Remote voting would have some bad consequences.

Josh Huder | March 16, 2020

Amid a growing pandemic where social interaction could threaten health, many questions have been raised about the continuity of operations on Capitol Hill. Not for the first time, remote voting is among the ideas being floated. It has been more frequently mentioned in congressional discourse since smartphones became commonplace.

Over the past couple of weeks, however, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi have swatted it down more than once, and they’re right: it’s a bad idea. While it may be necesary in life-threatening circumstances, it should remain an option only in emergency situations. Otherwise, it has long-term, negative consequences for the functioning of the legislative branch.