John,
102 years ago today, the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified, guaranteeing women the right to vote in the Constitution.

As we celebrate the monumental achievement of equal voting rights between the sexes, let's remember that the fight for ballot access in this country is far, far from a relic of the history books.

Voter suppression has been around for a long time, and it's taken many different forms over the years. Simply having the "right" to vote isn't much good if you can't actually use it.

Poll taxes. Literacy tests. Purging of voting rolls. Limiting polling locations in certain precincts. Complicated requirements for obtaining an absentee ballot. Shifting "early vote" windows.

Same states have practically turned making it harder to vote into a dark art.

Fortunately, Oregon is a beacon of hope for how to protect and expand access to the ballot. We've had vote-by-mail since 2000. We cover the return postage for mailed ballots. Every mailbox is a polling place.

And, in 2015, we passed our automatic voter registration law that has enfranchised hundreds of thousands of Oregonians who now receive a ballot in the mail and the opportunity to participate in the most fundamental part of our democracy. Leading the floor debate in support of passing that bill remains one of the proudest moments from my time in the legislature.

So today, let's remember our history - the good and the bad - and recognize that while we have a lot of work ahead of us, we can win this fight to ensure free and fair elections across this country.

Thanks for fighting with me,

Val

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