{"id":17476,"date":"2020-03-31T11:29:05","date_gmt":"2020-03-31T16:29:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nebraskadem.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=17476"},"modified":"2020-03-31T11:29:05","modified_gmt":"2020-03-31T16:29:05","slug":"ndps-kleeb-and-50-other-state-democratic-party-chairs-sign-letter-urging-protection-of-u-s-elections-from-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nebraskademocrats.org\/ar\/press-releases\/ndps-kleeb-and-50-other-state-democratic-party-chairs-sign-letter-urging-protection-of-u-s-elections-from-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0643\u0644\u064a\u0628 \u0645\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u062d\u0632\u0628 \u0627\u0644\u0648\u0637\u0646\u064a \u0627\u0644\u062f\u064a\u0645\u0642\u0631\u0627\u0637\u064a \u0648 50 \u0645\u0646 \u0631\u0624\u0633\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u062d\u0632\u0628 \u0627\u0644\u062f\u064a\u0645\u0642\u0631\u0627\u0637\u064a \u0641\u064a \u0627\u0644\u0648\u0644\u0627\u064a\u0629 \u064a\u0648\u0642\u0639\u0648\u0646 \u0631\u0633\u0627\u0644\u0629 \u062a\u062d\u062b \u0639\u0644\u0649 \u062d\u0645\u0627\u064a\u0629 \u0627\u0644\u0627\u0646\u062a\u062e\u0627\u0628\u0627\u062a \u0627\u0644\u0623\u0645\u0631\u064a\u0643\u064a\u0629 \u0645\u0646 COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, NDP Chair Jane Kleeb and 50 other State Democratic Party Chairs from across the United States, the Territories, and Democrats Abroad released a letter urging swift action from federal and state elected officials to protect our voting infrastructure from the coronavirus.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe NDP has called on Governor Ricketts to ensure our elections are safe and fair by moving to an all Vote-By-Mail system,\u201d Kleeb said. \u201cWe cannot risk poll workers and voters during this critical moment as we all work to flatten the curve. Planning now for an all Vote-By-Mail system is the conservative approach to protect our democracy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The full text of the letter and a list of signatories follows.<\/span><\/p>\n

We, the undersigned Democratic State Party Chairs, are calling for immediate federal and state action to ensure that every eligible voter has the opportunity to cast their ballot without the risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0The United States of America is simultaneously in the midst of an unprecedented global viral outbreak and an extremely consequential series of elections. The rapid spread of COVID-19 has halted virtually all public gatherings and rendered the act of leaving one\u2019s home for non-essential reasons dangerous. As things stand, both of these acts are necessary for millions of American voters to uphold their Constitutional right to select their representatives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Every state is currently unprepared to address the seismic shift in election administration necessary to ensure the 2020 election proceeds during a pandemic and must start implementing these changes by mid-April. The funding is needed right now to protect the 2020 election.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If left unchanged, our current electoral system poses a severe public health risk that could rapidly accelerate the spread of COVID-19 while disenfranchising countless voters and calling into question the legitimacy of our elections. Just like our healthcare system and our economy, our elections infrastructure will need a massive infusion of resources to ensure that elections can go on and every voter has access to the ballot during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

To remedy this untenable situation, we urge federal lawmakers to immediately appropriate at least $2 billion for state and local elections administrators to implement the following reforms:<\/span><\/p>\n