We must protect our elections against coronavirus
By Mike Quigley and Nita M. Lowey
Guest columnists
If you had asked us a year ago to identify threats to the 2020 election, we would have said Russian interference and state laws aimed at voter suppression. Now we add to the list global pandemic. To date, 17 presidential primaries have been postponed because of coronavirus, and with the general election just six months away, it is an undeniable danger to our democratic process.
As Congress continues to fund a strong federal, state, and local response to coronavirus, it is critical that we provide robust resources to safeguard the integrity of our elections and to make it possible for Americans to vote safely.
As chairs of the House Appropriations Committee (Lowey) and its Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (Quigley), we are on the front lines of this fight.
In March, Congress passed and the president signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provides $400 million to help states prepare for the 2020 elections.
With this funding, states can make voting safer for individuals by increasing the ability to vote by mail, expanding early voting and online registration, and, in the absence of remote voting, adding voting facilities and poll-workers.
Despite claims to the contrary, experts say that by taking reasonable steps to prevent tampering, voting by mail can be conducted safely and fairly. Americans wouldn't have to choose between their safety and exercising their right to vote. Moreover, an overwhelming majority of registered voters support changing state election laws to allow mail-in ballots. As Congress now turns to its next relief bill, we are fighting to ensure that Congress builds on this progress with additional funding.
As Ben Hovland, chairman of the federal Election Assistance Commission, has noted, "State and local jurisdictions across the country are facing unexpected and rapidly increasing costs to mail ballots, move polling sites, and ensure the safety of voters, staff, and election workers."
Unless we significantly increase election assistance, states will not have the resources to adequately prepare during the pandemic.
We cannot expect Americans, especially those at higher risk of contracting coronavirus, to stand in line, potentially for many hours, to vote in the 2020 election at the same time as we're telling them to stay in their homes. Not only is this dangerous, it's a false choice.
Americans need to be able to protect themselves and others while still fulfilling their civic duty of voting.
We've already seen previews of what will happen if we don't expand access to voting. Illinois was among the states to hold its Democratic primary despite health concerns, and turnout decreased 25 percent from 2016. In Wisconsin, 19 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 may have been exposed at polling places where they voted or volunteered for the state's primary, which courts ruled could not be postponed.
Coronavirus is threatening the 2020 election. Voting and election integrity shouldn't be a partisan issue. By moving swiftly to dramatically scale up election assistance to states, we can limit burdens on voters, protect public health, and safeguard election integrity.
• Congressman Mike Quigley, a Chicago Democrat, represents Illinois' 5th District. Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey, a New York Democrat, represents New York's 17th District.