Judith Ackerson: Governor cannot 'allow' us to vote absentee, it is our right

To The Daily SunL

An open letter to Gov. Sununu:

While I appreciate your taking a first step by broadening your interpretation of the absentee voter laws to allow people who “feel more comfortable voting absentee because of the outbreak,” I think it is important for all to understand that it is not up to you to grant/allow us to cast our vote under any circumstances. That is our constitutional right and you have the responsibility to see that any and all barriers to that right are removed.

On the one hand you are willing to “allow” us to vote absentee during a pandemic, while on the other hand you state on MSNBC and CNN this weekend that you would still veto the bill implementing no-excuse absentee voting in New Hampshire for the long haul. In my opinion, this is a very serious abuse of power.

Voters should not have to explain themselves when requesting an absentee ballot. There could be several circumstances, beyond the four reasons that are approved, some of which may be very personal. I trust that if someone is mature enough to vote, they are also mature enough to make a decision as to whether they can physically go a polling place on election day. Leaving it to the judgment of the voter would be a sign of respect.

I urge you to drop your objection to expanding voting by absentee ballot. Thank you and I hope you stay well during the pandemic crisis.

Judith Ackerson

Franklin