To the Journal editor:

The For the People Act, introduced last month in the U.S. House of Representatives, will improve American elections by making our election system more free, fair, and accessible to all eligible Americans.

This legislation will restore the Voting Rights Act, improve Automatic Voter Registration, modernize the public financing of elections through small donor matching funds, end gerrymandering, and restore transparency in our government.

LWVMI, Marquette County Member-At-Large State Unit joins with voting rights groups around the country in our enthusiastic support of the For the People Act.

LWVMI, Marquette County Member-At-Large State Unit calls upon our local leaders to support this transformative bill. U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, our District 1 Representative in the U.S. House where the bill is currently being readied for a vote, and Senators Stabenow and Peters when the bill reaches the Senate, must show their dedication to a strengthened democracy that works for all. They must vote in favor of the For the People Act.

This legislation enshrines into law what all Americans know: that everyone deserves a voice in our democracy. The For the People Act is a huge step forward for democracy, one that LWVMI, Marquette County Member-At-Large State Unit strongly supports.

In the November, 2018, election, voters in District One supported both Proposal 2, the anti-gerrymandering Michigan Constitutional Amendment, and Proposal 3, known as Promote the Vote, which resulted in many of the reforms contained in the For the People Act becoming part of Michigan’s Constitution. The people of Marquette County, and District 1, have shown they support the overall objectives of HR1.

The League of Women Voters is part of the Declaration for American Democracy coalition, a nonpartisan collaboration of more than one hundred and twenty-five local, state and national organizations committed to delivering the bold reforms to our democracy that the public is demanding.

You can learn more about the Declaration for American Democracy here: LWV.org

PRISCILLA BURNHAM

Marquette