The following is a statement from Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:
“Dictators and despots seek to delay elections and rig the rules to maintain their grip on power. But this has never been the case in American democracy. President Trump seeks to promote chaos and confusion by suggesting that the nation’s November 3rd election should be delayed or postponed. President Trump has absolutely no power to postpone or delay the election.
“Sadly, Trump’s autocratic tweet lands on the same day legendary voting rights icon Rep. John Lewis will be laid to rest in Georgia. The president’s statement completely contradicts John Lewis’s lifelong efforts to promote voting rights and open elections for all Americans.”
Background:
Election Day is set by the U.S. Congress. Even if Congress moved the date, the president’s term expires on January 20, 2021, and this cannot be moved or altered except by constitutional amendment.
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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. Now in its 55th year, the Lawyers’ Committee is continuing its quest to “Move America Toward Justice.” The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of voting rights, criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and hate crimes. For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommitee.org.
