.png)
Dear Friend,
The recent election in Wisconsin was an urgent warning for Minnesota.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, poll workers in Wisconsin who feared for their health declined to work, . . . which caused a drastic consolidation of polling places, . . . which meant unacceptably long lines . . . which served as a barrier to voting - and risked people's health. It was a mess and an outrage.
A Wisconsin scenario is avoidable in Minnesota if we plan now. Not in the summer or fall. Now.
The CDC recommends that people stay away from polling places where possible. And in a recent national survey 66% of Americans said they would feel uncomfortable voting in-person. We need to listen, and we need act immediately.
I believe that the best solution for voting during a pandemic is a universal vote-by-mail system. All registered voters would automatically receive a ballot by mail. We would still have options for Election Day in-person voting, but without the need for thousands of polling places and tens of thousands of poll workers.
Vote-by-mail is the safest solution, and it's not a radical approach. Five other states already embraced this option even before the pandemic. And in Minnesota, 130,000 people (in 78 of 87 counties) already live in communities that vote this way. We would just have to scale up the system that many Minnesotans already use.
Minnesota is #1 in America for voter participation, but Minnesotans won't vote in great numbers this year if they don't feel that voting is safe and secure. Voting by mail will keep most people away from polling places, reducing the chances for virus transmission. It would allow Minnesotans to avoid having to choose between their health and their right to vote.
We can't let COVID-19 keep people from voting. Thanks for your support in helping to keep our democracy strong. Please stay safe.
Steve