A nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization, the National Vote at Home Institute is dedicated to ensuring the security of our elections and putting voters' needs first. Vote at home is a growing trend across red, blue and purple states because it is a time-tested and proven way to bolster the security of elections, improve voter engagement, and reduce election-related costs.
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Amber McReynolds' national profile has skyrocketed during the pandemic.
The reversal of voting by mail's standing and credibility, with Donald Trump gone and Washington newly in Democratic hands, appears complete.
A symbolic capstone on the transformation — from obscure second-tier cause of democracy reformers before the pandemic, to the heart of Trump's crusade of lies about the election, and now to an established aspect of good governance — was delivered Wednesday by President Biden. He said he wanted to put Amber McReynolds, the most prominent evangelist for absentee balloting as head of the National Vote at Home Institute, on the board that oversees the Postal Service.
Assuming she is confirmed by the Senate, which seems likely given initial positive reaction to the nomination, McReynolds would bring several types of diversity to the job. She would become the only woman on the board, and also its first member with expertise about how the beleaguered USPS could become a lasting force for good in the electoral system.
Of the three Biden proposed for the board of governors, McReynolds is also the only political independent. But her tiny nonprofit advocacy group has gained outsized influence among the mainly left-leaning voting rights organizations that pushed last year to make access to the ballot box easier because of Covid-19 — and are now working to protect those gains from a barrage of Republican efforts in state capitals to roll back the rules.
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Slightly more than 40 percent of all votes for president arrived in envelopes last fall — 65 million of them, tens of millions more than in previous elections, either returned by mail or put in drop boxes. The record-shattering number would surely have been higher except for two things: deficiencies in the Postal Service's ability to deliver the ballots to election offices in time to be counted, and Trump's constant false claims about the mail guaranteeing widespread election fraud.
McReynolds, who turns 42 next week, took over the fledgling Vote at Home Institute in 2018 after spending most of the previous decade as the top elections official in Denver, a time when Colorado became the first somewhat politically purple state to switch almost entirely to vote-by-mail.
But her standing in the fix-the-system world was obscure enough that, when the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers met in Denver in December 2019, her impassioned presentation about the civic virtues of remote voting drew a smaller audience than panel discussions on money in politics or ranked-choice voting. That all changed three months later, when the pandemic took hold of the country and her organization rushed to produce a report for election officials in all 50 states detailing how they could combat the spread of disease by proactively mailing ballots to all voters and giving the option to return them in postage-paid envelopes or secure drop boxes, or with a trip to election offices or voting locations.
Biden's other nominees are Anton Hajjar, a former general counsel of the American Postal Workers Union, and Ron Stroman, who stepped down as deputy postmaster general last year. Their confirmations would mean a board with equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans, with McReynolds the partisan tie-breaker.
This could give her enormous influence over the future of the agency — starting with the fate of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. The major Republican donor took the job last year and immediately confronted intense criticism for quick changes that prompted national mail slowdowns, and sustained skepticism that his policies were designed to make Trump's derision of voting by mail into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The criticisms have not let up. While the election was not extensively sullied by postal problems, service delays and financial woes persist. At a testy hearing Wednesday before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, DeJoy defended his stewardship and said he would press ahead with plans to raise prices and slow the mail.
The new makeup of the board could influence the efforts by Democrats in Congress to bolster the future of mail voting, including with potential federal subsidies, in time for the 2022 midterms. That effort could help counter the restrictive absentee ballot measures now moving through many GOP-run legislatures, including those of battlegrounds Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Some leading GOP members of Congress, even those who voted to certify the Electoral College count in the face of Trump's lies about the election, are nonetheless supporting such bills.
Former Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa endorsed a measure, which the Repubican-majority General Assembly of his state cleared this week along party lines, that would reduce the days for early in-person voting, close polls earlier on Election Day and set stricter standards for using absentee ballots.
"State legislatures ought to be working on laws that will enhance the protection for mail-in ballots the same as what we have protection for voting in person," told reporters Wednesday. "In other words, the person that casts the ballot is the person that asks for it and is properly registered and property identified and somebody else isn't voting the ballot."
Amber McReynolds hopes to find bipartisan support for vote-by-mail initiatives.
This is the sixth installment in our ongoing Q&A series on reform in 2021.
As Democrats take power in Washington, if only tenuously, many democracy reform groups see a potential path toward making the American political system work better. In this installment, Amber McReynolds, CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute, answers our questions about 2020 accomplishments and plans for the year ahead. Her organization is a leading proponent of voting of mail and had been advocated such systems prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. McReynolds' responses have been edited for clarity and length.
First and foremost, we really became a go-to resource for election officials and policymakers alike. Basically doubling the number of states and jurisdictions, including Washington, D.C., that mailed a ballot to every elector in the general election was a massive deal. The broad expansion and adoption of vote-at-home options for all voters across the country definitely stands out as the biggest triumph, because more people had the opportunity to vote by mail this year. And then they used it. It was the most widely used method of voting. So we accomplished a very big goal in the middle of a pandemic.
One of the biggest challenges is the disinformation and deliberate attack on this method of voting and the "big lie." I feel like all year it was one thing after another. It's almost like they were throwing things at the wall to see what stuck, and voting by mail was part of that. There's just an overall impact that is detrimental to voters and their confidence in the election, and it certainly enticed many of the very destructive things that happened in 2020 and even in 2021, especially on Jan. 6. So while voting by mail had a big triumph, I would say the biggest challenge is the disinformation and being part of this big lie.
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Running a national nonprofit and having team members in lots of different states has been a learning experience. As a leader, it's been hard to adjust the model and the platform and to hire people that you've never in person met. It's a weird dynamic. Then the other aspect is more personal. I'm a single mom with two small kids, and when the pandemic started and they were home, I was trying to balance them being on Zoom calls for school and helping them, while working 18-hour days.
The other side of the personal piece is the threats that started to culminate online. I had death threats. I had to hire security guards outside my house. After the election, I was like, "OK, we're almost done." Then everything started with the big lie, which our vote by mail was very much wrapped into, and I was personally being attacked. It was a very stressful situation.
We are working with a set of states that we've divided into three tiers. And we're again reupping a lot of our policy work on expanding vote at home options to make some of the temporary changes that were passed in 2020 permanent. Many of the bills currently filed in state legislatures about vote by mail are actually expansions of the options or technical improvements. Some of the bills are trying to roll back voting by mail, and we're going to do our best to fight that stuff off. We're also working at the national level. We've been involved in these conversations for a few years. We'll definitely be providing input on the potential for federal legislation.
Our uniqueness as an organization is that we combine policy with implementation. So not only are we going to give you advice on procedures, but we can also help state and local election officials actually think about the best structures for implementing these changes. That's really what we're going to be doing, expanding on what we did in 2020. Right now the legislative sessions are really in high gear in a lot of states and so that is very intense at the moment. Some of them end in the spring and then we'll move into implementation. It's really a continuation and growth of our organization. And certainly regarding the spread of disinformation, we are going to continue to help educate lawmakers and the public about the real facts around vote by mail.
With HR 1, we provided a lot of feedback when it was first filed two years ago, and now it includes some of the improvements we have suggested, so we're going to continue working on that. But there needs to be bipartisan support. I truly believe that election policy and legislation is better when there is bipartisan support, especially at the federal level, like with the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act. So we're really going to think strategically about the baseline reforms where there could be bipartisan agreement. We're going to try to fill the leadership void in terms of recommendations, and we will work with anyone who wants to work on voter-centric and pro-voter policies.
I think education will be a main focus moving forward given the big lie. It's going to take a lot of time and effort to educate people on what's real and what's not, and how we can improve versus roll back. And it's also a matter of remaining a priority. There are some very ambitious priorities that the new administration wants to pursue at the federal level, so I think it's going to be a challenge to keep good election reforms moving given the many challenges our country has before it. Keeping focused and keeping the ball moving is really important. It's kind of crazy, but there's a very short window between now and 2022. So to make good election reforms and move things forward, now is the time to convince people to prioritize this issue.
be stronger.
Kentucky is the only state with rules that make it virtually impossible to vote in person if an absentee ballot has been requested.
More Americans will be casting their ballots by mail this fall than ever before. But in a year as chaotic and unusual as this, voters' confidence levels and best-laid plans can change quickly.
So what happens when people receive an absentee ballot but decide that heading to the polls is the more reliable or even convenient option than using the Postal Service or a drop box ? Or what if they apply to vote by mail but their envelope never shows up?
In every state except Kentucky, these are not insurmountable problems. But the degree of permissiveness varies considerably for voters who change their minds about their voting method of choice.
With nine states (and D.C.) automatically sending all active registered voters an absentee ballot, and 10 others sending applications statewide to encourage people to vote remotely, the share of ballots being cast by mail is virtually guaranteed to set a record. (It's been about one in four nationwide for several elections, and estimates it could be double that in 2020.)
But since President Trump is working to promote his baseless claims that mail voting incubates fraud, and given the Postal Service's recent travails, millions seem destined to make a late decision to use a voting booth instead — despite this year's unique risks of coronavirus exposure. Polling and early voting shows more Democrats relying on the mail and more Republicans relying on a trip to the polls.
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An analysis from the nonprofit National Vote at Home Institute found D.C. and 19 states — including battlegrounds Wisconsin, Michigan and Georgia — where voters have the widest latitude to change their minds, or recover when a requested vote-by-mail packet does not arrive.
Essentially with no questions asked, they can cast a regular ballot in person on Election Day or at an early voting location. Seven other states, purple New Hampshire among them, will only allow this on Nov. 3.
A dozen states automatically hand provisional ballots to people who show up to vote after receiving or applying for an absentee ballot. Those ballots are as good as regular ballots but aren't counted with them. Instead, they are tabulated only after election officials make sure the voter's registration is in order and no double-voting occurred.
Eight states, among them presidential tossup Arizona, offer this option whenever polls are open. Four restrict it to Election Day.
It gets more complicated for voters in much of the rest of the country, where a range of additional rules may apply. The most common is a requirement that voters bring their not-completed absentee ballot with them if they want to use a voting booth instead. Other states have complex rules for people who want to cancel a vote they already cast by mail and choose different candidates in person.
Nine places — including the big swing states of Florida, Ohio and Texas — apply these rules during early voting and on Election Day. Battleground Pennsylvania and West Virginia will allow people to pass through the hoops for such last-minute switches on Nov. 3 only.
And then there's reliably red Kentucky, where a voter who requests an absentee ballot must complete it — or, if they claim they are unable to, or it never shows up, there's a set of early deadlines and paperwork rules that is so complicated compliance is virtually impossible.
Some advocacy groups try to influence lawmakers, others focus on making change through the courts. And then there are those working to engage the "regular" people by encouraging them to take action.
Now that voting has begun in much of the country, many democracy reform groups are stepping up their efforts to support voters by offering a trove of online tools designed to educate and engage the electorate in the final days of one of the most consequential presidential elections ever — and one facing a unique range of challenges because of the pandemic.
Below is a sampling. Find the one that's right for you. And if we missed something, let us know at newsroom@thefulcrum.us.
Cleveland Clinic and Bipartisan Policy Center: Voting Amid Covid-19
"We've created this book to provide guidance on precautions you can take to protect yourself, your loved ones and your community from further spread while exercising your right to vote. Voting in the middle of a pandemic will be unlike anything we've experienced in the past century. By understanding your rights and being prepared ahead of time, you can ensure your voice is heard."
Ballotpedia: Election Help Desk
"The 2020 election is taking place against a backdrop of uncertainty. We understand you may have questions about what to expect in elections at all levels of government, from the casting of ballots to the certification of final results. We are dedicated to providing you with accurate, objective, and measured answers to those questions."
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Democracy Docket: Voter Dashboards
"Our Voter Dashboards aim to help you—and voters everywhere— make a plan to vote by providing accurate information about the voting laws in your state."
Democracy for President: A Guide to How Americans Can Strengthen Democracy During a Divisive Election
"This report aims to describe how Americans are experiencing this election season. It examines Americans' attitudes, beliefs, and feelings toward the state of democracy, and covers core concerns related to the integrity of the election. ... This report also seeks to provide nonpartisan guidance for what Americans can do to strengthen our democracy in the coming weeks and months."
Headcount: Early and Mail-in Voting in Your State
"Warning: Mail-in voting is a convenient and safe way to vote, but if your ballot is submitted late or with errors, it might not count. So follow the directions below to make your vote count."
League of Women Voters: Guidance and Considerations for the 2020 General Election
"While the novel coronavirus outbreak is an ever-changing situation, we know that the risk of COVID-19 spread increases based on the number of people an individual interacts with and the length of time of the interaction. The following guidance and key considerations for the 2020 General Election come from the League's election preparation expertise, lessons learned from the 2020 Primaries, and recommendations from the CDC. No voter should have to choose between their safety and casting a ballot."
National Vote at Home Institute: Elections Officials Communications Toolkit
"This Election Official Communications Toolkit is for all election officials, but particularly those of you who are looking to add more tools to your box. Whether you have no communications capacity or a large budget, you can find something useful to include in your elections communications plan."
Nonprofit Vote: Voter Registration Toolkit and Get Out the Vote Toolkit
"Nonprofits have more than 10 million employees and engage more than 60 million volunteers each year. Let's make our voices heard."
PEN America: What to Expect This Election Season
"The 2020 general election will be unlike any previous election, happening against the backdrop of a pandemic, and with disinformation running rampant. It's vital that voters know what to expect. Here are five things to keep in mind."
RepresentUs: 6 Steps to Save the Vote
"We are a fiercely non-partisan movement with one mission: Protect democracy. President Trump's public statements have made it clear he's laying the groundwork for an electoral coup. This is beyond partisanship. We must act now. The more steps you take, the bigger difference you make."
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