News

Let America Vote Launches Program to Ensure Voting is Safe During COVID-19 Pandemic

SAFE Democracy Program calls on every state to provide no-excuse vote-by-mail option and extended early in-person voting

Also calls on Congress to provide funding for states to make voting safe, accessible, and fair

Today, Let America Vote (LAV) launched the Safe, Accessible, Fair Elections (SAFE) Democracy Program to ensure that all Americans can cast their votes in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak without putting their health at risk.

The 50-state grassroots effort will call on Congress to provide more election preparedness funding, implement a no-excuse vote-by-mail option by the November general election, and add additional safeguards to guarantee safe and sanitary in-person voting. It will also call on top election officials in states that do not already provide no excuse absentee vote by mail options to provide such options.

“Our democracy can’t stop functioning, even in times of crisis,” said Tiffany Muller, president of Let America Vote. “People should not be forced to decide between their health and their vote. There is precious little time to act, but if Congress and state officials can put politics aside, we can protect the vote and keep people safe. Earlier this week, voters in Wisconsin were forced to choose between following guidance from health officials to stay home and avoid large gatherings or exercising their sacred right to vote. The result was chaos and unworthy of the greatest democracy in the world.”

“LAV will mobilize our members to pressure Congress, Governors, Secretaries of State, and other local officials to make voting safe, accessible, and fair. We need to immediately provide states with funding and training to implement vote-by-mail while also maintaining a vote in person option that ensures public safety. In these troubling and unprecedented times, our leaders must put partisan politics aside to uphold the Constitution and protect our democracy.”

The nationwide organizing effort kicking off today will include grassroots mobilization through calls, emails, texting and other tactics to call on members of Congress and state leaders to ensure safe access to voting. LAV, which has recently merged with End Citizens United, has more than 4 million members combined.

Also launching today is a digital ad, backed by a six figure buy, calling for Congress and state officials to make elections safe and accessible during the pandemic. To view the ad click here.

“We should never have to choose between our safety and our right to vote. We have to raise our voices today to make sure they can’t be silenced in November. Together, we can protect our health and our democracy. Your voice matters now. Join us,” the ad says.

In a letter sent to top election officials in states such as Secretaries of States, Governors or other key decision makes, LAV is calling on them to use their authority to implement these changes to protect the right to vote and protect public health. LAV today also sent a letter to members of Congress calling for the at least $4 billion needed to support states in this effort. For a detailed breakdown of why groups are calling for $2-$4 billion in election funding, click here to see the Brennan Center’s estimates.

Jason Kander, who founded Let America Vote in 2017, will serve as a surrogate to help promote the effort.

Why do we need optional vote by mail:
States must move now to make our elections more secure, more efficient, and more accessible to all eligible voters, all while protecting public health and safety. One critical way to ensure the virus doesn’t keep people from the ballot box is to bring the ballot box to them through vote-by-mail or no-excuse absentee ballots. It’s a time-tested secure process in place in states across the country. Voters receive their ballots in the mail or online, fill them out at home, and then mail them back or submit them at secure ballot drop-off locations. Voters should be allowed to request ballots in person, by phone, or online. The ballots should include pre-paid envelopes to encourage voters to return them and states must launch public education campaigns to ensure voters know about the changes.

ECU and LAV have been active and engaged in the efforts to address the voting rights crisis borne out of the coronavirus pandemic. Both groups have been working with members of Congress to sound the alarm on Capitol Hill and a coalition of good government and civil and human rights groups to identify and address issues around voting. Just last week, ECU and LAV joined Senators Klobuchar and Wyden on a press call to discuss their bill, the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act (NDEBA), a commonsense solution to ensuring elections are resilient to emergencies, like the COVID-19 pandemic.

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