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One of the biggest challenges COVID-19 poses to our democracy? Holding safe, secure, and fair elections this year. Our democracy is at risk if states don’t adequately prepare for the various threats that this viral outbreak presents to the smooth running of our elections. In this episode, we talk with leading voices at the state and national level about how coronavirus affects voting, the task ahead for states and election administrators, and how our elections can be held safely this year.

Guests:

• Michael Steele, Former Republican National Committee Chair
• Denise Merrill, Connecticut Secretary of the State

Additional Resources:

• Op-ed: “How Congress must aid states to ensure safe and secure elections” (April 2020)
• Washington Post: We need to pay for our democracy (March 2020)
• Issue One applauds downpayment on voting assistance in stimulus bill, calls on Congress to provide more resources in future measures (March 2020)
• Letter from Michael Steele and the U.S. Vote Foundation to the Senate Rules Committee urging funding for state (March 2020)
• Bipartisan Policy Center: The November Presidential Election Needs Emergency Federal Funding (March 2020)
• National Conference of State Legislatures: State Laws Governing Early Voting