Tell Congress: Protect our elections with vote-by-mail!
Petition to Congress:
We urge you to co-sponsor and vote for Sen. Ron Wyden’s Resilient Elections During Quarantines and Natural Disasters Act of 2020. Voters should not have to choose between democracy and public health. This legislation protects democracy by giving every voter a paper ballot and the option to return it by mail or to a dropoff site. As the coronavirus crisis worsens, it is essential that we take all steps to protect public health and ensure the November election takes place as planned. This legislation helps achieve that urgent goal.
The coronavirus is disrupting our daily lives and our economy. But it can't be allowed to disrupt our democracy -- especially in this most crucial of election years.
Louisiana already postponed its presidential primary. The United Kingdom postponed local elections for an entire year. We can't afford to delay this November's election. Thankfully, there's a solution already in use that can protect public health and our democracy: vote by mail.
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden this week proposed a bill that would provide every voter across America with a paper ballot they can return by mail or to a drop-off site. It's the same process that Oregon and Washington State have used effectively for years. It's essential we adopt this nationally -- before November.
Sign the petition and tell Congress: Don't postpone or cancel the election. Make vote-by-mail available across America!
Currently, dozens of states make it extremely difficult to get an absentee ballot and vote from the safety of their own home. Given the uncertainty of the coronavirus epidemic, we can't afford to wait until October and discover the virus is still a threat -- and millions of Americans have to choose between voting and their health.
Sen. Wyden's bill, the Resilient Elections Act, solves that problem and protects our democracy as well as public health. The bill also requires states to offer postage prepaid self-sealing envelopes to voters. The Resilient Elections Act provides $500 million to fund emergency state vote-by-mail efforts.1
Most importantly, this bill protects us against Donald Trump. This prevents him from postponing or cancel the elections this fall due to the coronavirus, as voters will be able to cast ballots safely.
They can also vote securely. And vote-by-mail also renders unnecessary the voter ID requirements and restrictions on the number of polling places that many states have used to roll back voting rights.
We have no time to lose when it comes to protecting our democracy. Will you fight against any efforts to postpone or cancel the fall elections?
Add your name: Tell Congress to pass the national vote-by-mail bill and make sure the November election happens as planned!
Sources:
1. 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.