OPINION: Brace for more voting by mail because of the coronavirus -- it's one of the only ways to make sure the 2020 presidential election remains safe.
In the midst of the greatest public health crisis the U.S. has faced in at least a century, the nation’s election administrators are scrambling to plan how 165 million Americans will vote safely and securely in November. Inattention to the health challenge risks contributing to a flare-up of the virus. Poorly executed logistics risk creating chaos at the polls. The stakes are high.
Second, polling places must be made safe for poll workers and voters. Responsibility for this will fall mainly on the shoulders of the ground troops of election administration, ranging from state election directors to poll workers. These same people also bear the responsibility of implementing decisions related to expanding the availability of mail ballots.
Still, charges of partisan overreach can be reduced, if not eliminated, if it is agreed by both sides that many of the actions taken to expand access to mail ballots in 2020 are for the emergency, and not permanent. There will be time to debate permanent changes next January. Although time is a precious commodity, state and local officials have four to five months to implement the new policies. This is good, because changes to election policy cannot be implemented by flipping a switch.
This is where time may be on our side. Even now, as the pandemic still appears to be approaching its apex, some activities that require people to congregate are still happening. Think about grocery shopping. Large stores are adopting practices at checkout counters to keep shoppers apart, such as placing tape on the floor every six feet. Checkout lanes are maximally staffed, to keep people moving. Smaller food shops are limiting the number of shoppers who may come inside at any one time.
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