House Democratic Women Stand Up to Trump’s Attempts to Undermine Vote By Mail and Disenfranchise Voters
August 18, 2020
(SPRINGFIELD) – “This past Spring, the Illinois House Democratic Women’s Caucus crafted and advanced SB1863, legislation to improve and increase opportunities for vote by mail in the November election in response to urgent and legitimate concerns regarding voting in person during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vote by mail or no excuse absentee voting has been a long recognized, safe and reliable mechanism for voting. We are deeply concerned that the Trump Administration is undermining the validity of mail in voting by pre-emptively alleging fraud, corruption and malfeasance with mail-in voting systems, thereby creating an environment of distrust with the public.
“We are further appalled by actions taken by the Trump Administration and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy that have created long delays in the US postal service and warnings to states, including Illinois, that mail-in ballots may not be processed on time in the November election. These actions point to a deliberate attempt to undermine mail-in voting and ultimately disenfranchise millions of voters and cast doubt on the validity of the General Election. This is nothing less than an assault on our democracy and system of governance.
“We the members of the House Women’s Democratic Caucus Elections Working Group support Congressional efforts to investigate changes at the US Postal Service by the Trump Administration. We furthermore call on Attorney General Kwame Raoul to monitor and, if necessary, investigate any violations to election law by the Trump Administration to knowingly and deliberately delay delivery of ballots in the November General Election.”
The IHDWC Elections Working Group include the following members:
Chair, Katie Stuart, D-Collinsville
Carol Ammons, D-Urbana
Kelly Burke, D-Oak Lawn
Deb Conroy, D-Villa Park
Terra Costa Howard, D-Lombard
Eva Dina Delgado, D-Chicago
Mary Edly-Allen, D-Libertyville
Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston
Jennifer Gong Gershowitz, D-Glenview
LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis
Anna Moeller, D-Elgin
Diane Pappas, D-Bloomingdale
Ann Williams, D-Chicago
The mission of the IHDWC is to promote the leadership of women elected to the Illinois House of Representatives and to create inclusive and collaborative policy outcomes for the state. The caucus is working to address systemic challenges for women in government and throughout the state, and to provide resources and forums for leadership development, mentoring and issue expertise that will elevate the role of women in public service.