U.S. Veterans Know, Trust, and Need Vote by Mail

During the coronavirus crisis, vote by mail has emerged as a sound policy for ensuring Americans can vote safely and securely, while helping mitigate public health risks. Veterans are uniquely positioned to attest to vote by mail's dependability during the pandemic because of their extensive ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2020
Main Authors: Goodwin, Will, Root, Danielle
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Center for American Progress
Elections
Veterans
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:During the coronavirus crisis, vote by mail has emerged as a sound policy for ensuring Americans can vote safely and securely, while helping mitigate public health risks. Veterans are uniquely positioned to attest to vote by mail's dependability during the pandemic because of their extensive experience with the policy; many have voted by mail while stationed abroad or outside their jurisdiction of permanent residence. In fact, since the Revolutionary War, military service members have used some form of remote voting to make their voices heard while risking their lives to defend democracy. Veterans can also attest to the current necessity of vote by mail because they are at higher risk of serious complications related to COVID-19: Nearly 50 percent of veterans are ages 65 or older, and many younger veterans have duty-related preexisting conditions. For veterans within these groups, risk of exposure from in-person voting can be especially dangerous. This issue brief examines veterans' unique and long-standing relationship with vote by mail as well as the critical role that policy is playing in keeping veterans safe during the coronavirus pandemic.