Sharon Angle serves as a board member for Election Integrity in Reno, Nevada. She served as a State Legislator, despite initially intending to pursue a career in the Arts. Now she actively advocates for fair voting.
Her work as an Election Integrity board member has allowed her to obtain a greater span of knowledge about voting. Her purpose is to ensure that officials uphold voting rights for citizens.
For this reason, the conversation surrounding mail-in voting was a prominent topic. When asked about her thoughts on mail-in voting, she gave a detailed response. Angle stated, “Mail-In ballots should be an option, but not the norm.” She explained that the lack of security surrounding mail-in ballots could lead to voter suppression. Which goes against America’s founding principles.
In-Person Voting During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Certainly, voter suppression is a serious concern, the spread of Covid-19 to high-risk individuals is equally important. Moreover, many voter’s schedules conflict with voting poll times, making it nearly impossible for some to vote.
Angle agrees the deterrents can be problematic. She stated that she believes people should make time to vote. She contends that the lack of voting could come from people’s belief that their vote does not matter.
Even though she is not against the idea of mail-in voting, she believes the system provides loopholes for fraudulent activity. During her research for Election Integrity, Angle said she found over 200,000 mailed ballots were determined to be inactive.
She blames the lack of security and machinery for her skepticism around universal mail-in voting. When asked if she had another alternative to mail-in voting, she stated that in-person voting is the safest option.
On the other hand, safety during this time is an incredibly important factor in the voting process this year. Thus, while Angle’s research is important, it is equally important to do one’s part as a citizen with public safety in mind.
Written by Reginae Echols
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
Interview: Sharon Angle; Aug 6, 2020
Voter Integrity Project
Featured Image Courtesy of Becky McCray’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of Bryan Alexander’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
