As part of the national Deadline for Democracy campaign, several rallies were held across the state Monday in support of the For the People Act. The bill, aimed to protect voting rights, was passed by the House in March, but failed to reach the 60 votes needed to pass in the Senate last week. Now supporters are trying to keep it alive by getting the word out.
Outside U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer’s office in downtown Rochester, members of community justice organizations Vocal-NY, Citizens Action New York, Justice and Action Coalition and the League of Women Voters were joined by community leaders to talk about the bill.
At the event, Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart said the bill would prevent voting restriction laws across the country and ultimately protect voter freedom.
“Our democracy is under attack from anti-voting laws. Billionaires who are buying elections and politicians who are rigging districts by picking their own voters. The For the People Act would stop all of that all in its tracks,” said Barnhart.
She described the bill as the most sweeping anti-corruption bill since Watergate, adding that it ensures elections are fair.
“It has more disclosure requirements for dark money. It puts checks on lobbyists. It also has sweeping ethics reform to make sure that people in office can’t profit from their service,” said Barnhart.
Strengthening the voices and power of everyday people was the theme among rally participants. Many of them encouraged citizens to participate in local elections and to contact their elected federal officials to get the legislation passed.
Natalie Sheppard, deputy commissioner of the Monroe County Board of Elections, said the passage of the bill would give the Board of Elections more resources that would ultimately increase voter turnout in local elections.
“We do what we can with what we have now, but obviously there's more to be done and I think that this act really addresses some of those gaps that may exist,” said Sheppard.
Another key component, if passed, is that the act would restore voter rights to citizens with criminal convictions.
Jalil Muntaqim says that component that would have benefited him last year. Muntaqim was formerly incarcerated, and he was arrested and charged with voter fraud after he inadvertently registered to vote last year.
“This For the People Act is extremely important,” said Muntaqim. “It maintains some dignity, it maintains humanitarian dignity for those individuals who are released from prison and some of our general populations.”
Last week, Schumer told reporters that the fight to protect voting rights is not over and he plans to do what he can to get the bill passed in Congress.
