A Coalition to Safeguard Voting Systems in 2020

Model and Strategy

The Election Security Coalition – comprised of the Brennan Center for Justice, Common Cause, and Verified Voting – leads the fight to secure the 2020 elections. We are a longstanding collaborative force: Before the onset of COVID-19, our work focused on protecting the vote by addressing the threats posed by cyberattacks, equipment malfunction, and vote suppression. Now, those risks are compounded by a public health crisis that is quickly becoming a democracy crisis – leaving our elections more vulnerable than ever. Our coalition is advancing solutions to expand voting options in response to the pandemic, while also working to ensure state and local election systems are secure and resilient. We advocate for key reforms – including universal access to vote by mail, as well as usage of paper ballots that can’t be corrupted, audits to check vote tallies, and securing voter data. We train, partner with, and are relied upon by state and local election officials across the country, helping them to detect and take steps to recover from any kind of interference or failure. Our mission: All voters are able to safely and securely cast ballots that are counted.

Impact

All voters – regardless of who they are or where they live – will be able to cast a ballot that is accurately counted. And voter turnout will not be significantly diminished as a result of COVID-19.

Our work with Congressional leaders will lead to new election grants for states and counties ($400 million was included in the March stimulus package, but billions more are needed). This will allow states and counties to meet demand for mail voting by purchasing high-speed scanners and ballot-tracking systems, as well as printing paper ballots.

States and counties will have funding and expertise to expand early in-person voting hours so that voters who can’t vote by mail or did not receive ballots will not lose the right to vote.

Election offices will have federal funds so that they do not have to respond to shrinking budgets by laying off critical election staff.

Our network of state and local election officials will continue to grow and expand.

Election offices will be able to address new security risks posed by many more voters requesting absentee ballots online.

Audit procedures will be put in place so that vote-tallying miscounts will be detected and corrected. Attacks on voter databases will also be detected, and voter data protected and backed up by the procedures and plans put in place.

Voters will have the information they need to find out when, where, and how to cast a ballot.

Citizens will be empowered to demand that legislators and election officials address ongoing security threats and provide voting options.

Over the long term, our work to expand voting options will increase civic engagement and help to overcome systemic inequalities in access to the ballot.

Brennan Center for Justice