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Editorial

Preserve our democracy by voting

Posted

As we reflect on the events of Jan. 6, 2020, we are reminded how fragile our democracy is. We, as a nation, watched in disbelief as a group of rioters violently attacked our Capitol in an attempt to disrupt the certification of the presidential election results.
As we move forward to another big election year, many of us are wondering what we can do to strengthen our democracy and restore our confidence in our electoral processes.
The League of Women Voters of Bucks County believes that voting is a critical principle of our democracy, and our democracy is stronger when every eligible voter can cast a vote and have it count. Voting brings us together as Americans – it is the one time when we are all equal.
The League is dedicated to ensuring that all eligible voters – particularly those from traditionally underrepresented or underserved communities have the opportunity and the information to exercise their right to vote.
Voting rights is a nonpartisan issue. Expanding voter access benefits all political parties. Encouraging all eligible voters to participate in our elections should be the intention of all our lawmakers. Those who make baseless claims of voter fraud or rigged elections weaken our democracy by eroding confidence in our electoral process, resulting in voter apathy and low turnout at the polls.
The real problems with our election system are the polling place closures, cuts to early voting, discriminatory voter ID laws that disenfranchise eligible voters, and the illegal purge of registered voters. Secure and accurate results are worth waiting for; prolonged wait times due to counting absentee, mail-in, and provisional ballots are signs that our system is working.

As voting rights advocates, we are currently tracking several federal voting rights bills, such as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. These bills will standardize voting laws across the country to ensure that voting is equally fair and accessible to all eligible voters.
If the federal voting laws do not pass, the states will remain in control of their own voting laws. According to the nonpartisan policy hub Voting Rights Lab, there are currently over 100 bills in the Pa. Legislature concerning voter rights and election laws, addressing issues such as voter ID, mail in ballots, tabulating ballots and certifying results.
If Harrisburg really wants to secure and improve elections, it should invest in upgraded equipment, expanded staffing for election administrators, and training for poll workers. Our state legislators should focus on expanding opportunities for registration, including automatic voter registration, online voter registration, and same-day voter registration. They should expand access to the ballot by offering adequate early voting and no-excuse absentee voting or vote-by-mail.
The bottom line is this: Our democracy depends on the participation of the people. The 2020 election showed us that expanding voter access increases participation.
This year marks an extremely consequential election here in Pennsylvania. We will be electing a new governor, a new U.S. senator, and all of our Pa. General Assembly House representatives and senators in Bucks County. You can do your part by voting in the primary in May and the General Election in November.
Participate in candidate forums so you can learn about their positions on voting rights and other issues important to you.


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