March 22, 2020
Dear Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, Leader McCarthy and Leader Schumer:
As local election officials, we are on the front lines in the effort to protect every voter and every vote. This year, we face unprecedented challenges in fulfilling our responsibilities. Due to the current pandemic, primary and local elections across the country have been postponed and rescheduled. Our colleagues have been forced to make last minute changes to polling places, and conduct elections without sufficient staff or poll worker support, as we work to balance public safety and the sacred right to vote.
As this situation unfolds, it is clear that we must act now. We urge you to include substantial funding in the coronavirus stimulus package so that we have the ability and resources to ensure that our voters can participate safely and with confidence in our elections.
$140 million is a start but it is simply not enough to give all local election officials the support needed to plan and pay for the changes that will be necessary for elections in light of how COVID-19 is creating new norms that cannot be ignored as we continue forward.
We are committed to protecting every voter and every vote. We ask you to increase the elections funding being considered in the current stimulus package to ensure the security and resiliency of our nation’s election system. We thank you for your leadership and partnership in this difficult time.
Cathy Darling Allen, Clerk/Registrar of Voters, Shasta County, CA
Courtney Bailey-Kanelos, Registrar of Voters, Sacramento County, CA
Jason Baker, Director, Clark County Board of Elections, OH
Tina Barton, Clerk, Rochester Hills, MI
Kay Brown, Clerk/Election Authority, Christian County, MO
Duncan Buell, Member, Board of Voter Registration and Elections, Richland County, SC
Christina Buie, Clerk, Monroe County, MO
Julie M. Bustamante, Clerk/Recorder, Lassen County, CA
Brenda Cabrera, Director of Elections, Fairfax, VA
Judd Choate, Director of Elections, Colorado Department of State
Bill Cowles, Supervisor of Elections, Orange County, FL
Dana Debeauvoir, Clerk, Travis County, TX
Lisa Deeley, Philadelphia City Commissioner, Chairwoman, PA
Batina Dodge, Clerk, Scotland County, MO
Valerie Dornberger, Clerk/Election Authority, Marion County, MO
Lauri Ealom, Director, Kansas City Board of Elections, MO
Jennifer Edwards, Supervisor of Elections, Collier County, FL
Lori Edwards, Supervisor of Elections, Polk County, FL
Eric Fey, Director of Elections, St Louis County, MO
Adrian Fontes, Recorder, Maricopa County, AZ
Kammi Foote, Clerk/Recorder, Inyo County, CA
Joe P. Gloria, Registrar of Voters, Clark County, NV
Nellie M. Gorbea, Secretary of State, State of Rhode Island
Jeff Greenburg, Director of Elections, Mercer County, PA
Jena Griswold, Secretary of State, State of Colorado
Thad Hall, Elections Director, Coconino County, AZ
Patty Hansen, Coconino County Recorder, Flagstaff, AZ
Ricky Hatch, Clerk/Auditor, Weber County, UT
Katie Hobbs, Secretary of State, State of Arizona
Leslie Hoffman, Recorder, Yavapai County, AZ
Adam Johnson, Chief Deputy County Clerk, DuPage County, IL
Karla Johnson, Clerk/Auditor, Kane County, UT
Toni Johnson, Election Commissioner, Hinds County, MS
Jean Kaczmarek, Clerk, DuPage County, IL
Neal Kelley, Registrar of Voters, Orange County, CA
Joseph Kirk, Director of Elections, Bartow County, GA
Jared W. Kutz, Clerk/Election Authority, Perry County, MO
Stephanie Lebron, Clerk, Iron County, MO
Brianna Lennon, Clerk, Boone County, MO
Amber Lopez, Deputy Director, Clark County Board of Elections, OH
Scott A. McDonell, Clerk, Dane County, WI
Jackie Morris, Clerk, Sullivan County, MO
Bill O’Neill, Registrar of Voters, County of El Dorado, CA
Gail L. Pellerin, Clerk, Santa Cruz County, CA
Gretchen Reinemeyer, Director of Elections, Arlington County, VA
Rob Rock, Director of Elections, RI Department of State
Virginia Ross, Recorder, Pinal County, AZ
Shane Schoeller, Clerk, Greene County, MO
Will Senning, Director of Elections and Campaign Finance, VT Secretary of State’s Office
Steve Simon, Secretary of State, State of Minnesota
Kim Smith, Deputy Elections Director, Defiance County, OH
Linda Stover, Clerk, Bernalillo County, NM
Chris Swope, Clerk, Lansing, MI
James Tatum, Judge of Probate of Bullock County, AL
Susette M. Taylor, Clerk/President Elect of MO Assn. of Counties, Atchison County, MO
Allen P. Tempert, Elections Director, Mohave County, AZ
Diane Thompson, Clerk and Election Authority, Johnson County, MO
Chris Walker, Clerk, Jackson County, OR
Tonya Wichman, Elections Director, Defiance County, OH
Maribeth Witzel-Behl, City Clerk, City of Madison, WI