Democrats' Nancy Pelosi wants 'vote by mail' provisions in next US coronavirus Bill
WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday (April 1) she wants to virus-proof the November election by including funding to boost voting by mail in the next pandemic response plan being put together by Democrats in the House of Representatives.
Pelosi said at least US$2 billion (S$2.8 billion), and ideally US$4 billion, was needed to enable voting by mail, to give citizens a safe way to vote during the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 4,300 people across the United States.
She noted Democrats got just US$400 million for that purpose in the US$2.3 trillion coronavirus stimulus Bill President Donald Trump signed into law on Friday.
"Vote by mail is so important to... our democracy so that people have access to voting and not be deterred, especially at this time, by the admonition to stay home," Pelosi told reporters.
Trump told Fox News on Monday that voting by mail would hurt the Republican Party.
Pelosi rejected that argument.
"When I was chair of the California Democratic party many years ago, the Republicans always prevailed in the absentee ballots," she said.
"They know how to do this."
Indeed, some Democrats fear voting by mail could disenfranchise minorities and low-income voters who tend to move more frequently.
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