To the Journal editor:

With all the challenges facing our country, lip service, deliberate misinformation, lies, obstructionism, divisiveness, and voter suppression are not in our best interests. We need meaningful action addressing the problems we face as a nation.

Our democracy is in great peril. A coordinated anti-democratic campaign seeks to restrict our voting rights. Michigan has 39 bills before the legislature which impact voter access for all of us but target people of color, elderly and young voters. Michigan Senator Ed Mc Broom headed a Michigan Senate committee which chased down every allegation of voter fraud and 200 audits. The committee reported there was no evidence of voter fraud. We saw our democracy working at its best in 2020, with a record voter turnout in a fairly counted, audited election. Now efforts to restrict access to voting threaten our democracy.

Two pieces of federal legislation can counter these egregious measures. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the For the People Act (HR 1/S1) which gets big money out of politics, ensures access to voting and guarantees congressional districts drawn to give fair representation to all. It establishes a code of ethics for all branches of government. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act also passed the House of Representatives. It allows courts to block discriminating voting policies before they go into effect. States with a history of voter suppression will be required to have federal approval of new voting laws and redistricting maps.

These bills have the strong support of 8:10 Americans and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 220 national organizations committed to promoting and protecting the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. The American Association of University Women and the League of Women Voters are members of this organization. Senator Debbie Stabenow and Senator Gary Peters support and co-sponsored these bills. They and the rest of the Senate need to be pushed to enact them. Please call their offices and urge them to get the job done.

Our democracy depends on everyone being counted not just a privileged few. If these restrictive voting laws are allowed to stand without recourse, our democracy is in real trouble.