Lucas,
The right to vote is as American as it gets – more even than baseball and apple pie.
Which makes some state Republicans’ efforts to systematically disenfranchise minority and elderly voters unconscionable. GOP extremists are pushing voter ID laws, purges of eligible voters and shorter polling hours.
And, by overturning a key section of the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court made it easier for states to enact anti-voter laws.
Enough.
I’m joining with the Democratic Governors Association to tackle this from all angles – in Congress, where I’m partnering with Rep. John Lewis to pass a legislative fix, and in GOP-controlled states, where the most egregious anti-voter tactics are being deployed.
Send the message right now that we will do whatever it takes to overcome attacks on our democracy.
My Voter Empowerment Act would expand access to voting by modernizing the registration process to allow online and same-day registration around the country. Critically, by requiring all provisional ballots be available and counted at all locations, the VEA would protect the voices of young people and those living or serving in the military overseas by making sure their votes are counted.
Ensuring that every vote counts is a cornerstone of our democracy that should be embraced by Democrats and Republicans alike. However, right now, we must fight to protect it – like we have throughout our history.
The stakes are too high this November to let elections be wrongly decided. Both the Senate and House are at stake. The time to protect the vote is now – before it gets lost.
Thank you,
Kirsten [Gillibrand]