We’re seeing images of National Guard troops being stationed near vote drop-off boxes in DC, raising the question – is that just a test run from Team Trump to see what the courts do in response?
Give Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones credit for not playing the wait-and-see game.
“I was raised by people who understood that the right to vote was never simply given. Generations of Americans had to sacrifice, organize, and show extraordinary courage to claim that right. That history is personal to me, and it reminds us that the work of civil rights and voting rights is never finished,” said Jones, who announced on Tuesday the launch of a Voter Protection Section, which will be focused on ensuring that the laws intended to protect the rights of individual voters, and groups of voters, are observed.
It’s not just what is visible – putting National Guard troops at polling stations is not only brazen, but just plain dumb, in terms of drawing attention to efforts to try to fiddle around with the election.
This new Voter Protection Section, per its chief, Ajay Saini, a former trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice, will also have its eyes on things like “poll site changes, voter intimidation, improper registration cancellations, language access, and barriers facing voters with disabilities, students, and military voters.”
“Virginia holds elections every year, so this is year-round work,” Saini said. “And at a time when the Trump administration has sought to push the federal government further into the administration of state elections, we will work closely with the Department of Elections and the Federal Accountability Unit to protect Virginia’s authority, the integrity of our elections, and every eligible voter’s right to be heard.”
You know Team Trump isn’t going to take the whuppin’ at the polls that is coming sitting down.
“That is why we created a dedicated Voter Protection Section within the Office of the Attorney General,” Jones said. “This work now has a permanent home, and a team focused every day on defending voting rights and enforcing Virginia law. Virginia votes every year, and protecting the franchise must be a year-round responsibility. In Virginia, the right to vote will be defended.”
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Chris Graham
