Dear Friend,

Our democracy is under attack.

Voting rights are being restricted by hundreds of voter suppression bills GOP lawmakers have introduced across the county in recent months. These new laws are intentionally designed to make it much more difficult for young people, new voters, and people of color to exercise their democratic right.

You've seen the news. Some laws prohibit election volunteers from giving water to people waiting in line at the polls; others eliminate ballot drop boxes in predominantly African American districts; and still more roll back early voting and vote-by-mail options.

It's clear what this is about — the GOP is creating new Jim Crow laws to preserve racist power structures and ensure Republican electoral wins.

We can't let these voter suppression laws stand. On Tuesday, the Senate is planning to take up a House action that last week combined two critical bills, the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Our Maryland Senators have voiced their strong support for these measures to protect voting rights, and we're going to need them to stay laser-focused on passing this legislation this week.

Please, call Senator Cardin and Senator Van Hollen today — thank them for supporting these urgent voting rights measures and urge them to push for this legislation in the coming days.

Then, take a few minutes to call Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell and tell him that using the filibuster to prevent the Senate from responding to this emergency is unacceptable and undemocratic.

TOMORROW at 10AM, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s family will lead a march across the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C. to honor Dr. King and demand action on federal voting rights legislation. People will start gathering for the march at 9AM on Potomac Ave SE near First St SE, just south of Nationals Park. If you're in the D.C. area, please consider joining civil rights leaders and activists for this important march for peace and justice.

May the words and actions of Martin Luther King Jr. continue to guide and inspire us.

In Solidarity,

The Progressive Maryland Team