Don’t let states restrict voting
To the Editor:
Most Americans would agree a free and fair election system is fundamental to a functioning democracy. Yet our neighbor Georgia and many other states have passed bills that seriously curtail access to the polls in response to accommodations that were made in 2020 to assure safety during the pandemic: early voting, no-excuse absentee voting, alternative drop-off procedures.
The U.S. Senate is now considering the For The People Act (S-1). This bill, when passed, does not take over the running of elections from the states but will establish national standards for voter registration and mail-in voting, will require nonpartisan commissions to re-draw congressional district lines when census data indicates a change is due. The way district lines are drawn today allows candidates to choose voters rather than voters choosing candidates!
The For the People Act will curb the influence of dark money which drowns out the voices of actual constituents and will elevate small-dollar donations. These measures have been called a “power grab” by the Senate minority leader, but perhaps he should be in favor of a “power grab” that returns that power to the people to whom it rightfully belongs.
Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, what say you? Why are you opposing a bill that assures access to the polls and encourages citizens to participate in our democracy?
I encourage all citizens who care about democracy to call our Senators to urge them to vote for S-1 the For The People Act.
Betsy Swift
Sylva
