The Impact of COVID-19 on Voting Rights and Election Administration: Ensuring Safe and Fair Elections

On June 4, 2020, Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Elections of the Committee on House Administration. The hearing, “The Impact of COVID-19 on Voting Rights and Election Administration: Ensuring Safe and Fair Elections” centered around how the COVID-19 crisis forced many citizens to choose between casting their ballot, or protecting their health and well-being during the 2020 primaries, and what needed to be changed for the general election.

Clarke explained that in order to have an election that would give everyone an equal opportunity to vote and have their voice heard, vote-by-mail needs to be expanded and there needs to be increased avenues for voter registration. In addition, notarization requirements and witness signatures on absentee ballots need to be waived, so that those who were self-isolating were not forced to interact with another individual. 

Language barriers and problems with the United States Postal Service were also a hindrance to voting. Many states did not provide language assistance programs to non-english speakers, and only provided absentee ballots that were printed in English. Delays with mail and abrupt changes to postal service procedures also caused people to worry about their ballot arriving and being counted.

Clarke called on Congress to provide an additional $3.6 billion in funding, in addition to the $400 million that was previously allocated through the CARES Act. This would allow states and local jurisdictions to enhance vote-by-mail systems, and expand in-person voting options to include increased early-voting locations, election day poll locations, and adequate personal protective equipment for poll workers.

Read the full testimony here.