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How to Vote Safely in the Time of COVID-19

In light of the recent coronavirus outbreak, going to the polls in-person to vote to elect the Democratic Nominee is no longer a viable option for many Americans. With the democratic primaries well underway, each state that has not held a primary is left to respond quickly to the new environmental concerns.

So far, fifteen states have postponed their primaries because of coronavirus. Three of these states are holding voting entirely by mail — Alaska, Wyoming, Hawaii. Many more states are extending their deadlines to allow people to vote by mail, also referred to as “absentee voting”

On the federal level, a new bill has recently been proposed by Senators Amy Klobuchar and Ron Wyden to make voting by mail a right for all Americans in moments of crisis. This will give protections to citizens who reside in states that have policies that make voting by mail unnecessarily inconvenient.

In the meantime, NAN urges all citizens to learn about possible new extensions to register to vote by mail in their state.

Upcoming Important Deadlines to Register or Submit Vote by Mail

April 4th – (Hawaii) Deadline to submit absentee ballot in Hawaii
April 5th – (Wisconsin) Deadline to register to vote by mail in Wisconsin (may have to request a ballot in-person at your municipal clerk’s office)
April 10th – (Alaska) Deadline to register to vote by mail in Alaska (extended from March 24th)

To lookup absentee voting qualifications and deadlines for your state, visit vote.org, a non-profit that aggregates information related to voting for each state, and who is providing real time updates to policy changes due to coronavirus.

How to Get Your Absentee Ballot to Vote by Mail

To receive and fill out your absentee ballot for your state, visit vote.org, or click here.