Hillary Clinton has released a new call to action for Americans concerned about voting rights amid nationwide efforts by Republicans in positions of state-level authority and in Congress to impose new restrictions on elections. In an article published through the voting rights advocacy organization Democracy Docket, Clinton laid out exactly how damaging that these restrictions are to democracy. As Clinton put it, Americans “are witnessing a concerted attempt to destabilize the democratic process and delegitimize our multi-racial democracy, carried out in full view of the American people.” The problems don’t stop there — those destabilizing the multi-racial, inclusive democratic process in the United States are angling to replace it with white supremacy, Clinton added.
We are witnessing a concerted attempt to destabilize the democratic process and delegitimize our multi-racial democracy, and we need to fundamentally change the way we fight back against attacks on voting rights.
Read my new piece for @democracydocket. https://t.co/3Knmeql1p3
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 7, 2021
As Clinton put it:
‘In this pivotal moment for our democracy, people in every corner of our country are rightfully asking: “What can we do?” The answer isn’t an easy one, because there is no one step that will solve this deep-seated problem. Passing laws like H.R. 1 (the For the People Act) and H.R. 4 (the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act) that make it easier to vote is an excellent start, but we can’t stop there. We need to call these attacks on voting what they are: part of a clear attempt to move away from a pluralistic, multi-racial democracy and toward white supremacist authoritarianism.’
Senate Republicans recently filibustered the For the People Act, but former President Barack Obama said following that development that he was confident that Democratic leaders “are going to figure out a way in which there’s an up and down vote on the For the People Act.” Meanwhile, the Senate is set to consider the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act later this year. The bill would reimpose a requirement for federal preclearance of certain changes to the conducting of elections, allowing authorities to potentially stop voter suppression before it starts.
As Clinton pointedly put it, “When the people make their voices heard in an election, we should respect the results. These aren’t partisan statements; they’re attributes of a functioning democracy.” Tools that should be employed include “legislation, marching and protesting, speaking up, supporting people and groups advocating for a democracy that reflects the diversity of this country, and, yes, showing up to the polls at every election, not just the presidential ones,” Clinton also said. Read her full article at this link.
