Dear John,
This Thursday, a broad coalition of Americans, including UE, will be holding candlelight vigils to demand that Congress pass urgent legislation to protect voting rights.
Find an event near you — or sign up to host one— at https://www.mobilize.us/democracyvigils/map/
Our country’s democracy is facing the greatest threat in over half a century, as voter suppression, gerrymandering, and the flood of dark money in politics make it increasingly difficult for working people to have a voice in our government.
Fair elections are not a partisan issue but something that all working people — regardless of race, place, party, or background — have a stake in. The ability of working people to defend our rights in the political arena is dependent, in part, on politicians having to face the mass of voters every two, four or six years. If politicians get to choose their own voters, whether through gerrymandering or making it harder for certain people to vote, they have little incentive to respond to popular pressure.
Legislation currently before Congress — the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act — will protect the freedom to vote for all Americans, stop partisan gerrymandering, limit the influence of dark money so that billionaires can’t buy elections, and prevent partisan politicians from sabotaging future elections. If Congress does not act swiftly to pass these bills — and if President Biden does not provide bold leadership to this effort — the ability of working people to fend off corporate attacks in the political arena will be severely damaged for generations to come.
The outcome of elections must be decided by voters. Join us in demanding that Congress take action to protect our democracy from the corporate forces that want to undermine it:
https://www.mobilize.us/democracyvigils/map/
