In response to the COVID-19 crisis, House Democrats recently unveiled the HEROES Act, emergency legislation to provide important protections for everyday Americans — among the most important of which would safeguard voting. In response to the bipartisan desire to give all Americans remote-voting options in a time of social distancing, Democrats have made clear their commitment to protecting this inalienable right during the coronavirus pandemic. I invite my fellow Republicans to join in this commitment.
The issue of suffrage in the United States has long been fraught with political and racial undercurrents, but the COVID-19 crisis has exposed just how vulnerable our electoral system has become. During Wisconsin’s primary in April, voters were forced to choose whether to cast their ballot at a polling place and risk their health or sit the election out at home. Photos of Wisconsinites — some garbed in hazmat suits — standing six feet apart in winding queues spoke volumes. The state’s primary wasn’t just disorganized; it was dangerous, and likely caused dozens of people to be infected with the virus.
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