States consider November voting changes amid coronavirus
States are weighing measures to change voting rules in November’s presidential election as they struggle with social-distancing orders during the worldwide coronavirus outbreak, according to a report Tuesday.
“More people who vote early or vote by mail, means fewer people standing in line on election day,” California Secretary of State Alex Padilla told the Axios news website.
But the effort to keep voters from going to the polls in person Nov. 3 faces legislative and financial roadblocks.
The price for states to change their methods of voting could pass $2 billion, Axios said.
And 12 states don’t allow voters to cast ballots by mail.
Four states — Alabama, Delaware, Kentucky and Connecticut — require voters to have a specific excuse for absentee voting and have not yet put early-voting options in place for November.
The Massachusetts State Department told Axios there might be enough time to change the state Constitution to allow voting from home, but added that it was hoping the Legislature comes up with a solution.
All 50 states have declared public emergencies because of the pandemic, the National Governors Association said, which gives some of them the latitude to delay the timing of elections and change polling locations. While primaries can be rescheduled, federal law requires the general election be held “Tuesday next after the first Monday in November” of even-numbered years.
Virginia will now allow no-excuse absentee voting in May’s primary and November’s general election.
Thirty-four states will allow for absentee voting without an excuse in November.
Delaware, West Virginia, Indiana and Alabama will temporarily allow absentee voting in primaries this spring and summer, but haven’t extended that to November.
The report says 41 states have some form of early-voting options, including by mail or in person.
On the legislative front, Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Ron Wyden of Oregon introduced legislation that would ensure that states adopt measures so voters are not disenfranchised because of the pandemic.
Among other actions, the National Disaster and Emergency Act would require that voters have 20 days of early in-person voting and no-excuse absentee votes by mail.
It would also authorize the funds to reimburse states for implementing the changes.
A Senate Republican aide told Axios that GOP lawmakers have shown support for bills that fund states for strengthening elections, but said decisions on changing the process should be left up to state and local officials.