TULLY v. OKESON

District Court, S.D. Indiana·Decided August 21, 2020·No. 1:20-cv-01271·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF INDIANA INDIANAPOLIS DIVISION

BARBARA TULLY, ) KATHARINE BLACK, ) MARC BLACK, ) DAVID CARTER, ) REBECCA GAINES, ) ELIZABETH KMIECIAK, ) CHAQUITTA MCCLEARY, ) DAVID SLIVKA, ) DOMINIC TUMMINELLO, ) INDIANA VOTE BY MAIL, INC. ) individually, and on behalf of those ) similarly situated, ) ) Plaintiffs, ) ) v. ) No. 1:20-cv-01271-JPH-DLP ) PAUL OKESON, ) S. ANTHONY LONG, ) SUZANNAH WILSON OVERHOLT, ) ZACHARY E. KLUTZ in their official ) capacity as members of the Indiana ) Election Commission, ) CONNIE LAWSON in her official capacity ) as the Indiana Secretary of State, ) ) Defendants. ) ) ) DISABILITY RIGHTS EDUCATION AND ) DEFENSE FUND, INC, ) ) Amicus. )

ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFFS' MOTION FOR A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

Plaintiffs ask the Court to enter a preliminary injunction that would require the State of Indiana to allow all Indiana voters to vote by mail in the November 3, 2020 general election. They argue that Indiana's absentee voting law—which allows only some Hoosiers to vote by mail—unconstitutionally burdens their right to vote. Defendants—the Indiana Secretary of State and

members of the Indiana Election Commission—respond that because Plaintiffs may vote in person, they are not likely to be able to show that the absentee voting law is unconstitutional and are not entitled to a preliminary injunction. The question before the Court is not whether it would be wise for Indiana to allow everyone to vote by mail; that's a policy choice. Rather, the legal issue is whether Plaintiffs are likely to be able to show that the Constitution requires Indiana to give all voters the right to vote by mail in the upcoming general election. Plaintiffs have not made this showing so their motion for preliminary

injunction is DENIED. Dkt. [13]. I. Facts and Background

The Court recites the undisputed facts for purposes of this preliminary injunction motion. See Univ. of Texas v. Camenisch, 451 U.S. 390, 395 (1981) (procedures are "less formal" and the evidence is "less complete" than at trial because the "purpose of a preliminary injunction is merely to preserve the relative positions of the parties until a trial on the merits can be held"). COVID-19 needs little introduction—it is a respiratory disease that "readily spread[s] from person to person," dkt. 13-13 at 9 ¶ 18, and has caused a pandemic. While COVID-19 has infected many Hoosiers, many more remain vulnerable. Id. at 6 ¶ 11. One way they can minimize the risk of infection is by spending time "in the best ventilated, least contaminated environment where the fewest number of people are generating the fewest virus particles." Id. at 4 ¶ 8.

In response to COVID-19, the Election Commission—which is charged with administering Indiana's election laws—endorsed a broad reading of Indiana's vote by mail statute for Indiana's primary election. See Indiana Code § 3-11-10-24(a). That statute provides that "a voter who satisfies any of the following [13 categories] is entitled to vote by mail": (1) The voter has a specific, reasonable expectation of being absent from the county on election day during the entire twelve (12) hours that the polls are open.

(2) The voter will be absent from the precinct of the voter's residence on election day because of service as:

(A) a precinct election officer under IC 3-6-6;

(B) a watcher under IC 3-6-8, IC 3-6-9, or IC 3-6- 10;

(C) a challenger or pollbook holder under IC 3-6-7; or

(D) a person employed by an election board to administer the election for which the absentee ballot is requested.

(3) The voter will be confined on election day to the voter's residence, to a health care facility, or to a hospital because of an illness or injury during the entire twelve (12) hours that the polls are open.

(4) The voter is a voter with disabilities. (5) The voter is an elderly voter.1

(6) The voter is prevented from voting due to the voter's care of an individual confined to a private residence because of illness or injury during the entire twelve (12) hours that the polls are open.

(7) The voter is scheduled to work at the person's regular place of employment during the entire twelve (12) hours that the polls are open.

(8) The voter is eligible to vote under IC 3-10-11 or IC 3-10-12.

(9) The voter is prevented from voting due to observance of a religious discipline or religious holiday during the entire twelve (12) hours that the polls are open.

(10) The voter is an address confidentiality program participant (as defined in IC 5-26.5-1-6).

(11) The voter is a member of the military or public safety officer.

(12) The voter is a serious sex offender (as defined in IC 35-42-4-14(a)).

(13) The voter is prevented from voting due to the unavailability of transportation to the polls.

For Indiana's June 2020 primary election, the IEC ordered that any voter "unable to physically touch or be in safe proximity to another person" could vote by mail under subsection (4) as a voter with disabilities. Dkt. 6 at 10 (citing IEC Order 2020-37 § 9A). For the upcoming general election in November, the Election Commission has not renewed that order. See dkt. 66.

1 An elderly voter is "a voter who is at least sixty-five years of age." Ind. Code § 3-5-2- 16.5. Plaintiffs are nine Indiana voters who do not expect to qualify to vote by mail in the general election under Indiana Code § 3-11-10-24. Dkt. 14 at 2 (citing declarations). They have filed a motion for preliminary injunction. Dkt.

13. Specifically, they ask the Court to enter an order requiring Indiana to implement "no-excuse absentee voting" that would allow any voter to vote by mail with an absentee ballot in the November 3, 2020 general election. Dkt. 62 at 5-6. II. Applicable Law

Parties may move under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65 for the issuance of a preliminary injunction. Determining whether a preliminary injunction is required involves a two-step inquiry, with a threshold phase and a balancing phase. Whitaker v. Kenosha Unified Sch. Dist. No. 1 Bd. of Educ., 858 F.3d 1034, 1044 (7th Cir. 2017). At the threshold phase, the moving party must show that: (1) without the requested relief, it will suffer irreparable harm during the pendency of its action; (2) traditional legal remedies would be inadequate; and (3) it has "a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits." Id. If the movant satisfies these requirements, the court proceeds to the balancing phase "to determine whether the balance of harms favors the moving party or whether the harm to other parties or the public sufficiently outweighs the movant's interests." Id. III. Discussion

"A preliminary injunction is an extraordinary remedy. . . . never to be indulged in except in a case clearly demanding it." Id. (quoting Girl Scouts of Manitou Council, Inc. v. Girl Scouts of United States of Am., Inc., 549 F.3d 1079, 1085 (7th Cir. 2008). To be entitled to a preliminary injunction, Plaintiffs must first meet their threshold burden to show a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits, irreparable harm, and that traditional legal remedies would be inadequate. Id. A. Likelihood of success on the merits

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TULLY v. OKESON, (S.D. Ind. 2020).

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