500 signatures reached
To: The United States Senate
Senate vote on Trump guilt needs a secret ballot
A simple majority of senators is all it takes to establish a secret ballot in the upcoming second impeachment trial of Donald Trump for "incitement of insurrection". Democrats now have that majority. They should demand this as part of the trial procedure. Senators function as a jury in an impeachment trial, and in most trials a juror's individual vote is secret. This allows for a more deliberative process free from outside pressure.
Why is this important?
1/24/21
Senate Republicans know that Trump deserves to be convicted , but they are still frightened of crossing Trump and his base. Only 17 GOP senators are needed to convict, and the Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, has told his caucus to vote their conscience. A secret ballot would allow them to do this.
The senators are not only witnesses to the insurrection, they are also victims, being forced to flee and hide for several hours. Trump's speech to the mob of his supporters is public, as is his subsequent message "We love you, you are special". His months of whipping up the alt-right to believe that he actually won the 2020 election is public, as is his encouragement of the motto, "Stop the Steal". “The mob was fed lies,” McConnell said on the Senate floor on the last full day of Trump’s presidency. “They were provoked by the president and other powerful people.
More and more evidence is coming to light that he or his staff was in touch with the leaders of the crowd, and helped them to plan; also, that he was behind the slow response of law enforcement, especially of calling up the National Guard.
The Senate will convict Trump, if they are allowed to vote by secret ballot.
Please sign and disseminate the petition:
https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/senate-vote-on-trump
And write to Senate Majority Leader Schumer asking him to introduce a motion for a secret ballot.
Charles Schumer (D- NY) www.schumer.senate.gov/contact/email-chuck
Dear Senator Schumer,
Please introduce a motion to have the verdict on Trump’s guilt or innocence determined by secret ballot. This is customary in jury trials. It would give GOP senators the right to vote their conscience, rather than giving in to the pressure to vote the party line for acquittal. Our democracy is on the line.
How it will be delivered
Signatures will be delivered by email.