Kamala Harris proposes $5 billion package to expand voter safety amid pandemic

WASHINGTON — Sen. Kamala Harris, D-CA, introduced legislation on Thursday that would give $5 billion to states to expand voting options and improve polling location safety for upcoming federal elections.

The VoteSafe Act of 2020 comes in response to concern that the COVID-19 pandemic could impact the November election, reducing voter participation as people stay home and fear the person-to-person contact necessary at a traditional polling location. Most recently, Wisconsin held its primary elections last week against the advice of public health officials, calling into question the responsible way to hold elections in the face of a pandemic.

“So many have marched, protested, fought and died for the fundamental right to vote, yet that right is under attack,” Harris said in a statement. “The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the obstacles many already face when voting.” She said her plan is a “comprehensive solution” that ensures voting is “safe and accessible.”

The bill lays out plans for no-excuse absentee voting, early in-person voting, and requirements that polling locations adhere to CDC guidelines.

No-excuse absentee voting

The bill would mandate states to provide an absentee ballot to any registered voter who requests one. Though every state currently allows absentee voting in some form, 16 states require voters to have an excuse for why they cannot be at a polling place in-person on Election Day. No-excuse absentee voting is different from vote-by-mail, which is the process of sending every registered voter a ballot without a request.

Extended early voting period 

The bill would create an early voting period of 20 days nationwide, where polls would be open for ten hours per day. Early voting is exactly as it sounds: people can cast ballots in person prior to Election Day. As of December 2019, 38 states had early voting policies, and the average length was 19 days. 

Safer and more efficient polling places

Harris’s legislation would provide grants for states to implement CDC guidelines. The states’ plans would need to keep as many polling locations open as possible, implement social distancing protocols, provide hygiene equipment for workers and voters, increase poll workers’ compensation, and educate voters on changes to procedures and voting opportunities during the pandemic. The plan would also encourage curbside voting and publication of real-time wait times for voters. 

Harris said in the statement that COVID-19 has exacerbated issues felt by certain groups at the polls.

“Even before the pandemic, Native Americans, Black and Latinx voters, and voters with disabilities too often faced long lines, inaccessible voting locations, and outright hostility by election officials,” she said. The bill would authorize additional funds based on a state’s poor, disabled, minority, and Native American voter population. It would also ensure protection for language minority voters and improves access to voter registration.

President Donald Trump signed a coronavirus stimulus package last month that included $400 million to help states hold elections during the pandemic.