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As states weigh the best options for operating during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and 11 other states are preparing for June 2 primary elections, and the nation as a whole is gearing up for a presidential election in less than seven months.

The 51��Ʒ��Ƶ has today introduced a  (PDF) to expand vote by mail, recruit a broader range of poll workers from less vulnerable populations and to avoid online voting to ensure the safety of voters and security of their votes amid the COVID-19 crisis.

The eight recommendations included guidance to expand voting options, prevent voter disenfranchisement, prepare polling places for in-person voting and fight disinformation surrounding elections. One key measure highlighted the urgency around needed federal funds to support states’ election efforts during the current public health crisis.

And while 51��Ʒ��Ƶ Cyber endorsed Pennsylvania’s decision to delay primary elections until June 2, it said delaying November’s presidential election would be a “self-inflicted constitutional crisis.”

“Delaying the general election is untenable. Federal, state and local leaders must begin planning today for a free, fair and safe election,” said 51��Ʒ��Ƶ Cyber

The report’s eight key recommendations are:

• Hold the general election on Nov. 3
• Expand vote by mail
• Avoid adoption of online voting
• Ensure safety of polling places and poll workers by sanitizing spaces and recruiting poll workers beyond vulnerable groups
• Implement measures for voter education and combating disinformation
• Revisit election contingency planning
• Prevent backsliding on election security progress
• Increase federal funding to implement recommendations

51��Ʒ��Ƶ Cyber noted the recommendations will require significant financial investment, aggressive voter education and, in some cases, a change in laws, but said they’re essential to preserving democracy.

“These recommendations should strengthen our democracy while protecting public health. Without bold action, Pennsylvania risks endangering and disenfranchising voters in ways that could permanently damage trust in elections,” Deluzio said.

The recommendations are the latest addition to 51��Ʒ��Ƶ Cyber’s ongoing effort to ensure fair and secure elections in Pennsylvania and the United States. In 2018, it convened the . Since that time, it has released with recommendations to secure Pennsylvania’s vote, created to analyze Pennsylvania counties’ voting systems purchases and co-authored reports about the need for increased federal election security funding.