The Vermont Secretary of State has sent a letter to the Clerk of the Supreme Court requesting a correction to the opinion written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh in this week’s Wisconsin voting case.
We have formally requested that #SCOTUS correct the erroneous claim by Justice Kavanaugh that #VT has not changed voting procedures for the #2020Elections due to #COVID19. When it comes to issuing decisions on the voting rights of American citizens, facts matter. pic.twitter.com/cWvAJTuIEl
— Vermont Secretary of State’s Office (@VermontSOS) October 28, 2020
Kavanaugh had incorrectly stated in supporting limiting voting rights in Wisconsin that Vermont has made no “changes to their ordinary election rules.” Kavanaugh used the state as justification for not extending the deadline for accepting mail-in ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic. Unable to find other examples, Kavanaugh apparently believed that Vermont was the only state to maintain previous election rules.
Jim Condos, the Vermont Secretary of State, pointed out that in fact Vermont made two significant changes: sending all registered voters a mail-in ballot and a pre-paid return envelope, and starting to process ballots 30 days before Election Day.
Condos pointed out Kavanaugh’s faulty research and logic in the letter, asking the Clerk to change the opinion to correct the record.
Kavanaugh’s opinion was not the majority opinion in the case, meaning this correction will have little impact on the outcome of the case.