Early this morning, the Senate reached a deal on the third stimulus package aimed at the impact of the coronavirus. A vote is expected today.

Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, had the following comment:

“The coronavirus pandemic is a health and economic crisis. The $2 trillion dollar stimulus will help soften its effects on the American people. However, Congress failed to include sufficient, urgently needed funds in the stimulus to help states run elections in a time of pandemic. This could wreak havoc in November.

“States simply will not have the resources so people can vote safely. Congress must do better when it composes the next stimulus package. State election officials from both parties have made it clear they need help to hold a safe, fair, and secure November election under pandemic conditions.

“By our estimate, state and local officials need at least $2 billion to prepare, an amount that would cover the equipment, supplies, staffing, training, and the other costs of adapting our voting processes to withstand the coronavirus. That funding is not partisan and it is not a luxury. Time remains of the essence.”

Related resources:

Letter from 52 election officials to Congress seeking funds to protect 2020 election against Covid-19 (Mar. 24, 2020; signature collection ongoing)

Estimated Costs of Covid-19 Election Resiliency Measures (Brennan Center, Mar. 19, 2020)

How to Protect the 2020 Vote from the Coronavirus (Brennan Center, Mar. 16, 2020)

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