Voting is a fundamental constitutional right, and the very basis of a democracy. If you truly champion democracy and our constitution, I encourage you to call national legislators and encourage them to support voting rights and safeguards. Everyone with the right to vote deserves the kind of safe, open and accessible voting we enjoy here in Oregon.

All of us deserve to have our vote counted and respected. State legislators should not have the power to overturn the vote of the people — that is not democracy.

I have been following an organization called RepresentUs since its inception. RepresentUs (at www.represent.us) brings together conservatives, progressives, and everyone in between to pass powerful laws that end corruption and fix our broken political system. They support fixing our election systems, stopping political bribery, and ending secret money. If we want a country by and for the people, we need to start by taking multinational corporations, foreign powers, “dark” money, and millionaires out of our voting processes. The Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act are important starting points for securing our democracy. Kudos to our Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden for supporting this important legislation and, especially to Senator Merkley for championing fair and secure elections.

Barbara O’Neal

Baker City