Voter Services
March to November—What a Difference a Pandemic Makes
In March 2020, Los Angeles County moved forward with the launch of its new vote center model, featuring a new ballot-marking device, electronic poll books, a human-readable paper ballot, and same-day voter registration. Hundreds of thousands chose to vote at the polls. Many waited in line, shoulder to shoulder, to cast their ballots. During the following weeks, other states held their primaries and more voters waited in long lines to vote.
In early March, when California held its presidential primary, few imagined the drastic measures needed to combat the spread of the coronavirus. The day after the election, Governor Newsom declared a state of emergency. Less than two weeks later, on March 19, 2020, California issued a stay-at-home order to preserve public health and safety. Nearly all states have followed suit. Now looking forward to the presidential election in November, we can all imagine with horror the prospect of in-person voting. What can we do to ensure all eligible citizens can vote freely, fairly, and safely?
Many believe a transition to universal vote-by-mail before November is the key to protecting the right to vote and safeguarding public health. Several states automatically send vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters. In California (except L.A. County), all registered voters receive mail-in ballots and are given the option to vote in person. Voting in person allows new citizens, the homeless, and those in transition—including students—optimum access to voting.
In L.A. County, the experience of the March 2020 primary election and the myriad needs of our communities will inform how the November election will be administered. Other considerations include the capacity to print, handle, mail, and count approximately two million additional mail-in ballots. Deadlines for the printing of sample ballots, election guides, and mail-in ballots, and for physically mailing ballots, are dictated by the California Election Code. The printing window is squeezed at the front end by candidate filing deadlines and by the first day of voting on the backend. After the polls close, the clock starts ticking for L.A. County to certify the results as the Registrar waits for the mail-in ballots to be returned.
Finding the right solution for all voters will not be simple. However, LWVUS has issued a list of talking points which make it clear that an in-person voting option (especially important for those with no street address), along with vote-by-mail and other avenues, remains essential if the 2020 elections are to be truly fair and accessible. And on March 16, LWVUS CEO Virginia Kase, together with President of the National Board of Directors Chris Carson, posted a statement calling for a nationwide expansion of no-excuse absentee voting and mail-in ballots due to the COVID-19 outbreak, noting that “it is imperative for state election officials to address voters’ and poll workers’ fears by limiting the need to cast an in-person ballot. The time to act is now.”
—Martha Y. Zavala
