House Introduces Updated HEROES Act with Funding Needed Now for Safe, Secure Elections
The stimulus package includes $3.6 billion for administering elections during the pandemic.
The House of Representatives introduced an updated version of the HEROES Act, a stimulus package that includes $3.6 billion for administering elections that are safe, fair, and secure during the pandemic.
Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, had the following comment:
“We have five weeks left before November 3, and still, election officials across the country need funding to hold elections during this pandemic. The money in the HEROES Act would be a huge help in keeping our democracy running smoothly this election season. Election officials would use the funds for the equipment, supplies, and staff required to make in-person polling places safe from Covid-19 and to process mail ballots.
“To call these needs ‘urgent’ would be an understatement. The Senate must get this funding to the officials working around the clock to hold elections that are safe, secure, and fair.”
Brennan Center Resources
- What Federal Money Can Still Achieve This Election Season (Sept. 15, 2020): Descriptions of the kinds of staffing, supplies, equipment election officials need to protect the vote from the coronavirus
- Preparing Your State for an Election Under Pandemic Conditions (updated Sept. 25, 2020): 50-state breakdown of the policies states have and need to protect their elections
- Our Election System Is Resilient — but Still Has Room for Improvement (Sept. 22, 2020): Summary of the safeguards in place against cyberattacks and other technical problems
- How to Ensure that Americans Can Vote in Person Safely During Covid-19 (Aug. 12, 2020): Health guidelines for establishing in-person polling places that are safe for voters and pollworkers
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