Letter to the editor

The For the People Act of 2021 is a substantial and bold electoral reform bill which would strengthen our democracy! It was passed by the House of Representatives on March 3 and then introduced to the Senate on March 17. It would make sure that the Voting Rights Act of 1965’s protections are restored. It would change the way we vote by modernizing voter registration, increasing voting by mail, improving voter access, and having congressional districts redrawn every 10 years by nonpartisan experts rather than by the state’s political party currently in control. It would also enhance the security of our elections to combat possible foreign interference. Another reason to support this Act is that it will make financial support of candidates more transparent and end the dark money from undisclosed sources. None of us -- whether Republican, Democrat, or Independent – wants foreign money to affect our elections. Likewise, none of us wants the wealthiest in our country to be able to covertly buy a candidate. According to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, more than a billion dollars was spent by dark money groups in the 2020 federal election! This Act will instead encourage small donors as well as empower working and middle class candidates to run for office. It will lead to enforcement of campaign finance rules and counter corruption. Finally this Act will institute new ethical standards for all three branches of the federal government and require tax returns to be disclosed by sitting presidents, vice presidents and candidates for those offices. We Americans have every right to expect such ethics and disclosures. As you can see, the For the People Act of 2021 is critically needed. Kindly call Senator Ron Johnson at 608-240-9629 and Senator Tammy Baldwin at 608-264-5338 to make sure they support it.   Terri Winscher Merrimac