John,
What happened in Wisconsin last week was dangerous and undemocratic.
Republicans in the state legislature refused to postpone the primary while dozens of polling locations closed due to poll worker shortages, resulting in hours-long lines to vote -- all amid a global health pandemic. They’ve made it clear as day: If winning an election requires risking the lives of voters, Republicans are willing to accept that tradeoff.
This is not democracy. The primary concern of our leaders should always be our health and safety, and Republicans in Wisconsin showed that they don't care about the threat to public health as much as they care about holding onto power. This is unacceptable, but unfortunately, it’s not likely to stop.
President Trump has said in recent days that he thinks mail-in voting is dangerous -- despite having voted by mail himself just this year. What he really means, of course, is that allowing more people to vote is a threat to Republican power. He believes that more people voting will result in the election of Democrats, and if he has to disenfranchise thousands of Americans to maintain his own power, he’s willing to do it.
Scientists and doctors agree that it’s dangerous to gather in large groups during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that’s exactly what Republicans are asking people to do by refusing to expand mail-in voting. The bravery and resilience of the thousands of Wisconsin voters who showed up to the polls is remarkable, but we cannot continue to ask people to choose between their own safety and their right to vote.
The disaster last Tuesday in Wisconsin was voter suppression at its worst, and we must demand more from our elected officials. The Democratic National Committee is on the front lines of fighting for voting rights: Deploying voter protection directors in 17 states, helping voters navigate the process of requesting mail-in ballots, and taking urgent legal action to protect the right to vote. But we need your help to keep this going -- that’s why I’m asking: Will you make a $7 donation to the Democratic National Committee today to help scale up our voter protection efforts and finally elect leaders who will put our safety before their own agendas?
In unity,
Tom
Tom Perez
Chair
Democratic National Committee
P.S. Our fight for voting rights in Wisconsin went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in a case called Republican National Committee v. Democratic National Committee. This kind of litigation gets extremely expensive, fast -- and that’s why we urgently need your help. Make a $7 gift now to support this work and so much more that will help Democrats get elected up and down the ballot.
