Title
Urging U.S. Senators Casey and Toomey, and the U.S. Senate to pass H.R. 1/S.R. 1, "For the People Act".
Body
WHEREAS, There has been an unprecedented attack on voting rights in many states across the United States of America; and
WHEREAS, In 2013, the Supreme Court struck down the heart of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that had required states and municipalities that had a history of racial discrimination to receive clearance from the Justice Department or federal court in Washington, D.C. before they made minor changes to voting procedures; and
WHEREAS, Since the 2013 ruling, states have reintroduced a number of measures to restrict voting rights; and
WHEREAS, According to the Brennan Center for Justice, 165 restrictive voting rights bills have been introduced in 33 states; and
WHEREAS, This February, state legislators here in Pennsylvania introduced 14 restrictive voting rights bills that would eliminate vote by mail and no-excuse absentee ballots, require signature matches on outer envelopes and ballots, exclude all mail-in ballots if not received by election day regardless of postmark date, and require that voters annually re-apply for mail-in ballots; and
WHEREAS, At a time when our country is more divided than ever, we need foundational change to break the gridlock, make progress, and save lives; and
WHEREAS, The wave of discriminatory practices such as voter ID laws, voter purges, and the closing of polling places that states rushed to implement after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in 2013, came to the forefront in the 2020 elections; and
WHEREAS, The Government Accountability Office has found that Voter ID laws disproportionately target and affect low-income, racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly, and people with disabilities, and effectively lowers participation rates in elections; and
WHEREAS, The 2020 election was filled with confusion over new vote by mail rules, differences in deadlines and curing proc...
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