WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), the Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee responsible for the Election Assistance Commission, published an op-ed in the Washington Post calling for immediate action to protect our 2020 election. Sen. Coons has been leading efforts in the Senate to include election funding in the next relief package to expand vote-by-mail and early voting, so eligible voters can safely vote during a pandemic.
The Washington Post: 2020 election threats extend to the Senate – and jeopardize our democracy
By Chris Coons
It is a common, bipartisan practice for members of Congress to advocate in countries around the world for one of the United States’ most important values: free and fair elections. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I have written dozens of letters with colleagues of both parties to warn foreign leaders, heads of election commissions and ambassadors that their upcoming votes displayed concerning, telltale signs of a faulty election: election interference, voter suppression, lack of adequate preparation and more.
I am deeply concerned, however, that the alarm bells indicating risk to the soundness of an approaching election are ringing right here in our country.
The United States is cruising toward a repeat of the election process of 2000, when it took more than a month to determine whether George W. Bush or Al Gore would ultimately become president. This year, however, things could be worse.
It is not only the results of the 2020 presidential election that could be uncertain for weeks or even months; control of the Senate could be contested for just as long. If that uncertainty lasts until January or beyond, that could be destabilizing for our democracy.
The full column is available here.
###