Congress Must Protect Democracy, Ensure Safe Voting During COVID-19

In testimony before the House Administration Committee, Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, will call on Congress to take steps to ensure that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) operates at full capacity. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, voters should not be forced to choose between their health and their fundamental right to vote, as occurred in many of the recent primary elections. Gupta, who previously served as the head of the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, will underscore that all communities, particularly those who have faced barriers to the ballot like people of color, must have their voices heard in the upcoming November election.

"The slew of recent service and operational changes at USPS threaten to have a devastating impact on communities of color that continue to bear the legacy of centuries of political and economic disenfranchisement. Further, President Trump's attacks on the integrity of both mail-in and in-person voting also pose grave danger to the administration of safe, fair, and accessible elections," said Gupta. "What we have seen to date in this year's primary elections provides a dire warning of what we could expect this November--unless election officials act now to ensure safe and accessible elections over the next 66 days."

Gupta urged Congress to require states to:

• Expand voter registration opportunities, including requiring that any eligible citizen can register to vote online and requiring that any voter be allowed to register to vote on the same day that they vote (same-day voter registration);
• Ensure that every voter can access no-excuse absentee ballots with prepaid postage in all federal elections, prohibit states from requiring notarization or witness signatures to cast an absentee ballot, and, during emergencies such as COVID-19, require states to automatically mail absentee ballots to all registered voters no later than two weeks before Election Day, require the counting of ballots postmarked on or before Election Day, reform signature matching laws to provide notice to voters of any problems with their ballot and an opportunity to address any inconsistencies;
• Provide at least 15 consecutive days of in-person early voting, with such voting being available at least 10 hours per day and at locations that are accessible by public transportation;
• Defray the costs to states of undertaking public education campaigns to educate voters about new voting and registration options in the wake of COVID-19; and
• Ensure that voters residing on Indian lands can access the ballot by maintaining robust and safe in-person voting options and providing secure ballot return drop boxes.

Gupta also urged all voters to safeguard their right to vote in these unprecedented times, with these six key steps:

• First, check your registration today and register or update your information if you need to. Voters can go to andstillivote.org/resources or contact their state election officials.
• Second, make your plan to vote. Request your absentee ballot today and return it far in advance of Election Day.
• Third, if you prefer to vote in person, make every effort possible to cast your ballot during your jurisdiction's early voting period if it is available.
• Fourth, if you are able, sign up to be a poll worker, at powerthepolls.org, to ensure that polling places are properly staffed on Election Day and that voters aren't forced to wait in excessively long lines to cast a ballot.
• Fifth, if you see misinformation on a social media platform, do not amplify it by responding; report it to the platform for removal.
• Finally, contact the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline (866-OUR-VOTE or 866ourvote.org) with any questions about voting or to report any problems with the voting process.

Read Gupta's full testimony for the record here.