Governor Justice should call a special session of the Legislature to allow for absentee voting by mail in the May 12 primary election and in the general election this fall.
We cannot allow the COVID19 global pandemic to disrupt our democracy any further than it already has. Given the seriousness of this virus, there is no reason not to allow ALL West Virginians to vote from their homes.
ACLU-WV supports a brief special session to deal with this issue alone. There is no reason to postpone the elections for any reason when absentee voting is an option.
If physical access is restricted to the Capitol during this session for public health reasons, the public should still have some sort of access to the proceedings, whether by live video stream or other means. Under any circumstance, news media must have physical access to the Capitol.
ACLU-WV will continue to monitor this issue to ensure that the rights of voters are at the forefront.