House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is expressed her concern and disapproval of the Wisconsin Supreme Court decision to block Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ (D) attempt to postpone the primary election due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Pelosi criticized Wisconsin’s Supreme Court during an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Monday evening, saying it is “undermining our democracy” by allowing the state to proceed with the primary.
The House speaker was asked if she thought the country should be holding elections right now. Since Pelosi has advocated for a vote-by-mail system amid the outbreak, she does not agree with the decision made.
“Well, people shouldn’t have to decide whether they’re going to vote or be sick,” Pelosi said. “That’s just not a good choice for anyone in a democracy.”
She continued, “And you would think that the Supreme Court of the United States would not overturn a court decision which gave the voters extra time to do a vote by mail … by a few more days to get their vote by mail ballot in.”
Check out Pelosi’s remarks:
WATCH: Speaker Pelosi tells @Maddow Wisconsin's Supreme Court is "undermining our democracy" by allowing the state's primary to occur on Tuesday amid the coronavirus pandemic.
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 7, 2020
"People should not have to decide whether they can vote or be sick." pic.twitter.com/q2MPRkglyK
Pelosi went on to suggest that she was not surprised by the conservative vote.
“So, you have the Supreme Court undermining our democracy. It’s really shameful. Five to four… surprise, surprise,” she said.
Despite the state’s Supreme Court outcome, Pelosi insists Americans simply have to move forward, “But we just have to… as they say, ‘We don’t agonize, we organize.'”
Her remarks follow the 5-4 vote by the U.S. Supreme Court that blocked an extension that would have given voters an additional week — until April 13 — to submit absentee ballots from home amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The conservative majority noted in the opinion that “extending the date by which ballots may be cast by voters — not just received by the municipal clerks but cast by voters — for an additional six days after the scheduled election day fundamentally alters the nature of the election.”
In response to Monday’s ruling, Evers said in a statement:
“People have bled, fought, and died for the right to vote in this country. But tomorrow in Wisconsin, thousands will wake up and have to choose between exercising their right to vote and staying healthy and safe. In this time of historic crisis, it is a shame that two branches of government in this state chose to pass the buck instead of taking responsibility for the health and safety of the people we were elected to serve.”
Wisconsin has more than 2,500 confirmed coronavirus cases, as of Tuesday morning.
