At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Democratic officials and activists prioritized pushing states to implement universal mail-in balloting, eliminating in-person voting altogether. These mandatory vote-by-mail and forced early voting policies would disenfranchise voters through fraud and mistake, and violate voters’ fundamental right to vote. Advocates are also trying to impose mail-in voting through court orders, invalidating voters’ votes for their representatives, rather than judges, to make these laws. In this virtual panel, election experts Jim Bopp, Catherine Engelbrecht, and Jason Snead weigh in on how vote-by-mail violates voting rights and the recent flood of litigation related to this issue.
Featuring:
James Bopp, Jr.
Founder, The Bopp Law Firm
In January 1973, the United States Supreme Court issued its notorious Roe v. Wade decision which legalized abortion in our country. That same year, Mr. James Bopp Jr. of The Bopp Law Firm — a native of Terre Haute, Indiana — began a legal career which earned him the title “conservative titan” from The Washington Times. With a law degree from the University of Florida and a B.A. from Indiana University, Mr. Bopp has crisscrossed the nation working on more than 180 cases in state and federal courts. He has earned a reputation for knocking down laws which he believes inhibit the expression of free speech in political campaigns by citizens, candidates, issue-advocacy groups and corporations. He has won nine of 14 cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, including the landmark ruling in 2010, Citizens United v. FEC. Mr. Bopp has earned several awards during his 47-year legal career, including recognition in 2013 by the National Law Journal as one of the “100 Most Influential Lawyers in America.” In 2005, Legatus International honored him with the John Cardinal O’Connor Pro-Life Hall of Fame Award. Among the many positions he has held, Mr. Bopp serves as General Counsel for National Right to Life Committee, General Counsel for the American Federation for Children, General Counsel for True the Vote and Special Counsel for Strategic and Campaign Finance Law Advice to the Trump Presidential campaign. His extensive political activities include serving as Vice Chairman of the RNC.
Catherine Engelbrecht
President, True the Vote
Catherine is a mother, native Texan, activist, technology entrepreneur, and lifelong practitioner of common sense. In 2009, she founded True the Vote, now the nation’s leading voters’ rights organization. True the Vote empowers organizations and individuals across the country to actively protect the rights of legitimate voters, regardless of their political party affiliation. As a recognized spokesperson on voters’ rights and free speech, Catherine has appeared on television and talk radio, testified before federal and state legislatures, and spoken to grassroots activists across the country. National honors include the CPAC Ronald Reagan award, the Horowitz Foundation Annie Taylor award, the Breitbart Stand With award, along with dozens of state and local commendations. A graduate of the University of Houston, Catherine lives on her farm in Cat Spring, Texas with her two children, William and Elizabeth.
Jason Snead
Executive Director, Honest Elections Project
Jason Snead is the executive director of the Honest Elections Project. Prior to heading the project, Jason spent 10 years at The Heritage Foundation, where he had the honor to work for former Attorney General Ed Meese. During his tenure at Heritage, Jason rose to become a senior policy analyst and a recognized expert on a wide range of subjects. He regularly studied, wrote, and spoke on topics ranging from criminal justice and civil asset forfeiture reform, to technology policy and the regulation of drones in American skies, to preserving the integrity of American elections. Jason also managed the development of the Heritage Election Fraud Database, a unique tool aggregating proven instances of voter fraud from around the nation. Jason holds a master’s degree in public policy from George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, and a bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University.
Moderator:
Ashley Baker
Director of Public Policy, The Committee for Justice