
Common Cause Rhode Island v. Gorbea
What's at Stake
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The American Civil Liberties Union, Campaign Legal Center, and law firm Fried Frank filed a federal lawsuit challenging Rhode Island’s witness/notary requirements for voting by mail throughout the 2020 elections.
Summary
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The American Civil Liberties Union, Campaign Legal Center, and law firm Fried Frank filed a federal lawsuit July 23, 2020, challenging Rhode Island’s witness/notary requirements for voting by mail throughout the 2020 elections.
The case was filed on behalf of two voting rights advocacy groups — Common Cause Rhode Island and the League of Women Voters of Rhode Island — and Rhode Islanders with significant medical vulnerabilities that place them or members of their household at a heightened risk of severe illness or death if they contract COVID-19.
The lawsuit seeks to block provisions of a state law that require Rhode Islanders who vote by mail to have two witnesses or a notary sign their ballot envelope, even in the midst of a highly contagious and deadly pandemic. These requirements necessitate face-to-face and hand-to-hand interaction between voters and others who pose a potentially fatal risk to the voters’health.
The lawsuit, Common Cause Rhode Island v. Gorbea, was filed in U.S. District Court.
Legal Documents
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08/13/2020
Common Cause Rhode Island v. Gorbea: Supreme Court Order
Date Filed: 08/13/2020
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08/07/2020
First Circuit ruling
Date Filed: 08/07/2020
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07/30/2020
CONSENT DECREE - Common Cause of RI v Gorbea
Date Filed: 07/30/2020
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07/23/2020
COMPLAINT - Common Cause Rhode Island v. Gorbea
Date Filed: 07/23/2020
Press Releases
Rhode Island Drops Vote-By-Mail Requirements That Put Voters at Risk During COVID-19 Pandemic
Groups Challenge Rhode Island Vote-By-Mail Requirements That Put Voters at Risk During COVID-19 Pandemic