Why we need S.1, the For the People Act

To fellow Montanans who say there is no threat to our voting rights in our country: Please consider that in 2021, 389 bills were proposed in 48 state legislatures to suppress our right to vote. In our own state of Montana, we saw four new laws enacted that restrict our access to voting: SB 530 restricts assistance in returning a voter’s mail ballot; SB 169 tightens or imposes voter ID requirements for mail voting and in-person voting; HB 176 eliminates Election Day registration and SB 196 reduces polling place availability (locations or hours). We need federal legislation now to protect our voting rights before our right to vote is completely taken away. We must pass S.1, the For the People Act. We need all states to meet a certain level of minimal protections for voters, to eliminate state bills seeking to make voting much harder for certain voters like college students in Montana. Why do college students need to show additional documentation when voting and a gun owner does not? There was not a single case of fraud associated with same-day voter registration for 60,000 Montanans registering and voting on Election Day over the last 15 years, but this year’s legislature eliminated this access to voting. It makes no sense. With the passage of S.1, the For the People Act, this voter suppression will stop.