Support Immediate Funding for Safe and Fair Elections
Dear [Your Senator / Your Representative],
I am an elder and your constituent -- one of the thousands of elders taking a stand for safe and fair elections across the United States. I ask you to support funding in the next federal stimulus bill to enable states and localities to accommodate the large number of voters who will choose to vote by mail, and to modify in-person polling places so that they can be operated safely.
In light of the current crisis, this funding is needed immediately to ensure safe and fair elections. The U.S. House of Representatives has already included a $3.6 billion provision in the Heroes Act (H.R. 6800), passed on May 15th, to support safe and fair elections, and I ask for your support for its inclusion in the final stimulus bill.
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More About this Campaign
Elders Stand for Fair Elections is a campaign sponsored by Elders Action Network of which Elders Climate Action is a project, to ensure that all eligible voters are able to exercise their right to vote in the November 2020 general election -- safely, easily, and with confidence that their vote is duly counted.
We are reaching out to elected officials in both chambers of the U.S. Congress to urge them to support immediate federal funding to ensure that states and localities have sufficient funds to conduct a fair and safe election.
According to election experts, states will need $3-4 billion of federal funds to properly administer the 2020 elections and assure that all voters can vote safely from home or at a safe and convenient early voting place. Though this seems like a lot of money, it represents a mere one-tenth of one percent of stimulus funds. Given the timeline, this funding must be included in the next federal COVID stimulus package. Funds are needed for printing of ballots and envelopes, purchase of equipment such as high-speed scanners, building websites for voter registration and ballot tracking, and investment in voter education and technical support. The COVID legislation, known as the Heroes Act, passed by the House of Representatives on May 15th, includes $3.6 billion of funding for this purpose. We strongly support this provision and implore our elected officials to include funding for safe and fair elections in the final stimulus bill.
By sending this letter to your federal elected representatives, you strengthen the voice for the right of every eligible voter to cast a ballot safely and securely, and have confidence that every vote will be counted.