WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING MORE ABSENTEE VOTING MAY 13, 2020
SPEAKERS Chairman Ben Amber McReynolds, Mark Braden, Vote at Home BakerHostetler Hovland, U.S. Election Assistance Commission
HOUSEKEEPING Resources are in the tab above the slides—download anytime Bios for our fabulous speakers are in another tab—get in touch anytime Put questions in the chat box (lower left) Also technical issues can go in the chat box or email Brian.Hinkle@ncsl.org We’ll save questions for the end Stay on the line for a short survey afterward
De Delivering & g & Strengthening g De Democ ocracy acy Amber McReynolds | CEO National Vote at Home Institute @VoteAtHome | VoteAtHome.org @AmberMcReynolds
Ensure every voter can vote in a safe, secure, accessible, & equitable way The e time t e to Decisive & immediate action ac act i is n now Political leadership & will
We are unique in our work to…. Support Support states with implementation. Train Train election officials & advise on best practices. Provide guidance to policymakers on how best to structure Provide laws & regulations. Advise Governors & top officials on the high-level strategy & Advise plan.
States with blended Vote at Home Status by State – May 2020 policies in the Step 3 – 4 – 5 range. (does not reflect what appears to be temporary COVID-19 policy) UT 100% VAH in 2019 HI 100% in 2020 CA changing for Nov. 2020. Could drop back to transitioning to 5 after. NE has 11 counties on 100% VAH for 2020 ND has 30 counties using 100% mailed-out ballot voting OH sends absentee request forms to all 8M Step 5: Vote at Home voters, for some elections Step 4: No Excuse, MI, MN & PA have a permanent mail permanent absentee list, ballot option but periodically send Step 3: No excuse request forms, not ballots, required to voters Transitioning from AL, KS, & WI offer step 1 or 2 to 3 permanent absentee status to voters with Step 2: Excuse required disabilities with age waiver DC offers Step 4 to its Step 1: Excuse required voters
We need your help to continue, and to accelerate, this trend to more Americans voting other than on Election Day Percentage of US electorate versus choice of voting method 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 Election Day Mail/absentee Early, in person Sources: 1992-2016:: MIT Election Lab. 2018: PEW Research
2020 Primary Turnout* as of 5/13 55% 53% 50% 47% 46% 45% 45% 43% 40% 39% 38% 38% 36% 35% 35% 33% 31% 30% 29% 29% 28% 28% 26% 26% 26% 25% 24% 23% 23% 25% 15% 5% CO WA WI CA NH AZ VT NE WY UT MA MI AL NC FL OK MS AK AR MN ID IL TX TN OH MO -5% *Percentage of state-reported active registered voters. SC & VA not included since they do not capture party affiliation ~100% Vote at Home >66% Vote by mailed-out ballot Predominately polling place and were only running a D primary. So there is no way to determine the denominator. Note: CO denominator adjusted from state data to just include “active” registered voters, as is used in all other states reporting
The higher the use of mailed-out ballots, the lower the gap for disabled voter participation
This is not easy…. We have suggested creative ways for states to scale: Centralize outbound mail ballot process One vendor for the entire state in a coordinated way Georgia Maryland Centralize inbound mail ballot process Central or regional processing centers Reduces amount of equipment needed Increases transparency Mitigates risks with human resources in so many counties
Resources: • Reference Library • Strategy Plan • Timeline – produced by CISA • Center for Civic Design’s Toolkit • Myths • Equity brief • 50 State Policy Plan – To be Released 5/13/2020
Mar ark Br Brad aden • Of Counsel, BakerHostetler • Former Chief Counsel for the Republican National Committee
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission and COVID-19 Response Ben Hovland, Chairman
EAC Resources Virtual Public Hearing - Election Response to COVID-19: Administering Elections During the Coronavirus Crisis • Addressed expanded absentee/by mail voting and considerations for in-person voting EAC.gov/coronavirus • Absentee and mail voting resources • Manufacturer cleaning guidance for election equipment • 2020 CARES Act grant funding • using HAVA funds for COVID-19 response • poll worker resources U.S. Election Assistance Commission | www.eac.gov
EAC Video Series • Features interviews with state and local election officials, representatives from federal agencies, and other experts. Topics include: • Planning For Increased Vote By Mail Capacity • Improving Communications for Increased Voting by Mail/Absentee Voting • Handling Increased Absentee and Mail Voting at the County Level • Handling Absentee Ballot Requests for Increased Voting by Mail • Emergency Election Laws and COVID-19 U.S. Election Assistance Commission | www.eac.gov
COVID-19 Working Group Resources Elections Infrastructure Documents include: • Vote By Mail/Absentee Voting Timeline GCC/SCC Joint COVID Working Group • The Importance of Accurate Voter Data When • Documents provide guidance for Expanding Absentee or Mail Ballot Voting state, local, tribal, and territorial • Helping Voters to Request a Mail-in Ballot election officials on how to • Managing an Increase in Outbound Ballots • administer and secure election The Inbound Ballot Process • Election Education and Outreach for Increased infrastructure in light of the COVID- Absentee or Mail Voting 19 epidemic • Electronic Ballot Delivery and Marking • All products were developed in • Ballot Drop Boxes coordination with election officials, • Signature Verification and Cure Process non-profits, and the private sector, and were approved by the executive Coming Soon • Finding Voting Locations and Poll Workers committees of the GCC and SCC. • Health and Safety at the Polling Place • Modifying the Scale of In-Person Voting • Innovative Practices and New Solutions U.S. Election Assistance Commission | www.eac.gov
2020 CARES Act Election Funds The CARES Act allocates $400 million in new HAVA funds, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 for the 2020 federal election cycle. Supplemental federal share of HAVA funding in the CARES Act, by state ■ $3.0m ■ $3.1m-9.9m ■ $10m-$19.9m ■ $20m-$36.3m WASHINGTON $8.3m MAINE MONTANA NORTH VERMONT $3.3m MINNESOTA $3.0m $3.0m DAKOTA OREGON $6.9m $3.0m $5.6m IDAHO NEW HAMPSHIRE MASSACHUSETTS $3.4m SOUTH DAKOTA WISCONSIN WYOMING $3.0m $7.3m RHODE ISLAND MICHIGAN $3.0m $11.2m PENNSYLVANIA IOWA CONNECTICUT NEBRASKA $14.2m NEVADA $4.8m OHIO NEW JERSEY $3.7m 4.5m $12.8m UTAH ILLINOIS DELAWARE INDIANA WEST $13.9m $4.3m COLORADO $8.0m MARYLAND VIRGINIA CALIFORNIA $6.7m $3.8m VIRGINIA KANSAS MA - $8.3m MISSOURI $ 9.5m KENTUCKY $4.6m $7.6m $36.3m $6.1m NORTH CAROLINA NH - $3.3m TENNESSEE $10.9m $7.9m ARIZONA OKLAHOMA ARKANSAS NEW SOUTH $7.8m $5.5m $4.7m VT - $3.0m MEXICO CAROLINA $3.9m MISSISSIPPI GEORGIA $6.3m $10.8m $4.7m ALABAMA RI - $3.0m $6.5m LOUISIANA TEXAS $6.2m CT - $5.4m $24.4m FLORIDA $20.2m NJ - $10.3m DE - $3.0m HAWAII $3.3m ALASKA MD - $7.4m $3.0m DC - $3.0m Sources: US Election Assistance Commission. 19
UPCOMING EVENTS IN THIS SERIES May 20: Moving to All-Mail Elections: Promises and Challenges May 27: Let’s Talk About Voting Outside the Polling Place (on Zoom) Register here https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and- campaigns/voting-outside-the-polling-place-webinar-series.aspx
Questions? Amber McReynolds: amber@voteathome.org Mark Braden: MBraden@bakerlaw.com Commissioner Hovland: bhovland@eac.gov NCSL Contacts: Wendy Underhill: wendy.underhill@ncsl.org Brian Hinkle: brian.hinkle@ncsl.org
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