Sens. Hirono, Klobuchar, 29 Colleagues Call on Trump Administration to Help Secure Access to PPE to Conduct November Election Safely During Pandemic
Senators
Guidance from the
"We write to strongly urge you to take immediate action to ensure there is adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sanitizing supplies for poll workers, election workers, and voters ahead of the November general election. We further urge you work to with state and local election offices to coordinate their access PPE and sanitizing supplies," the Senators wrote.
The Senators continued, "It is critical that the Administration take concrete steps now to ensure the safety of election workers and voters in the November election. Elections are the bedrock of our democracy and we must ensure safe elections so that all voters can exercise their constitutional right to cast a ballot."
In addition to Senators Hirono and Klobuchar, the letter was also signed by Senators
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We write to strongly urge you to take immediate action to ensure there is adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sanitizing supplies for poll workers, election workers, and voters ahead of the November general election. We further urge you to work with state and local election offices to coordinate their access to PPE and sanitizing supplies. While we continue to press for greater access to mail-in voting for the November election, some voters, including voters with disabilities, those that need language assistance, and those without access to mail, will need to vote in person - raising the risk of increased spread and potential spikes in cases this fall.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, our country has faced widespread shortages of PPE. Health care workers, first responders, and many others on the front lines of the pandemic have been significantly impacted by the lack of this critical equipment. As cases of COVID-19 surge in many parts of the country, reports indicate serious shortages of PPE once again. While the urgent needs of workers on the front lines of this pandemic must be met immediately, the ongoing PPE shortage has also left other public workers, including poll workers and election workers, as well as voters, without sufficient access to the PPE that is necessary to keep them safe.
We are concerned that not enough has been done to secure sufficient PPE, despite our prior calls for
States and localities face challenges shouldering the financial burden of providing PPE for elections. As of
Adequate PPE and sanitizing supplies are essential to protect the health of poll workers, election workers, and voters and to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at in-person voting locations and election work spaces. In the course of working an election, one poll worker can come into contact with a thousand voters or more and handle thousands of ballots. Some states have drastically limited the number of polling places during the pandemic, meaning that a single polling location may now serve tens of thousands of voters. This can create long lines and conditions that make it difficult to safely adhere to physical distancing guidance. During
We already know that states have experienced challenges working with PPE manufacturers and sellers and accessing adequate supplies of PPE for primary elections. In advance of
On
It is critical that the Administration take concrete steps now to ensure the safety of election workers and voters in the November election. Elections are the bedrock of our democracy, and we must ensure safe elections so that all voters can exercise their constitutional right to cast a ballot. To that end, we ask that you provide by
Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this matter.
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