WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Only 200 days remain before this year’s Election Day. And with the clock ticking, the debate continues over the need for mail-in voting because of the pandemic.

Voting rights advocates say because of the coronavirus, every American should have the opportunity to vote by mail in November.

“Our feeling is that no citizen should have to choose between their own safety and exercising their fundamental right to vote,” said Unite America’s Nick Troiano.

Troiano, with the non-partisan political reform advocacy group Unite America, said the clock is ticking.

“We anticipate states will need to take action sooner rather than later to put necessary preparations in place,” Troiano said.

Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown wants Congress to take action to allow mail-in voting in all 5o states.

“Every voter should be sent, at a minimum, an application, I think every voter should be sent a ballot,” Brown said.

Many Republicans oppose mail-in voting, and President Donald Trump has said he thinks voting by mail could lead to massive fraud.

“This whole thing about massive voter fraud is a total myth,” Brown said.

But Republican National Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel backs the president.

“There are lots of problems, they’re very hard to find,” she said.

McDaniel says the federal government should let the states decide for themselves.

“What we oppose is a nationalized, mail-in voting system run by the federal government,” McDaniel said. “Let it be administered by the states that put safeguards in place.” 

Seventeen states have strict rules on who can vote by mail–but 33 others allow a mail-in ballot for anyone.

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