For a fair and safe election we need vote-by-mail

COVID-19 has turned mass gatherings into a serious public health risk. And yet, this April, Wisconsin went ahead with in-person voting in its primary elections -- forcing voters to choose between their health and their ballot.

We should be able to participate in our democracy without risking our health. Tell your governor to enact universal vote-by-mail during the COVID-19 crisis.

Come November, this pandemic could still pose a serious threat to public safety.

Enacting universal vote-by-mail is the best way to ensure everyone’s voice is heard, while keeping us all safe. But planning and organizing a secure, remote election takes a lot of time and effort. States need to start now if they’re going to be ready on time.

Fortunately, we won’t be rebuilding our voting infrastructure from scratch. Every state already allows some degree of mail-in voting, and five states -- Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington -- even conduct elections entirely by mail.

And vote-by-mail has bipartisan support: Gov. Mike DeWine (Ohio), Gov. Gavin Newsom (Calif.) and others have recently announced steps to encourage more mail-in voting in the upcoming elections.

We need every state to follow their lead. Join the call: Tell your governor that universal access to vote-by-mail should be a key part of our country's plan to ensure safe voting during COVID-19.