CONGRESS MUST ENSURE SAFE AND FAIR ELECTIONS 

ACTION ONE: CALL YOUR SENATORS

SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR WYDEN AND MERKLEY:

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because…
If we are to have a true and healthy democracy, Congress must ensure safe and fair elections for all Americans and demand an end to the systemic suppression of Black voters.  I am asking the senator to demand that the HEROES Act and the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 be brought to the floor of the Senate for a vote immediately.  

ACTION TWO: CALL YOUR HOUSE REPS

Not sure who your U.S. Representative is? Find out here. 

SAMPLE SCRIPTS FOR REPRESENTATIVES:

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because…
For Blumenauer, Bonamici, DeFazio, and Schrader:  
If we are to have a true and healthy democracy, Congress must ensure safe and fair elections for all Americans and demand an end to the systemic suppression of Black voters.  I am asking the representative to insist that his/her colleagues in the Senate demand that the HEROES Act and the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 be brought to the floor of the Senate for a vote immediately.  
 For Walden: 
 If we are to have a true and healthy democracy, Congress must ensure safe and fair elections for all Americans and demand an end to the systemic suppression of Black voters.  I am asking the representative to put country over party and insist that his colleagues in the Senate demand that the HEROES Act and the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 be brought to the floor of the Senate for a vote immediately.  
 

ACTION THREE:  SIGN UP FOR A VIRTUAL LETTER WRITING EVENT

Indivisible Oregon is hosting virtual letter writing parties every Saturday. Sign up at https://swingleft.org/group/indivisible-oregon  
Or write letters to voters from home whenever it’s convenient for you. Register with Vote Forward to get started at votefwd.org 
Or host your own virtual letter-writing party! Get started here: http://swingleft.org/p/virtual-letter-writing-party  

BACKGROUND:

The 15th Amendment which guarantees the right to vote regardless of race passed in 1870.  Black Americans have had to fight for their right to vote ever since. 
States promptly passed Jim Crow voting laws to create obstacles specifically to stop Black voters. 
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 addressed systemic attacks on the rights of Black voters by enacting federal oversight to stop voter discrimination and suppression by states.    
When the Voting Rights Act was gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013, many states again immediately enacted a flood of new procedures and Jim Crow voting laws to make it more difficult for Black people to vote.   
COVID-19 has provided another tool for voter suppression.  Some states are restricting early voting and absentee balloting as they close even more polling places in Black communities.  
The HEROES act would fund vote by mail and the post office.  The Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 would restore federal oversight of voting laws.  McConnell is refusing to move on either. 
If we are to have a true and healthy democracy, Congress must ensure safe and fair elections for all Americans and demand an end to the systemic suppression of Black voters.   

SOURCES: