Dear Members of Congress,
Independent Women’s Voice, which fights to enhance people’s freedom, opportunities, and well-being, strongly opposes H.R.1/S.1, also known as the For the People Act. Despite its name, H.R. 1 doesn’t empower the American people, it disenfranchises them.
Citizen participation is an integral part of our democracy. But to ensure that every vote counts and every citizen has an equal voice in politics, election procedures must also make voting secure.
Unfortunately, H.R. 1 eliminates basic security measures, including voter identification requirements, making it more difficult for states to prevent fraud and abuse. The voter identification ban would also apply to mail-in ballots, requiring only a signature and making it nearly impossible to verify that the identity belongs to the person who’s claiming it.
IDs are commonly used for any transaction in our society because they are the best way to confirm someone’s identity and ensure that identity theft does not take place. Voters across all demographics understand this and overwhelmingly support voter ID laws.
Free and fair elections ensure that citizens have the opportunity to make their voices heard at every level of government. Sadly, H.R. 1 runs counter to the wishes of the American people and undermines our electoral system. We strongly urge all Members of Congress to reject H.R. 1 and work instead to make voting easy, accessible, and secure.
Respectfully,
Hadley Heath Manning
Director of Policy
Independent Women’s Voice