COVID-19 is poised to cause major disruptions to American elections in 2020. We need to be ready for an election, held during a pandemic, where social distancing and quarantine upend the current election administration assumptions and infrastructure. And, we must develop new strategies for voter registration, engagement and voter turnout. Ensuring that the 2020 election runs smoothly and safely in the context of  COVID-19 will require adjusting, adapting and rethinking of our election infrastructure in every state.

It is imperative that we protect ballot access, and reduce registration and participation disparities faced by communities of color, new Americans, low-income people, young people and people with disabilities. That’s why, as the primary season winds down in August, CPD/A’s team is gearing up to support our affiliates’ election and voter protection work in seven key states that could make or break this election—Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, Michigan, Arizona, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  CPD/A is working with affiliates to ensure that poor and working class Black and Brown communities are centered in both the response to the global pandemic, and in efforts to maximize access and participation in the election later this year. 

We believe every state needs to do 3 things to start:

1. Quickly assess their current infrastructure. 

2. Get input from impacted communities to inform any changes to their elections to ensure these policies will work for every voter. 

3. Prioritize the evidence-based changes to policy and practice that are urgently needed. 

Read more about CPD’s fight for an inclusive democracy here.