The Supreme Court just rejected a Republican effort to make it harder to vote in Rhode Island.
The Supreme Court just handed a defeat to the Republican Party, rejecting the GOP’s effort to make it harder for voters to cast absentee ballots in Rhode Island. Only three justices publicly dissented in Republican National Committee v. Common Cause Rhode Island — Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch.
Republican National Committee is the GOP’s most recent effort to make it harder for voters to cast absentee ballots amid a pandemic that’s likely to discourage many voters from gathering at the polls.
Ordinarily, Rhode Island law requires absentee ballots to be signed by two witnesses or a notary. In a normal election, this is a fairly minor restriction on voters: Most individuals will have a fairly easy time finding two friends, neighbors, or coworkers who can act as witnesses — and fewer voters typically request absentee ballots in the first place when it is safe to go to the polls. During a time of social distancing, however, many voters could struggle to find the required witnesses.
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