This commentary was contributed by Mickie Solorio Luna, President and Founding Member of Latino Coalition of San Benito County. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent BenitoLink or other affiliated contributors. Lea este artÃculo en español aquÃ.Â
The Latino Coalition of San Benito County expresses its serious concern regarding reports of public statements by a local political candidate discussing the voting activities of Latino individuals and expressing an intention to investigate Latino voters.
Our organization, established in 1988, has remained committed to equal representation, civil rights, community education, and the protection of our residents.
We recognize the importance of fair, honest, and secure elections. We also believe that allegations of illegal or fraudulent voting must be supported by credible evidence and handled through the appropriate election authorities.
No eligible voter, regardless of ethnicity, surname, language, or background, should be subjected to intimidation, harassment, discrimination, or unwarranted scrutiny for exercising the right to vote.
We are particularly concerned about the potential chilling effect that unsupported accusations and statements about investigating voters may have on public confidence and the willingness of eligible residents to participate freely in elections.
The privacy of an individual’s ballot is a fundamental protection of our democratic system. Public discussion of voting participation must not be confused with knowledge of a person’s confidential ballot choices.
We respectfully call upon our local and state election officials to review credible complaints, clarify voter privacy protections, and ensure that all eligible voters can participate without fear of intimidation or discrimination.
Our community deserves accurate information, transparency, accountability, and respect for the voting rights of every eligible citizen.
Election integrity and the protection of civil rights must always go hand in hand. Latino Coalition of San Benito County Mickie Solorio Luna President and Founding Member Gracias y Adelante!
BenitoLink invites all community members to share their ideas and opinions. By registering as a BenitoLink user in the top right corner of our home page and agreeing to follow our Terms of Use, you can write counter opinions or share your insights on current issues.Â
Stay in the know
Sign up to our free newsletter to get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox.
Support our work
As an independent publication, we rely on contributions from readers like you to fund our journalism.
COMMENTARY: Protecting voter privacy, civil rights and election integrity
Share this:
This commentary was contributed by Mickie Solorio Luna, President and Founding Member of Latino Coalition of San Benito County. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent BenitoLink or other affiliated contributors. Lea este artÃculo en español aquÃ.Â
The Latino Coalition of San Benito County expresses its serious concern regarding reports of public statements by a local political candidate discussing the voting activities of Latino individuals and expressing an intention to investigate Latino voters.
Our organization, established in 1988, has remained committed to equal representation, civil rights, community education, and the protection of our residents.
We recognize the importance of fair, honest, and secure elections. We also believe that allegations of illegal or fraudulent voting must be supported by credible evidence and handled through the appropriate election authorities.
No eligible voter, regardless of ethnicity, surname, language, or background, should be subjected to intimidation, harassment, discrimination, or unwarranted scrutiny for exercising the right to vote.
We are particularly concerned about the potential chilling effect that unsupported accusations and statements about investigating voters may have on public confidence and the willingness of eligible residents to participate freely in elections.
The privacy of an individual’s ballot is a fundamental protection of our democratic system.
Public discussion of voting participation must not be confused with knowledge of a person’s confidential ballot choices.
We respectfully call upon our local and state election officials to review credible complaints, clarify voter privacy protections, and ensure that all eligible voters can participate without fear of intimidation or discrimination.
Our community deserves accurate information, transparency, accountability, and respect for the voting rights of every eligible citizen.
Election integrity and the protection of civil rights must always go hand in hand.
Latino Coalition of San Benito County
Mickie Solorio Luna
President and Founding Member
Gracias y Adelante!
BenitoLink invites all community members to share their ideas and opinions. By registering as a BenitoLink user in the top right corner of our home page and agreeing to follow our Terms of Use, you can write counter opinions or share your insights on current issues.Â