Advancing Justice – AAJC Delivers Remarks on Mail Ballots Lawsuit

My name is Ejaz Baluch, I’m a senior staff attorney at Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC. As co-counsels in this matter, I am proud to share the following remarks on behalf of our client, OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates, a national organization working to advance the sociopolitical and holistic well-being of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders through civic engagement.

Today’s hearing made clear what is at stake for our communities. The US. Postal Service’s new rule establishing an untested system for mail ballots — and allowing it to reject ballots that don’t meet its arbitrary rules — is an attack on our constitutional rights, driven by an administration intent on gaining power at the expense of voters.

Mail voting is an important way in which our communities make their voices heard. It is especially important for voters who face language barriers, transportation issues, disabilities and other challenges in getting to the polls.

OCA, alongside our chapters and partners, works directly with voters to help them understand the process, make a plan, and vote. These President Trump-mandated USPS requirements are a direct threat to our freedom to vote. They create confusion at the very moment when voters are looking for clarity and clear information. With the elections around the corner, we are seeking a preliminary injunction to block the new USPS rule and stop the mass disenfranchisement of voters who use mail voting.

The right to cast a ballot and have it counted should never be used as a political strategy by those in power to tilt the playing field in their favor. Every voter should be able to trust that when they follow their state’s rules and cast a valid mail ballot, the postal service will do its job and deliver it.

Our democracy depends on protecting trust in our elections and the right of every voter to have their voice heard.