Opinion | Don't Stop the Primaries!

This isn't a choice between the status quo and delay. State leaders have a choice to either quickly implement changes to protect public health and proceed with elections or to substantially delay elections. But, the consequences to delaying primary elections should cause states to think twice before making this decision.

First, delaying the primaries could worsen things because-simply put-no one knows what the health of our country will look like two months from now. While our hope is that things will be better, there is a real possibility challenges to public health will be just as great then as they are today.

Second, moving election dates causes confusion in communities and disenfranchises voters. Election calendars have been in place for months. Some early voters have already cast their ballots. We must ensure now more than ever that the public's faith in our electoral process remains strong.

Just last week, more than 100 civil rights leaders asked state leaders to preserve elections. In their letter, they called on states to maintain their schedules: "We all agree that the safety and health of the public is paramount, but steps can, and must be taken to protect voters and poll workers while also ensuring that the democratic process marches ahead."

Even President Donald Trump said, "Postponing elections is not a very good thing. I think postponing is unnecessary."

We have known for years that our elections procedures-at the state and local levels-are in dire need of updating. We are not here to debate the relative merits of types of ballots. We are here to say only that every voter should have the opportunity to freely and safely cast one.

If anything, the pandemic we're facing in the midst of an important election should be a sign to all states to implement early voting measures as well as give all registered voters the opportunity to vote by mail. Historic times call for historic efforts across the board. State and county elections officials are storehouses for voter data. State legislatures should take immediate action to give their states the opportunities to provide voters the most viable options to cast their ballots.

We should learn from the experience and best practices of states like Florida, Illinois and Arizona, all of which chose to go forward with their March 17contests. Remaining primary states can and should implement the lessons they learned and immediately pass laws to allow all voters to vote absentee or by mail.

We must ensure, above all else, that the delays we're seeing in state primaries are not seen as a pretext for attempting to delay the general election in November. Our governors and state legislatures have led the nation's response to the coronavirus pandemic and we have plenty of time to prepare for November.

We ask that they continue that leadership and ensure their elections systems are prepared to carry out early voting, voting by mail and providing both voters and poll workers the safest, most efficient voting process on Election Day.

Our elections rules are in desperate need of updating-and the time for that will come. But changing dates at the eleventh hour raises major concerns for our democracy. It is the sacred right and duty of Americans to cast their ballots for our nation's leaders; we must all ensure they're given the opportunity to safely do so.