Friend,

Voters in the United States shouldn’t have to choose between protecting their health and casting their vote.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s on our elected officials to ensure each state’s election system aligns with the public health guidelines provided by medical experts.

This public health crisis is rapidly evolving, and it demands urgent action to ensure every voice is heard in our democracy. In this historic moment, we must expand access to the ballot and make it easier to vote — all while protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities. 

We urge Congress to immediately take action to:

• Allow all voters to cast mail-in ballots with pre-paid postage
• Count mail-in or absentee ballots postmarked on Election Day
• Expand in-person early voting to reduce long lines at polling places
• Expand & improve online voter registration, including for eligible voters without DMV records
• Increase staffing at elections offices & polling places to adequately adapt to new processes

No one should have to jeopardize their safety in order to participate in our democracy and cast their ballot. 

Write to your members of Congress and urge them to take swift action to expand ballot access to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis and protect the health of voters.

Congress’ recent stimulus package included $400 million to help states adapt their election systems to this pandemic, only a fraction of the funds needed. We must invest the necessary funding to make our democracy as safe and accessible as possible and finally enact universal vote-by-mail nationwide.

Our team at NextGen America has taken precautions to keep our staff, our volunteers, and our communities safe. As we shift to online organizing from our own homes and implement social distancing, we will continue the fight to remove unnecessary barriers to the ballot box that are especially untenable in the current crisis. 

Act now: Send a message to elected officials and demand immediate action to allow universal vote-by-mail and online voter registration for any upcoming election in 2020.

We do not know how long this crisis will last, but we know that our leaders’ failure to act will weaken our democracy and risk our public health.

Thank you, 

Ben Wessel 
Executive Director 
NextGen America

P.S. We are thankful to be in a shared community with passionate activists like you. We wish you and your loved ones well in these times. Please take care.