John,

We are facing an unprecedented series of challenges.

In the aftermath of George Floyd's murder by Minneapolis police, tens of thousands of Americans have raised their voices, protesting police brutality and racial ineuqality throughout the United States. More than 115,000 people have died from the COVID-19 pandemic with over 40 million people having lost their jobs.

And, the response from Republican leaders in Washington, DC has been to abdicate responsibility and use the pandemic as an excuse to destroy our earned benefits while handing even more to those on top.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is encouraging violence against protesters—even allowing his Attorney General to order the tear gassing of peaceful protesters in Washington, DC—while edging closer and closer to military dictator status by threatening to deploy the U.S. military on people who are merely exercising their First Amendment rights of free speech and the right to peaceably assemble.

This is the perfect storm of national crises. Donald Trump is sowing the seeds of hate while simultaneously laying the groundwork to dispute the outcome of November’s election.

We need to raise our voices and defend our democracy. And with the next election just five months away, we need immediate action to ensure everyone has the ability to vote in a safe and secure way.

In Georgia this week, thousands of people waited more than four hours in line to vote, after not receiving the ballots they requested in the mail. States can’t handle this on their own.

Add your name! Sign and send our petition to your Senators: Demand funding for vote by mail to keep us safe and keep our democracy functioning.

The COVID-19 pandemic creates substantial public health concerns for voters and poll workers, alike. Dangers are highest for millions of seniors and Black and brown people, who face the highest risk of dying from COVID-19 exposure.

Without federal action to secure vote by mail, millions of voters will either be disenfranchised, or will be forced to risk their life by voting during a pandemic.

While many issues facing our country are challenging, this one is not: We need to make sure we have the tools in place to make sure all eligible Americans have the opportunity to vote. We must allow people to vote by mail to ensure our democracy can function.

In Wisconsin, at least 67 people contracted COVID-19 after voting in-person or working at the polls in early April. We can't allow concerns of contracting a deadly disease to deter people from voting. We must take the commonsense step to allow people to vote by mail.

The House of Representatives has already passed legislation that would fund voting by mail. The Senate must focus on making sure our democracy can function—not trying to ram through a never-ending list of unqualified, Trump-appointed judges.

Sign if you agree! Now is the time for Mitch McConnell and the Senate to act! Together, we must demand the Senate pass legislation to fund voting by mail.

Thank you for your support,

Michael Phelan
Social Security Works