U.S. Committee on House Administration 

Voting Safely in a Pandemic

Donald Palmer, Vice Chairman

United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC)

August 28, 2020

Good afternoon Chairperson Lofgren, Ranking Member Davis, and members of the 

committee. I appreciate the opportunity to testify before you today on the U.S. Election 

Assistance Commission’s ongoing work to support election officials and the voters they serve. 

Election officials across the United States are working tirelessly to ensure elections are safe, 

accessible, secure, and accurate. Their efforts are compounded this year by new obstacles related 

to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

I would like to thank Congress for your recent efforts to appropriate funding to the states 

during the pandemic and to strengthen the security of elections. The agency has distributed 

almost $1.2 billion in grant funding to states since 2018, including $400 million in recent 

CARES Act funds and additional election security funds authorized under the Help America 

Vote Act (HAVA). These revenue sources have proven vital to improving election 

administration and addressing COVID-19 issues. 

The increase in the EAC Fiscal Year 2020 budget has allowed us to bolster existing 

programs and develop new services, such as a cybersecurity division and hiring of more than 20 

experienced staff. It is important to note that the funding of the Commission and its mission 

remains well below its historic budget. Our funding level is approximately half of where it was a 

decade ago, yet the EAC operates with a full quorum of commissioners and faces increased 

demands associated with the designation of elections as part of the nation’s critical infrastructure. 

Cybersecurity and foreign interference threats have continued to evolve, and election 
infrastructure is rapidly changing in response to the COVID-19 crisis. As the 2021 Fiscal Year 

funding process moves forward it is imperative that the EAC receive additional resources. We

will continue to be a good steward of any funds appropriated to this agency as an investment in 

our democracy.

Recently, our staff has been able to pivot quickly and prioritize COVID-19 grants and 

guidance response during the primary election season. In addition to distributing a significant 

amount of grants funds to the states, the EAC has hosted a series of virtual forums on “Lessons 

Learned” from the 2020 primary election season discussing ways to improve election 

administration and highlight best practices for state and local officials as they prepare for the 

general election. 

I would like to highlight a few recent agency pandemic-related accomplishments. The 

EAC has developed extensive webpages for election-related COVID-19 resources. We have 

hosted over 25 forums for election officials including hearings, roundtables, and smaller 

recorded interviews with election officials and experts. Public hearings and video interviews 

have discussed considerations for absentee and mail voting, in-person polling place safety 

measures, and assistance for voters with disabilities. 

We have collaborated with organizations to promote September 1 as National Poll 

Worker Recruitment Day. The EAC has also coordinated with the Cybersecurity and 

Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to form a Joint COVID Working Group within the 

Election Infrastructure Subsector (EIS) Government Coordinating Council. This group has 

produced resources on mail voting, electronic ballot delivery, cybersecurity-related challenges, 

and in-person polling place issues. In addition, we have worked closely with the Centers for 

Disease Control (CDC) to revise their guidelines, “Considerations for Election Polling Locations 
and Voters,” to ensure in-person voting is a safe option for voters. In support of CDC 

recommendations, the EAC released a video demonstrating polling place setup and safety 

measures for in-person voting. In fact, the CARES Act funds from the Congress have been used 

by many jurisdictions to purchase PPE for election workers and sanitize polling places. 

As we sit here today, about 60 days prior to Election Day, the train is preparing to leave 

the station. The 45-day deadline for the sending of overseas and military ballots is September 19 

– only three weeks from now. Very soon, ballots will be sent by mail and electronically to 

thousands of Americans overseas and in the military and to millions of domestic voters who may 

vote by mail or absentee. In many states, people will also begin voting in person – first in 

election offices, later at early voting sites, and finally on Election Day. 

As a former state election official, I know the pressure is immense during election 

seasons. This year, the pandemic has made election administration even more difficult. The men 

and women who serve as election administrators across the country are engaged in a herculean 

effort, overcoming the challenges of a pandemic and addressing the concerns and needs of the 

American people. Our election administrators deserve much credit and respect – right now they 

are processing millions of voter registrations, recruiting and training poll workers, preparing 

ballots and ballot packages, coordinating with vendors, testing voting equipment and poll books, 

and focused singularly on making this election a success for Americans. 

 During the primary season, there was an unprecedented increase in the number of 

absentee or mail ballots cast by voters. The EAC is working to help states prepare for the 

anticipated increase in the use of absentee or mail ballots in November. Many states are using 

the CARES Act grants to fund additional materials, postage, and personnel associated with 

absentee or mail voting. In addition, some states are using this funding to implement online 
absentee mail ballot request portals to make the request process for mail ballots a more efficient

and secure process and using the monies to ensure the physical and cybersecurity of our voting 

systems and election networks.

There are, however, significant challenges to be addressed. National Public Radio 

recently reported that more than 550,000 primary mail-in ballots have been rejected this year. 

That number surpasses absentee ballots rejected in the 2016 general election by more than 

200,000. Over 80,000 of these rejections were due to ballots arriving after receipt deadlines 

designated by state law. Missing or mismatched voter signatures have also led to rejected ballots. 

Voter education at the state and local level is essential to reduce the chances of error, omission, 

or delay in the return or counting of a ballot. If a voter chooses to vote absentee or by mail, 

please rest assured that election officials are taking every step at their disposal to make sure this 

process is as efficient as possible in interacting with the post office and promptly processing the 

mail ballot requests of voters. Once an overseas absentee voter myself while deployed with the 

military, I know the challenges in voting absentee and mail, particularly in adjusting for time and 

distance and the need for attention of detail. 

In a recent EAC roundtable, a United States Postal Service (USPS) representative 

recommended that voters request their absentee ballots no later than 15 days prior to Election 

Day and return them no later than seven days prior to Election Day. This message should be 

repeated continuously from now through November. Voters cannot procrastinate. They must

give themselves enough time to submit the ballot through the postal service or have a different 

plan on returning the ballot in person or voting in person. Pay attention to detail, follow 

instructions, and plan ahead. 
It is essential that voters have the option to safely vote in person or to drop off a mail or 

absentee ballot. Americans should feel confident that election administrators are doing their best 

to make in-person voting locations as safe as possible. Again, CARES Act funds have been used 

by many jurisdictions to purchase PPE for election workers and to train poll workers on 

measures to mitigate safety concerns. In collaboration with the CDC, the EAC has provided 

guidance on social distancing, sanitation, and mask-wearing at polling places. These measures 

have been indispensable to providing a safe in-person voting option.

One critical item for in-person voting is ensuring enough election workers to fully staff 

polling locations across the country. During the primaries, there was a steep drop-off in poll 

workers, many of whom are over the age of 60 and at an increased risk for COVID-19 

complications. In response, the EAC has designated September 1st as National Poll Worker 

Recruitment Day. The EAC has partnered with state and local election officials to recruit new 

poll workers through the HelpAmericaVote.gov platform. Hundreds of volunteers have used this 

platform to learn how to sign up to work at the polls. Countless more have used information from 

our social media campaign to reach out directly to their local election office.

Additionally, I have had several conversations with secretaries of state and leaders in the 

National Guard about the successful use of guardsmen as poll workers during the primary 

season. These National Guard members are not uniformed and serve as nonpartisan volunteers to 

assist election administrators and polling place officials. Governors need to plan now for the 

training and use of these service members if poll worker numbers reach emergency levels where 

polling places cannot be opened at appropriate levels. I would encourage officials to consider the 

National Guard to alleviate poll worker shortages.
On state-mandated ballot return deadlines, issues have arisen in jurisdictions that use 

postmarks to ensure ballots received after Election Day were mailed on time. As more states and 

localities have begun providing pre-paid envelopes to voters, there have been problems with the 

uniform application of postmarks to this type of mail as it normally does not receive one. In New 

York and Wisconsin, local officials took the time to reach out to postal officials to ensure ballots 

would be postmarked, but thousands of ballots slipped through. The USPS has stated its policy is 

to postmark domestic election mail even when pre-paid. Election officials are working to ensure 

effective implementation of this guidance. A clear directive from the USPS that ensures that 

every ballot sent as election mail in the custody of the USPS receive a clear, legible postmark 

would help avoid any confusion or controversy. 

I would encourage city and county governing bodies to give election administrators 

whatever support is necessary to meet all deadlines and give voters the confidence in elections.

Assure administrators that they have the full support of their local governing bodies to secure

enough polling places and poll workers and obtain any additional local resources. These local 

election administrators have a lot of scrutiny, pressure, and responsibility on their shoulders. 

The American people have the right of high expectations because of the value of each and every 

vote but let these officials know that you are supporting them in their noble profession. 

Every election official in the country wants to ensure that, if a person makes the effort to 

vote, his or her vote is counted. It is equally important that the November election be run 

securely and that the American people have confidence in the results. Again, I would like to 

acknowledge the hard work state and local election officials are doing right now. Their efforts on

behalf of voters not only here in the U.S., but also overseas and in our military, are crucial to our 

democracy. We look forward to our continued work together to support election officials and the 
voters they represent. I am pleased to answer any questions you may have following today’s 

testimony.