Thread by @vanitaguptaCR

BREAKING: @civilrightsorg, @LawyersComm, @MALDEF, and @NAACP_LDF urge Congress and ALL state election officials to adopt key policies to ensure both the public’s safety and the orderly conduct of the 2020 primary and general elections in light of the current #COVID19 threat.

Election officials must take steps so that remaining primaries & the election in November occur without causing undue risk to public health or disenfranchising any eligible voter.

These recommendations must be adopted to ensure voting in America remains fair, accessible & safe:

Online voter registration should be available in all states. We also need to allow same-day registration for all voters in this election, and states must extend registration deadlines in light of likely curtailment of government services and other potential online breakdowns.

States should EXPAND early voting options and allow at least two weeks of early in-person voting to reduce long lines and administrative stress on Election Day.

Once doing so, elections administrators must educate the public about these options and urge them to come in early.

Mail-in ballot options should be made available to ALL registered voters (not just those on absentee voter lists). All voters should have ballots mailed to them & be provided with a list of options as to how to cast completed ballots (including pre-paid postage for mail return).

Given that mail-in voting may be the only option for people who need assistance (or who are immune-compromised) to cast a ballot, states MUST allow voters who cannot vote in person to obtain assistance completing and submitting ballots from individuals they designate.

Options for requesting, receiving, and returning mail-in ballots should be expanded, while maintaining the security of the voting system.

States should offer multiple methods of requesting mail-in ballots, including online, in person, by phone, and by mail.

Jurisdictions with polling places must follow public health guidelines while continuing to provide voting services at these sites. In-person voting is essential given that many people (including Native American tribes living on tribal lands) do not have access to mail voting.

Election administration officials must identify polling locations that both protect vulnerable communities and ensure Black, Latino, Asian, and Native American racial & language minority voters, voters with disabilities, and students have the access they need to cast their vote.

Jurisdictions should prepare for a surge in provisional voting due to delays in the processing of voter registration applications, voter confusion resulting from polling place closures and consolidations, and unfamiliarity with absentee voting.

Polling places must be adequately sanitized to prevent transmission of the virus and should follow @CDCgov guidance. Polling places should be reconfigured to adhere to social distancing protocol, creating additional space between voting booths, poll workers, and voters in line.

States must undertake aggressive voter education campaigns as they make necessary changes to their policies and practices, and must additionally counter any disinformation (intentional or not) with facts and accurate information.

If states and localities act swiftly, we can create an elections system that operates safely, efficiently, and is accessible to all.

Under no circumstances should the November general election be canceled or postponed, as that date is mandated by federal law.

In times of crisis, we come together for the sake of the country & our collective communities. We’re in a state of national crisis. That’s why it’s all the more important that we band together to safeguard both our health & our democracy.

We must not sacrifice one for the other.