Democrats Nationwide Working Hard to Guarantee Ballot Access for All Americans by Alice Benson
The freedom to vote, to have our voices heard and have a say in choosing our leaders, is fundamental to democracy. Generations of Americans fought and died for our right to vote. At a time when Republicans are focusing on restricting voting rights, Democrats continue to dedicate themselves to increasing participation among all eligible voters.
Wisconsin Republicans recently passed bills limiting access to absentee ballots, in a blatant attempt to keep people from voting and to make our elections less inclusive.
People with disabilities are disproportionately affected by these voter suppression bills and representatives from state organizations spoke out this week.
Barbara Beckert, Disability Rights Wisconsin:
“Absentee voting is a lifeline for many people with disabilities, because they experience so many barriers to voting in person, including lack of transportation, mobility restrictions, inaccessible polling places, and difficulty obtaining a state photo ID for voting. These bills will create new barriers that may disenfranchise many voters with disabilities, and criminalize some forms of assistance. We want to work with policy makers to protect the rights of voters with disabilities.”
Beth Swedeen, Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities:
“These bills make it harder for voters who already face significant challenges to have their voices heard and their votes count. Adding more administrative hurdles and penalties for voters or people trying to help voters is not fair or wise. For a truly representative government, the goal should be to make it easy for everyone to participate in elections.”
Fortunately, we can count on Democratic Governor Tony Evers to veto any anti-voting-access legislation the Republicans push through.
State and federal courts and election officials have confirmed many times that the 2020 election was free, fair, and accessible. Using disingenuous rhetoric and lies about election integrity, Republicans are leading an all-out assault on democracy and attempting to suppress votes from as many Democratic-leaning areas and voters as is possible.
Democrats continue to develop and propose plans that are popular with the majority of Americans. Republicans realize that they can’t compete on a policy level. Knowing that they will lose on a level playing field, Republicans have turned to targeted voter suppression.
The For the People Act, proposed and advocated by Democrats in the US Senate and House, is our next great civil rights bill and would help repair the damage from Republicans’ attacks at the state level. Unfortunately, Republican Senators, such as Ron Johnson, have blocked debate of the bill, and continue to stand in the way of progress.
Democrats, from President Biden to Governor Evers to grassroots activists in every community, are pushing hard to attain the basic principle of democracy: one person, one vote. They aim to expand opportunities for all eligible citizens to vote, and they will continue to fight for voting rights, regardless of race, place, or political party.
We all need to raise our voices to preserve and strengthen democracy.