The Democratic-NPL candidate for Secretary of State is applauding the Republican incumbent for signing on to an amicus brief to protect voting rights for North Dakotans.
The Supreme Court ruled against President Trump’s executive order on mail-in voting. The order would have required states to turn their voter rolls over to the United States Postal Service before voters could vote by mail.
Democratic State Senator Ryan Braunberger, who is running for Secretary of State, says he approves of Secretary of State Michael Howe for standing up to the President in this moment. But he says he still has concerns for future elections.
"Mail-in ballots are an essential part of voting in North Dakota, with approximately 25 percent of North Dakotans voting by mail. If these rules had been implemented, they would have confused and potentially disenfranchised our senior citizens, our rural voters and our military families."
Braunberger says vote-by-mail is essential in a state like North Dakota, where over half the counties have only one polling place.
He says he finds the administration’s willingness to openly talk about stationing law enforcement at polling locations to be concerning.
"We should not have law enforcement that causes intimidation to our voters, and we should make sure we are protecting our voters at the state level to ensure they feel secure and confident at the polls. And that they don't feel intimidated to go to the polls. Especially right now, in the climate with our immigrant communities, who are Americans. They may not be comfortable to go to the polls, but we need to make sure their voice is heard."
Braunberger says residents can help protect election integrity in the state by volunteering to become a poll worker. He says they are the “eyes and ears on the ground” who protect elections the most.
