Protecting the Rights and Safety of Student Voters in the Time of COVID-19 

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of college students across the country. Campuses and workplaces have closed, and global uncertainty has spread. Our national and community leaders are currently facing an unprecedented emergency and making consequential choices that affect us all. Now, more than ever, our voices must be heard.

Right now, America’s elections are being disrupted by the pandemic. Almost a dozen states have postponed their presidential primaries. Others have gone forward with voting and putting voter’s health at a greater risk. Voters deserve a plan that protects their rights and safety. 

While none of us can know right now how serious the threat of the virus will be in November, we do know that steps can and must be taken to protect public safety and ensure equitable ballot access for all voters. Federal, state, and local officials must plan ahead and allocate resources to fully safeguard our elections, the cornerstone of our representative democracy, until the threat of the virus has passed. Students and citizens alike shouldn’t have to choose between being safe and participating in elections.

There are several practical steps that our leaders can take to protect the health of the public and our democracy, including:

• • Establish universal mail-in voting and no-excuse absentee voting
  • Extend early-voting days in every state
  • Provide safe in-person voting options that follow CDC guidelines
  • Expand voter registration options
  • Accept all college and university student IDs as valid voter identification where required

Therefore we, the undersigned, ask our elected officials to take this threat seriously and make it a major priority to address now. All citizens deserve to participate in November.

Signed (by filling out form below),