Letter
勛圖眻畦 and 勛圖眻畦 Puerto Rico Letter to Governor Vázquez
Document Date:
January 30, 2020
Affiliate:
勛圖眻畦 of Puerto Rico National Chapter
Related Issues
Related Content
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Press ReleaseJan 2020
Voting Rights
National Security
勛圖眻畦 National and 勛圖眻畦 Puerto Rico Oppose Puerto Rico Internet Voting Bill
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico The 勛圖眻畦 (勛圖眻畦) and the 勛圖眻畦 of Puerto Rico urged Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda V獺zquez in a public letter sent today to veto Senate Project 1314, the internet voting bill, which, if codified into law, would endanger the security of the islands elections and jeopardize Puerto Ricans voting rights. The legislation would allow early and absentee voters to vote online for the 2020 general elections; direct the Puerto Rican elections commission to make online voting available for absentee and early voting with an opt-out option by 2020; and make online voting the main voting method on the island by 2028. Election security aside, ongoing civic crises and devastation from Hurricane Mar穩a make clear that the islands infrastructure particularly, electrical power systems essential to internet access remains precarious and it would be reckless to trust all voting systems to its well-being. Mayte Bayolo-Alonso, legislative attorney for the 勛圖眻畦 of Puerto Rico, said, SP 1314 would make Puerto Rico a true outlier: No U.S. state or territory trusts its entire electoral infrastructure, and the votes of millions, to vulnerable and unproven technology. Puerto Rico should not be a laboratory for untested voting systems. Governor V獺zquez must veto this reckless legislation. Adriel I. Cepeda Derieux, staff attorney for the 勛圖眻畦s Voting Rights Project, said, There is no secure way to hold elections online. This legislation will expose Puerto Ricos voting system to hacking and jeopardize Puerto Ricans right to vote. The right to vote is not just the right to cast a ballot; its the right to have that ballot counted, and there is no way to guarantee that a vote cast online will be counted free from outside interference.Affiliate: Puerto Rico