COVID-19: Protecting Voter Health and Participation in the 2020 Elections
Overview
July 16 | 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET
The coronavirus pandemic is amplifying existing barriers to voting and election participation, impacting engagement in the election process. As states respond to the threat of COVID-19, they must consider ways to educate voters about changes and ensure that everyone can safely and securely vote in the 2020 election cycle. This webinar addresses the connection between health disparities and voting disparities, and how the recent movement against racial injustice is impacting in-person and absentee turnout. Speakers in this webinar discuss challenges and solutions to the voting process in the midst of a pandemic, including legal barriers to turnout, election protection, and mitigating the public health risks. This webinar also identifies key policy interventions states are considering to protect the right to vote.
View/download the Presentation Slides
This webinar provides you with:
- An overview of the connection between voting and other types of civic engagement and health, including the legal issues affecting engagement.
- A discussion of a new report by Voting Rights Lab, UCLA Voting Rights Project, and Union of Concerned Scientists entitled “Protecting Public Health in the 2020 Elections.”
- An assessment of the issues and trends related to election protection, including current litigation.
- Examples of state actions and policy recommendations to ensure equitable, accessible, and safe voting this November.
Moderator:
- Lauren Boc, MPH, Senior Partnerships Manager at Voting Rights Lab
Presenters:
- Dawn Hunter, JD, MPH, Deputy Director, Network for Public Health Law – Southeastern Region Office
- Jiggy Athilingam, PhD, Associate Director of Campaigns & Partnerships at Voting Rights Lab
- Ryan Snow, Legal Fellow, Voting Rights Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
CLEs will not be offered for this webinar.
Additional Resources
- Healthy People 2020 – Civic Participation and Social Cohesion
- Article – Social Capital, Income Inequality, and Mortality
- Article 2 – Socioeconomic Inequality in Voting Participation and Self-Rated Health
Election Protection Hotlines
866-OUR-VOTE (English)
888-VE-Y-VOTA (Spanish)
888-API-VOTE (Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese)
844-YALLA-US (Arabic)
Election Protection Volunteer Signup
Legal Volunteers: https://electionprotection.wetheaction.org/
Grassroots Volunteers: http://Protectthevote.net
For more information on Election Protection, please visit: https://866ourvote.org/
