Over the course of the last several weeks, we’ve seen intensified calls for ending institutionalized racism and systemic discrimination in all its forms — including in elections.
In California, we’ve been working for years to make elections more accessible and more secure. The covid-19 pandemic has made those efforts more critical than ever. And many Secretaries of State across the country have also responded by pushing for expanded vote-by-mail and more opportunities for safe, in-person early-voting to shorten lines and reduce crowds on Election Day.
But while we’ve been working to make voting more accessible, Trump and his cronies are doing the opposite, spreading lies about voter fraud and suing states that are trying to increase access to vote-by-mail. It’s galling. It’s offensive. But it’s nothing new.
Voter suppression is rooted in white supremacy and we’ve seen far too much of it throughout our nation’s history. By blocking access to the ballot and undermining confidence in the electoral process, Trump is working to stifle participation by voters of color. And he is pairing his not-so-subtle efforts with dangerous language at his rallies that is anti-Asian and hostile towards Black Lives Matter demonstrators.
The Democratic Association of Secretaries of State is pushing back by calling Trump out, defending the right to vote for all eligible citizens, and proactively building a more inclusive democracy — but we can’t do it without you.