For Immediate Release: August 4, 2020
Contact: Lee Morrow, [email protected], 202-601-7871
Over 270 Pennsylvania Catholic Sisters to Senator Toomey: Emergency Election Funding is Critical for the Elderly
“We depend on lawmakers like you to provide our elderly and most vulnerable voters with an assurance that they will at least be able to make their voices heard by safely casting a ballot.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Over 270 Pennsylvania Catholic Sisters signed the NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice letter urging Senator Pat Toomey and Congressional leaders to provide states with emergency funding and guidance to address both voting rights and public safety concerns during the COVID-19 crisis. The letter states:
“As Christians, we are called to care for and to protect the most vulnerable members in society. The principles of Catholic Social Justice also tell us that we have a responsibility to participate in politics out of a concern for, and commitment to, the good of the community. In a secular democracy, the right to vote is the closest thing we have to a sacrament. Catholic Sisters are keenly familiar with the challenges that this pandemic presents for the most vulnerable in our society.”
No one should have to choose between their health and their fundamental right to vote — and no one needs to if Pennsylvania’s election administrators are given the resources they need. The letter provides a clear path forward to conduct fair and successful elections in the midst of a pandemic. Congress must provide $3.6B in funding to support state and local authorities for necessary safety measures like:
- Expanding vote by mail options with paid postage
- Adjusting polling place operations to avoid crowds and allow for social distancing
- Recruiting a new generation of poll workers, since most are over 60 and considered high-risk
- Providing online registrations options for voters
- Educating the public about operational changes that might impact how they cast their ballots
The petition to Senator Toomey and Congress can be read here: https://www.networklobby.org/pennsylvaniasistersletter
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NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice – advocates for justice inspired by Catholic Sisters – educates, organizes, and lobbies for economic and social transformation. They have a nearly 50-year track record of lobbying for critical federal programs that support those at the margins and prioritize the common good. www.networklobby.org