The National Vote at Home Institute has released a statement emphasizing the need to pass federal, pro-voter policies in the form of the “For The People Act”—or S1—after false claims and disinformation was sown in today’s Senate Rules Committee hearing about the content and effects of the bill. 

“Today, in the Senate Rules Committee hearing on the “For The People Act”, we saw a coordinated attempt to sow doubt, false claims, and distrust in our elections system from elected officials of various levels. Their characterization of S1 was demonstrably false and we are taking the time to reiterate our support for this landmark bill and highlight the key facets we believe will lead to a more accessible and equitable democracy. 

• S1 is good for voters: Our work centers around advancing pro-voter policies and practices that make it more accessible for every eligible voter to cast their ballot. S1 can drastically help advance and improve voter accessibility by expanding eligibility for vote-at-home ballots, automatically registering every eligible voter, allowing for same-day voter registration, and expanding return options for vote-at-home ballots. 
• S1 can help create a more secure voting environment: With provisions for data integrity improvements and ballot-tracking programs, S1 can ensure that our election system remains safe and secure even with expanded voting options made newly available. 
• S1 is the floor, and not the ceiling, for election administration: We support the right of states to do what’s best for their voters, systems, and election administrators. We also recognize the need for a federal standard that states can build on when improving and fine tuning their election policies. S1 will ensure that every American is afforded equal voting opportunities in every state, while state legislatures remain able to tweak systems according to their specific needs. 
• Modern voters need modern solutions: Our democracy has come a long way since our first election and we must ensure that our election system improves and updates with the times. S1 would help ensure that modern voting problems are solved with modern voting solutions that provide practical and financial support to local election administrators. These solutions would take the form of expanded early voting periods and hours, a 14 day preprocessing period, fair ballot-curing policies, online voter registration, and pre-registration for 16 and 17 year old citizens. 

The 2020 election saw the highest turnout of any year since 1900. This was due in large part to the expanded voting options made available to voters amid the coronavirus pandemic. As we look forward and work to make our democracy more accessible, it shouldn’t take another pandemic for us to prioritize pro-voter legislation that ensures every eligible citizen has the chance to make their voice heard at the ballot box.”