Must prepare for safe fall voting

Time is short

Our elections run smoothly year after year, thanks to the legion of Arkansas retirees who serve as poll workers. But have you thought about whether our septuagenarians will be able to safely work the polls this November? They’ve thought about it. One of them wrote the Voices letter this week, explaining why she resigned as a poll worker. At 72 years old, she doesn’t believe she — or anyone — will be safe at the polls this year.

The solution? Arkansas must plan now for safe voting by encouraging more people to vote from a distance. That means making the absentee-balloting option available to every Arkansas voter.

Fortunately, Gov. Asa Hutchinson already provided leadership on this by setting a precedent. He issued an executive order authorizing “no excuse” absentee balloting for Arkansans voting in the March 31 primary runoffs. It’s time to issue an executive order on absentee balloting for the general election too.

States across the country are right now turning to absentee balloting and vote-by-mail to ensure their citizens can vote safely this November. One of the nation’s largest ballot-printers told the U.S. Election Assistance Commission that companies won’t be able to gear up fast enough if states wait until July to put in their ballot orders.

Meanwhile, the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office will be receiving $4.7 million from the commission. Spent wisely, those funds will help us manage our elections during a pandemic in which nearly 100 Arkansans have died so far. But we have yet to hear how Secretary John Thurston plans to spend those federal funds. Some expenditures will keep voters safer than others. A smart allocation would be to order postage-paid ballot-return envelopes so every Arkansas voter is provided the means to vote remotely without exposing themselves to coronavirus.

Absentee balloting is the simplest way for Arkansas to avoid repeating the nightmare of Wisconsin’s primary; 52 Milwaukee voters and poll workers tested positive for coronavirus. Fortunately, we have protections against fraud in place, such as signature comparison and copies of photo ID.

We don’t know exactly how the covid-19 pandemic will evolve. But on CNN last week, an infectious-disease specialist and former adviser to presidents told us what to prepare for: a pandemic that lasts 18-24 months as Americans slowly develop herd immunity.

We do know in Pulaski County, the average age of our poll workers is 73. We know that Milwaukee had to close 175 of its 180 polling locations as older poll workers pulled out of staffing them.

Are Arkansans prepared to accept a 97 percent reduction in polling places and crowded, hours-long lines to vote on Nov. 3?

We’re not. That’s why Indivisible Arkansas, along with Citizens First Congress and the League of Women Voters of Arkansas, wrote Governor Hutchinson urging him to issue an executive order as soon as possible to authorize “no excuse” absentee balloting by Arkansas voters in the general election.

Such action will provide the guidance the secretary of State needs to act swiftly in helping counties, the USPS, and ballot printers prepare by the time Arkansas ballots are finalized. This year, that deadline falls on Aug. 20.

If you’re reading this and saying to yourself, “Gosh, I don’t even know how to vote absentee,” you are not alone! Many Arkansans don’t. And that’s part of our challenge this year. Not only do we need authorization for everyone to vote absentee, not only do we need to pay for the ballots and envelopes and processing, but voters also need information on how they can vote absentee.

Read up on the steps for absentee voting, or download an absentee ballot application at VIPVoter.org/votingabsentee.

Then let Governor Hutchinson know you need him to act now to authorize no-excuse absentee balloting to make sure everyone can vote safely this fall. And tell Secretary Thurston that Arkansans need that $4.7 million to pay for safe voting.

If we prepare now, Arkansans of every age can plan on voting safely in November. Susan Inman is a member of the Progressive Arkansas Women PAC executive committee. Loriee Evans is organizer for Indivisible Little Rock and Central Arkansas.