Democracy only works when people participate, when people signal a direction for the country, and when people vote. But with the new and uncertain realities created by the coronavirus pandemic taking hold, we need to plan ahead to safeguard our democracy.
We can’t wait until the last moment to ensure our upcoming presidential election—now just seven months away—takes place in an effective, safe way. We must demand each state in our country has adopted Vote by Mail.
Vote by Mail has been proven to encourage greater participation in our democracy. States that have enacted Vote by Mail saw a 15% higher median turnout than polling-place-centric states during the 2018 primary.
Voting by mail has always been a good idea, but during a public health emergency caused by a pandemic, the necessity of allowing voting by mail multiplies dramatically. We must ensure people have the opportunity to participate in our democracy—to share their views about the direction our country should go—and remain safe.
There is movement right now in the halls of Congress and across the country. Sen. Ron Wyden is introducing legislation to implement Vote by Mail if the coronavirus is causing disruptions into November or in other cases of pandemic or natural disaster. But let’s not just rely on the federal government to act.
Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, California, and Hawaii have already successfully enacted Vote by Mail. And these states are seeing a higher voter turnout as a result. Let’s make sure each state gets on board.
Thank you for your support,
The Human Needs Report is CHN’s newsletter on national policy issues affecting low-income and other vulnerable populations.
