The Supreme Court just blocked emergency efforts in Alabama to make it easier to vote by mail.1 Combined with Donald Trump's war on voting by mail, this represents a new threat to the November election.
Trump isn't just launching angry Twitter tirades making false claims about the security of voting by mail.2 He is supporting lawsuits against states that are trying to expand vote by mail, and threatening to withhold their funding.3 And he put a crony in charge of the U.S. Postal Service.4
Along with Thursday's Supreme Court ruling, recent elections in Georgia and Kentucky have again shown us the importance of voting by mail. And as a new wave of coronavirus hits hard across America right now, we have to act now to make sure the November election happens safely.
Sign the petition: Tell Congress to pass a law guaranteeing the right of every voter to cast a ballot by mail!
Trump is totally wrong is his misleading and self-serving attacks on vote by mail. Independent research has repeatedly shown that voting by mail is safe and secure.4 States that have been using vote by mail for years have not experienced the problems Trump claims exist.
States rushed to "reopen" too quickly from the coronavirus lockdowns, showing that this pandemic isn't going away. There's a real risk this will continue into the fall, right when the election is to take place.
Congress has several bills pending that would give every voter the option to vote by mail.5 Lawmakers can make sure voters don't have to choose between democracy and public health. Right now, Americans in only a handful of states have that option. Trump and the Supreme Court are aggressively trying to stop others from making vote by mail available. We need Congress to step in.
If you're concerned the November election might not happen as planned, the best thing you can do right now is tell your members of Congress to pass legislation guaranteeing every American the ability to vote by mail this fall. Can you help?
Add your name and tell Congress: Protect the November election and guarantee the right of every voter to cast a ballot by mail!
Sources:
1. CNN, "Supreme Court temporarily blocks court order that cleared the way for expanded vote by mail in Alabama due to Covid-19," July 2, 2020.
2. CBS News, "States weigh vote-by-mail options amid Trump and GOP opposition," May 27, 2020.
3. CBS News, Trump ramps up attacks against mail-in voting, May 27, 2020.
4. Politico, Trump donor named next postmaster general, May 6, 2020.
5. Brennan Center, "The False Narrative of Vote-by-Mail Fraud," April 10, 2020.
6. Sen. Ron Wyden press release, "Wyden Introduces Bill to Protect Voters and Elections Against COVID-19 Risks by Mandating Emergency Vote-By-Mail," March 11, 2020.