Voting By Mail In Tennessee Must Be Allowed - And Response (3)

  • Thursday, May 28, 2020

Rep. Smith and Senator Gardenhire,

Given that Chattanooga is now in the top four cities in the nation for COVID-19 case growth, I believe it is time for our state legislators to show some responsibility, sensibility and compassion for the citizens of Tennessee by allowing all eligible voters to cast mail-in ballots in the 2020 election.

We have precious little time left to enact this change.

There are citizens suffering from chronic illnesses and compromised immune systems who are at extreme risk if exposed to the coronavirus. There are also those of us who risk carrying the virus to those who are elderly or otherwise compromised. The current absentee voter regulations are designed to make it next to impossible to vote by mail. The net result is that people are going to have to choose between their health and their right to vote. 

To fail to allow voting by mail during this global pandemic is not only cruel, but immoral. If this situation is not remedied, I will remember in perpetuity which political party forced this peril upon us. And, I do not think I am alone. 

M. Johanna Kosik

* * * 

I knew there would be demands for vote by mail because somebody declared Chattanooga one of the worst centers of the pandemic.

First Hamilton County is testing more than six times the number of people they were a month ago. I’ve heard testing is increasing so numbers may go up higher. Parts of the city have not heeded the daily warnings by the county mayor and our Health Department in following social distancing and gathering in groups.

I was in the area recently cited as the new hot spot in Chattanooga briefly today. I observed examples of indifference, no masks and no social distancing In gatherings. And that was only in a small part of the area. It’s no surprise the virus is spreading there.

As I’ve said before, any properly registered voter can request an absentee ballot if they don’t feel safe going to the polls. I go to grocery stores, hardware and big box stores for necessities and I observe probably more precautions than most and have had no problems. Many are doing the same thing.

Joe Biden is only the presumptive Democrat nominee and doesn’t even have the votes yet to be the nominee. From their Iowa caucuses to this week their whole process has been plagued with disasters. Joe‘s live-streams and town hall performances range from the hilarious to the sadly embarrassing. It’s no wonder Democrats want a pretend convention so he won’t be on national TV. There’s no telling what he might do. And don’t expect them to want to debate Trump. Adam Schiff would love to stir up another impeachment farce if he could get away with it.

Ninety-nine percent of those in Italy dying with COVID-19 had other underlying illnesses (Thomasso Ebhardt, Chiara Remondini, Marco Bertacci-Bloomberg World, March 18, 2020). Here’s more data: eight states now account for almost 70 percent of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S.- New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Connecticut and Maryland. And they are the most restrictive in the nation.

Forbes reported on May 26 that 42 percent of the COVID-19 deaths have occurred in 0.6 percent of the population and those were residents of nursing care facilities.

So don’t restrict my right to go to the polls in person if I chose to do so with a mandatory vote by mail. That’s attacking my freedom more than the virus.

Ralph Miller

* * * 

Rep. Smith and Senator Gardenhire:

Please resist the tainted pleas of Democrat opportunism which, if allowed, will yield wholesale skewing of results in November. Mail-in voting is arguably the easiest yet most effective method for voter fraud and vote-count manipulation yet conceived by the DNC and Poser Pelosi.

The Democrat party is screamingly desperate to recapture the U.S. Senate and Presidency. Their motto “never let a crisis go to waste” is now being implemented to contaminate all future federal election results and Tennessee must prevail on the side of voter legitimacy. Biased pundits claim mail-in voting to be void of fraud but even cursory reviews of convictions for fraud negate this empty claim and are clear evidence that if enacted, it will happen on a vast national basis.

Observance of CDC precautions of social distancing will make our voting process safe. If that’s not enough for some people they can bring their own No. 2 pencil.

Please maintain the conservancy of our voting process. Please vote to maintain the integrity of America’s elections. Do your constituents justice: reject mail-in voting.

Dave Fihn

* * *

Please!  People will wait in line for hour and a half for a chicken sandwich at Popeye's Fried Chicken, but won't wait in line to vote?

People will wait in line at all hours of the morning to be able to buy the LED TV on sale for $19, but won't wait in line to vote?

People will wait in line for Hamilton County Emission testing, but won't wait in line to vote?

People will wait in line to get into Cactus Jacks bar but won't wait in line to vote?

COVID-19 is not the reason for parts of society wanting vote by mail...It's the excuse.

Phil Terry

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