A 2020 presidential election will obviously require substantial funding beyond last year’s 2019 municipal elections.

As a resident and voter in Rowan County, I expect our county commissioners to respect the vote of the Rowan County Board of Elections and fully fund their decision to make one stop/early voting more accessible in our upcoming 2020 election. There should never be a time to compromise access to the polls through inadequate funding, and Rowan County commissioners should not consider suppressing funding for our elections.

If commissioners’ intention is to count on CARES Act dollars to cover their lack of commitment to the Rowan Board of Elections, what happens if the N.C. Senate doesn’t support the CARES Act or if encumbrances placed upon these funds prohibit their use to expand one stop/early voting as voted upon by our Rowan County Election Board?

I encourage Rowan County commissioners to stand in strong support of our American elections and for accessible voting for all Rowan County voters.

— Pam Bloom

Salisbury