Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D) defended voting by mail Monday in a Democratic National Convention speech delivered from her kitchen.
Cortez Masto, the first Latina ever elected to the U.S. Senate, defended the security of voting by mail, a process derided by President Trump as a potential source of election fraud.
“Despite what the president says, voting by mail has been a secure, proven option for decades,” said Cortez Masto.
“In 2016, 33 million Americans voted by mail. Even Donald Trump has requested an absentee ballot twice this year,” added Cortez Masto, who was in consideration to be former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate before dropping out of contention in May.
“This fall, some Americans will choose to vote in a voting booth with a mask on, while many of us will choose to vote by mail,” said Cortez Masto.
The Nevada senator said her home state “took the advice of scientists and medical experts” to implement its mail-in voting system.
“But Donald Trump is trying to divide us by undermining that right,” she said, referencing administration threats to cut funding to the state.
“Now he is putting the lives of Nevada’s seniors at risk by trying to defund the post office,” said Cortez Masto.
“Well, Mr. President, Nevada is not intimidated by you. America is not intimidated by you,” she added.
“And this fall, we will send Joe Biden to the White House and we’ll flip the U.S. Senate,” said Cortez Masto, who also serves as chairwoman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
“With [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell [R-Ky.] out of power and a Democratic majority in the Senate, we will expand voting access and protect voting rights,” she added.