Do you know who’s voting by mail this election? Donald Trump.
And do you know who’s making it harder for everyone else in the country to vote by mail in the middle of a global pandemic? That’s right — Donald Trump. Trump and other White House officials have gone on record with false claims against mail-in voting, even though it’s one of the safest options for us to cast our ballots as the country recovers from this pandemic.
In the face of Trump’s hypocrisy, I expect Congress to do the right thing and provide both economic relief and expanded funding for no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, and other options to make voting safer this November. These are all common-sense reforms that a vast majority of Americans support and changes that would help increase voter participation during and after this crisis.
Even though Congress allocated some funds to help states implement these voting reforms, without an additional $3.6 billion in election assistance funding, some voters may not be able to make their voices heard during one of the most important elections of our lifetime. We must prevent a situation where voters are forced to choose between protecting their health and casting a ballot — no matter what Trump says.
Congress has the ability to act right now and we need to make sure our representatives know that anything less than immediate action is unacceptable.
Iris Hageney is a resident of Water Oak.
