As part of our ongoing voter mobilization and election information campaign, American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) is providing you with weekly updates on the imminent 2020 election. Strong leadership is needed to ensure a fair, free election, and ASBC strongly supports all business leaders who are encouraging their communities, employees and other stakeholders to get out the vote.  

FIND OUR ELECTION PAGE HERE! 

This week, we highlight the work of ASBC — along with Social Venture Circle, Net Impact and B Lab — to promote participation in the November elections with a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) strategy to ensure an historical turnout.  

Stay tuned for information on how to join us next week for a webinar on effective GOTV strategies! 

VP debate and climate change 
The sole vice-presidential debate included a sharp exchange on policy issues, including the environment and climate change. While Vice President Mike Pence blamed “climate alarmists” for setting an agenda fostering sustainability, Senator Kamala Harris asserted that we face a climate crisis and highlighted a recovery plan prioritizing a transition to cleaner sources of energy.  

Both Pence and Harris claimed to base their policies on scientifical evidence, yet the current Vice President did not acknowledge the scientific community’s consensus that poor environmental management is causing climate change. Senator Harris accused him of removing all references to climate change from the White House’s official website, an action she said represented a pattern of denying scientific evidence and mismanaging an “existential threat.” 

South Carolina voting restrictions upheld  
A U.S. Supreme Court decision has validated an existing provision that restricts vote-by-mail proceedings in South Carolina. The provision requires the presence of a witness who guarantees under oath that the voter received no assistance while casting the mail-in absentee ballot and indicates that fact by signing the ballot beneath the voter’s signature. Democrats had argued that requiring a witness increases the likelihood of contracting Covid-19 and discourages vulnerable registered voters from participating in the upcoming election. 

Despite the current health crisis, Justice Brett Kavanaugh defended the provision by arguing that traditionally, the Supreme Court has been reluctant to change electoral regulations before an election. While the restriction stands, the Court’s ruling also made clear that all ballots cast before the decision was announced would be valid, even if without a witness signature.  

Voters mull alternative ways to vote due to poor USPS service 
ASBC continues to monitor recent changes to USPS operations by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and their potential repercussions on the November election. We’ve also crafted a sign-on letter to DeJoy and the USPS Board of Governors demanding full restoration of service, both for voting and for critical business transactions and deliveries that have surged due to the pandemic. 

More than three million Americans in 26 states have already cast their ballots for the 2020 presidential election as of this week, yet many voters are still rearranging their plans to vote. In battleground states like Michigan, for example, voters are considering personally delivering their ballots to designated drop boxes or the clerk’s office instead of using the USPS.  

As USPS services for essential shipments such as medicine and legal correspondence keep declining, voters’ concerns about the agency’s new operating guidelines are increasing. Today, the option of voting in person is gaining adherents, despite the risk of the pandemic.