We are months away from Election Day 2020, and Americans still struggle with access to the ballot box. Multiple roadblocks can impede access: long lines, limited polling place hours, difficulties getting time off from work, electronic machines that are vulnerable to hacking, inconvenient polling locations, transportation challenges, and voter suppression and intimidation -- the challenges to casting ballots are real.

And now we are facing a global pandemic. When states require in-person voting, COVID-2019, or coronavirus, demonstrates another way things can go wrong. On Super Tuesday, many states took precautions to assure the safety of voters visiting the polls. Some voters, however, were still afraid of the threat and stayed home. There are even examples of election staff not showing up out of fear of contracting coronavirus COVID-2019.

Vote by Mail can ease all of these stressors. Voting by mail breaks down barriers to voting for seniors, working families, disabled Americans, and young voters. It can even allow voters to avoid bad weather, and offer them a way to vote without fear of contracting coronavirus COVID-2019.

Additionally, Vote by Mail has been proven to encourage greater participation in our democracy. States that have enacted Vote by Mail have seen a 15 percent higher median turnout than polling-place-centric states during the 2018 primary.

Sen. Ron Wyden is introducing a bill to make that happen if coronavirus is causing disruptions into November or in other cases of pandemic or natural disaster.

We must, however, urge that all states adopt this measure, even without a push from Congress.

Several states have already successfully enacted Vote by Mail including Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, California, and Hawaii -- and these states are seeing a higher voter turnout as a result.

Vote by Mail gives people the time and safety to vote from the convenience of their own home, saves taxpayers money on election administration and are unhackable as the paper ballots can be recounted and audited by hand.

Sign the petition to all state governments: Make voluntary Vote by Mail accessible for all!