Government affairs

Today, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) introduced the VoteSafe Act of 2020 to provide $5 billion in grants for states to improve the safety of in-person voting and expand both early voting and vote-by-mail during the COVID-19 pandemic, among other provisions. The bill comes in response to the Covid-19 crisis, which threatens the health and safety of both voters and poll workers throughout the country.

In addition to the $5 billion in state grants, the legislation would also require states to permit no-excuse mail-in absentee voting and maintain an early voting period of at least 20 days. The funds may be used for many different means of ensuring the safety, efficiency, and reliability of polling places including: improving access to voter registration, providing funding for the training and recruitment of poll workers, implementing and promoting curbside voting, and more.

NALC will continue to monitor any legislation related to our elections.