Your vote is your voice. Every eligible American should be able to participate in our most fundamental American right: to cast their vote and make their voice heard at the ballot box. I am proud to see cooperation from both parties in our local elections, and I am grateful to our poll workers who dedicate their time to ensure that we can exercise our right to vote and that our elections are free and fair. I wrote about just how important it is that we maintain faith in the integrity of our elections in an op-ed for the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, and I will continue to support measures to protect that integrity. The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a set of unique challenges to voting safely in the 2020 election. In response, I made it a priority to ensure that Pennsylvanians had the information and resources necessary to safely cast their ballots. Notably, I held a seven-part telephone town hall series with election officials and local leaders to answer questions about voting from home, safely voting in person, and more. Unfortunately, voter suppression remains a major issue nationwide. That's why I helped pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act. This legislation includes provisions on which Americans on both sides of the aisle agree. Making Election Day a national holiday, providing voter ID standards, expanding automatic voter registration – these are all things that will improve our elections for future generations. It also includes my amendment to offer ten hours per day of early voting for the fifteen days prior to Election Day. This enables people who can’t easily take time off during the day to vote. I have also proudly voted to pass H.R. 1 - The For the People Act, which would enact additional measures to expand access to the ballot box, improve voter registration and early voting options, enhance election security, and break down the institutional barriers to voting. Additionally, I voted to pass the Protecting Our Democracy Act, which would improve democratic processes by preventing executive branch abuse, restoring checks and balances, and strengthening accountability during elections. We cannot have a democracy without fighting for the right to vote for all eligible Americans. I intend to uphold my promise to my community: put the power of democracy back in the hands of the people who sent me to Washington. |
Voting & Elections
