Newsweek: CONGRESS’ $2 TRILLION CORONAVIRUS STIMULUS PACKAGE NOT ‘NEARLY ENOUGH’ TO SAFEGUARD 2020 ELECTION, EXPERTS SAY

he $2 trillion stimulus package agreement reached by Congress on Wednesday to help the nation rebound from the coronavirus pandemic won’t be sufficient in safeguarding the 2020 election, experts say.

The legislation, which if passed will be the biggest fiscal stimulus package in modern U.S. history, will provide $400 million in election assistance to help states prepare for November’s voting. That’s just 0.02 percent of the funds provided by the entire package. …

If states don’t adjust their voting process during the coronavirus crisis, experts say, turnout will drop significantly.

“I think we could see, worst-case scenario, millions of Americans disenfranchised and would not be able to have their voices heard or votes counted,” said Aaron Scherb, director of legislative affairs at the nonpartisan government watchdog Common Cause.

The virus has spread to all 50 states, with the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. exceeding 54,000 and at least 737 deaths, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

Scherb noted that while Election Day is still seven months away, it could take nearly that long for states to switch their voting strategy and invest in the necessary supplies.

“We should really be able to get to a bipartisan solution to prevent the worst-case scenario from happening,” he said.