never came. Immunosuppressed, she ultimately decided the risk to her health was too great to vote in person.

Finally, we also know that many people voted anyway, even with the risks and the absurd lines, especially in the city of Milwaukee, home to a majority of the state’s Black voters. Some Color Of Change members reported having to stand in line for 3-4 hours when their mail-in ballots did not come in time. We won’t know for weeks what it cost them. It will be important for us to keep an eye on the progress of COVID-19 in Wisconsin, and in Milwaukee in particular, in the weeks ahead to truly understand how this blatantly immoral ploy by Republicans and their allies in the judiciary directly harmed the health and safety of our community. Whatever we learn should count heavily towards how the states and federal government conduct elections in the months ahead.”

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Color Of Change PAC is a Political Action Committee focused on building independent Black political power, amplifying Black voices, electing candidates who share our values, and holding them accountable to our communities. For more information on Color Of Change PAC, visit votingwhileblack.com.