Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to letters@bangordailynews.com
You would think a bill called the Freedom to Vote Act would be a no-brainer. Who doesn’t want the freedom to vote? But the substance of this historic federal bill is just as popular: It would make Election Day a national holiday, ban partisan gerrymandering and limit the influence of billionaires on our elections.
It is beyond us why Sen. Susan Collins opposes this bill. According to a recent poll, 88 percent of Trump voters and 92 percent of Biden voters oppose partisan gerrymandering. Americans are tired of politicians of both parties rigging elections, and we finally have a chance to ban this form of corruption altogether. So why does Collins oppose it?
The Freedom to Vote Act ensures two weeks of early voting and allows any registered voter to request an absentee ballot. Why does Collins oppose making it easier to vote, especially those with disabilities, veterans, and minority voters?
Collins says that the bill amounts to a “federal takeover of elections.” That argument doesn’t hold water. The federal government has intervened time and again on voting rights, including passing the Voting Rights Act. Would she have opposed that bill? Or granting women the right to vote?
We applaud our independent Sen. Angus King for supporting the Freedom to Vote Act and urge senators to pass the bill by any means necessary.
Ross Sherman
Martha Burchenal
Cape Elizabeth
Election notice: The BDN will stop accepting letters and columns related to the Nov. 2 election on Monday, Oct. 25. Not all submissions can be published.