The Honest Elections Project opposes demands that Congress impose burdensome mandates and politically-motivated election reforms in the next COVID-19 relief package. House and Senate Democrats’ proposals double down on a slew of foolhardy policies: automatically mailing ballots this November, dismantling voter identification laws and other safeguards, and legalizing unlimited ballot harvesting. Recent elections show that these policies are unwise and ripe for abuse.
If Congress determines that additional election assistance is needed, it has already identified the most successful strategy for delivering it. The CARES Act provided $400 million in targeted and temporary aid to states, which they were free to use for a wide range of pandemic responses, including hiring and training new or additional poll workers, moving or modifying polling sites, purchasing cleaning supplies, expanding mail-in voting, and educating voters. This approach continues to be the one that best positions us to overcome the challenges of voting during the pandemic, while respecting our Constitution and our voters.
Jason Snead, Executive Director of the Honest Elections Project:
“Election assistance from Congress should be just that: aid to help states implement their own voting plans this November. Unfortunately, some activists and politicians treat it as a Trojan horse to finally impose a political agenda to reshape elections for partisan gain. Worse still, that agenda would repeat the chaos and dysfunction of the jury-rigged all-mail primaries on a national scale. Voters deserve better.”
