Money for mail-in and absentee ballots should be included in the economic stimulus bill to make sure that the November elections proceed smoothly in the face of the growing coronavirus epidemic, but the House and Senate are divided about how much money that should entail.
In the Senate coronavirus bill, $140 million has been included by Republicans, while Democrat Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota; Ron Wyden, Oregon; and Chris Coons, Delaware, are calling for $2 billion in election funding, reports The Hill.
Meanwhile, a competing House version of the bill calls for $4 billion to make sure the elections are not interrupted.
“No American should have to choose between their health and their right to vote," Coons said in a statement.
However, in the House, Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., said the $4 billion sought by Democrats is a "dangerous ploy to federalize elections."
He also said he opposed a provision in the House bill that would require 15 days of open voting and mandates that all states offer same-day voter registration.
“Many election officials have expressed concern regarding how this public health emergency will affect upcoming elections,” Klobuchar said. “We must take critical steps to provide states with resources to expand early voting and ensure that every American who wants to vote by mail gets a ballot sent to their door.”
Her comments came after she revealed her husband has been hospitalized for coronavirus.
“I think everyone on this call within a week or two is going to have someone in their own family or a friend that is going to be stricken by this,” Klobuchar said. “We can never forget that this is a democracy, and people must be able to vote.”
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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