The decision is the first time the Court has upheld post-COVID-19 changes to election procedures
Aug. 13, 2020 – Angel Taveras, a shareholder in the Boston office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP and former Providence, Rhode Island mayor, represented client Nellie M. Gorbea, Secretary of State of Rhode Island in Republican National Committee, et al., Applicants v. Common Cause Rhode Island, et al. (Case 20-1753). The ruling, which was announced Aug. 13, is the first-time the Supreme Court has upheld post-COVID-19 changes to election procedures and may have implications for other states who wish to change their voting procedures.
The Supreme Court’s decision in the matter denied the Republican National Committee’s application for a stay of a Consent Decree and upheld the Aug. 7 First Circuit Court of Appeals decision in a case about absentee ballots in Rhode Island, eliminating the state's requirement that mail voters must sign their return envelope before two witnesses or a notary public, to have their votes counted.
“This Supreme Court decision is a major victory for voting rights and for the health and safety of Rhode Island voters,” Taveras said. “I am proud to represent Nellie Gorbea and work with the Rhode Island Attorney General and the Rhode Island Board of Elections to make mail voting easier and safer.”
At Greenberg Traurig, Taveras focuses his practice on elections law, municipal restructuring, pension litigation and commercial litigation. With over 20 years of experience in litigation, he is a licensed attorney in Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island.
In addition to Taveras, the Greenberg Traurig team comprised Shareholders Elliot H. Scherker and Jonathan Bell, and Associates Gustavo Ribeiro and Katherine M. Clemente.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2200 attorneys in 41 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. Web: www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.