Demand a #PeoplesBailout & Access to Absentee Voting

Dear Friend,

We’re reaching our to ask you to take two important actions.

First, our Senators need to hear from you on their late pandemic response. Although the House passed the HEROES Act in May, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has refused to pass another relief and recovery package until now. Thus, worsening the growing health and economic crisis which is forcing families to forgo basic needs like food and healthcare, creating massive fiscal crisis for states and wiping out jobs and small businesses. Now is the time to contact your Senators with this message:

Tell Senators Capito and Manchin the Senate federal relief bill must include:

• An increased federal Medicaid match to help states cover increased health care costs for sick residents and newly displaced workers
• State and local fiscal relief funds that West Virginia can use to close revenue shortfalls and preserve public services, infrastructure, and jobs for tens of thousands of us in West Virginia
• An increase in the maximum SNAP benefit by 15 percent – as was done during the 2008 recession
• All relief measures, including unemployment insurance expansions, should last until the economy and labor market recovers but no sooner than the end of 2021

These actions will help stabilize state and local budgets, averting harmful cuts to services and jobs that families rely on.

Click here to tell Senators Capito and Manchin that our families need robust support now. We can’t risk doing too little too late and putting our economic recovery at stake. We need a #PeoplesBailout and we need it NOW!

Second, in this time of crisis, we need clarity from state leaders about how we can cast our ballots safely in the upcoming election. 

During the primary, West Virginia expanded access to absentee voting to all registered voters due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Governor Justice issued an executive order and provided funding to mail absentee ballot applications to every registered voter in the state. However, at this point we don’t know if absentee voting will be available to all voters in the general election, or if the necessary executive orders and funding will be in place to mail applications to voters. 

Giving all West Virginia voters the opportunity to safely vote by absentee ballot in the primary election this spring during the COVID-19 pandemic was just and right. The state’s rapidly aging population makes West Virginians more susceptible to COVID-19, making the option to vote by absentee ballot essential to exercising our right to vote safely while protecting our health and the health of others.

Click here to demand Governor Jim Justice and Secretary of State Mac Warner protect our health and our right to vote by making this option available to all West Virginia voters again in the general election. 

Our democracy depends on fair and open elections and the health of our people. We can have both.

Thank you for taking action!