Ensuring Fair Elections In This Time Of Crisis
FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | MARCH 19, 2020
“Our democracy must continue to function properly as it has during past periods of national crisis. We must prevent this crisis from being used by President Trump to try to rig the November presidential election.”
During this unprecedented time, we have decided to continue our weekly newsletter. We believe it is better to communicate as this epic crisis unfolds than to go silent.
We know we are facing a health crisis and an economic crisis unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes.
But, we also know that life must go on and we must make sure we do not end up facing a democracy crisis as well.
The presidential, congressional, state, and local elections must take place in November without interruption or interference.
Democracy 21 is working with many other concerned groups and individuals to take all possible steps to ensure that the integrity of our sacred right to vote is maintained in the November elections.
Given the efforts President Trump has already made to rig the 2020 presidential election, for which he was impeached, and given his behavior in the 2016 presidential election, we need to watch him like a hawk. Trump’s penchant for lying, dissembling, disrupting, and cheating must not be allowed to undermine, if not steal, the 2020 presidential election.
H.R. 1, passed by the House last year, would have made voting rights and election results far safer and more secure than they are today. Senate Majority Leader McConnell, however, buried H.R. 1 in the Senate, thereby blocking the voting protections it would have put in place.
In order to provide protection now for the votes that the American people will cast in November, a major effort is underway in Congress to include up to $2 billion in appropriated funds in the $1 trillion economic relief package that is being developed and is expected to pass Congress quickly.
These funds would be used by the states to adapt their voting processes to the potential voting problems caused by COVID-19 and to ensure that the 2020 election results are honest and fair.
Our democracy must continue to function properly as it has during past periods of national crisis. We must prevent this crisis from being used by President Trump to try to rig the November presidential election.
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