Voting is a Basic Right of Our Democracy

The right to vote is a bedrock of our nation’s democracy. Throughout our country’s history, people have fought for the right to vote. Today we continue to fight for an unencumbered right to vote for all.

[In August], “the House of Representatives took a significant and desperately needed step to safeguard American democracy and prevent unnecessary and discriminatory barriers to voting erected by anti-voter state legislatures. Next, the Senate must act to make the bill law.

That’s why we need you to contact your Senators today and ask them to vote in favor of H.R. 4 to protect voting rights for all.

More than 400 anti-voter bills have been introduced by state governments, and there are currently 30 state laws on the books that suppress the vote. These bills create unnecessary barriers to voting that disproportionately affect low-income voters and voters of color.

H.R. 4 would restore the full strength of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which has historically received strong bipartisan support in Congress. It was first signed into law by a Democratic president and has been reauthorized by several Republican presidents. The bill would restore and strengthen our freedom to vote by making sure that any changes to voting rules that could discriminate against voters based on race or background are federally reviewed, so we all have an equal say in our future and our rights are protected.” (Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund, 8/25/21)

CLICK HERE to Contact your Senators now and ask them to Vote In Favor of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act now or call 202-224-3121 to leave your Senators a message!

Once We Vote Fairly, We Must Be Assured Our Lawful Vote Will Stand

WHAT IF… I am now an “old head,” but I was once a “child of the sixties.”  As our next Election Day draws near, I find myself filled with a fear I never before entertained. I used to worry about registering people and getting them out to vote. Now I realize that there is a bigger danger to the future of our democracy than people not showing up for an election. What if an election takes place, and a critical mass of people refuse to abide by its outcome? That has already happened partially, with crowds of people believing that Biden did not lawfully win the 2020 election. Despite several recounts in different states, many people still believe in the “big lie.”

The melee on January 6th was the effort of a large group of people who wanted to overturn the election results. What if the next presidential candidate who loses an election refuses to concede, and his/her supporters just call a “strike” (hopefully non-violent), and just “refuse to take ‘NO’ for an answer”?

I am asking for all Americans of either party to vote with an eye to electing people who will not let that happen. Republicans and Democrats and Independents with integrity who believe that could happen – that our democracy could fail because people refuse to accept the results of a lawful election – must show up on Election Day. And they must talk to their fellow citizens about helping our democracy past this dangerous time. If there was ever a time to be “one nation under God,” it is now, no matter what a person’s faith is.

(Mary A. McKenna, Letter sent to The Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/13/21)