John,
Last week, I penned an op-ed in the Pennsylvania Capital-Star about the link between voter suppression and reproductive rights.
It should come as no surprise that the states actively working to strip women of reproductive rights are also the ones that have turned back the clock on voting rights. Many of these extreme efforts in states like Alabama and Georgia are possible because of partisan gerrymandering.
Voter suppression tactics disproportionately suppress the voices of women and minority voters, discouraging participation in our democracy at the voting booth. And when women and people of color feel excluded from this most basic form of participation, there is no incentive for them to put their name on the ballot.
As a result, we end up with elected officials who do not reflect the people they represent. They do not understand the issues that are most important to women and our communities. They fill up our state legislatures and clear the pathway for turning back the clock on reproductive healthcare.
I’ve spent my entire career working to address systemic issues like this -- and now that even Pennsylvania has put reproductive rights on the chopping block, it’s more important than ever that we keep up this fight.
But I can’t do this alone. Can you help me protect the vote, uphold Roe v. Wade, and dismantle the systems that keep minorities from participating in our democracy by donating today?
Thank you for standing up for the sanctity of our elections and the will of the people.
-Mary Gay
