Alison Lundergan Grimes Fights For Voting Rights In Kentucky Coal Country

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Oh, no you don’t Senator.

Right when Mitch McConnell (R-KY) finally got a lead in a poll, the Republican Senator did what his campaign seems best at doing this election cycle — they took a long walk down Fail Avenue. McConnell’s campaign went dirty and by many accounts illegal, and thus gave themselves negative press.

On the heels of illegal McConnell campaign flyers sent to targeted Democrats in coal country, the Grimes campaign is demanding that Mitch McConnell answer some key questions:

1) Political pundits and the media have said this campaign tactic appears to be an intentional attempt to mislead voters. Do you deny that your mailer is falsely designed to look like an official government document?

2) Why does your mailer cite a postal statute that threatens fines and jail time? What other purpose could this serve, other than attempted intimidation of the recipient?

3) Given the massive confusion among voters, who are contacting county clerks with questions about their eligibility, will you publicly clarify to Kentucky voters that absolutely no one will be in legal jeopardy for exercising their right to vote?

4) Did you personally authorize this voter suppression campaign, or is this another example of a “Josh question” (or perhaps a Jesse Benton matter?)

5) Reports have surfaced that you issued a similar mailer in the Republican primary. Is this why Matt Bevin refuses to endorse – or even share a stage – with you to this very day?

Alison Lundergan Grimes (D-KY) was the person who refused to answer the question about who she voted for in 2012, a refusal that many disagreed with at the time, but now, given McConnell’s attacks on Democrats, it sort of looks prescient. Our right to cast a private ballot is a core freedom.

While this is going on within the framework of a campaign due to Mitch McConnell’s obvious fear that he must drive down the votes in Kentucky’s coal counties for Alison Lundergan Grimes, the larger picture is one that is non partisan.

It’s ironic that Grimes is the Secretary of State, and has a record of fighting for voting rights of all Kentuckians. She has fought for the voting rights of troops overseas and more. She has been nonpartisan in her championing of voter rights. That is how our public officials should conduct themselves. They should all support the people’s right to vote for their opponent without intimidation. This is a core value of a democracy.

Mitch McConnell has some explaining to do, and Alison Lundergan Grimes isn’t going to let up until he does it.

Sarah Jones

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