Voting is most fundamental right

To the editor:

The Republican party seems to be wanting to bring into existence a 21 century version of the poll tax, as if participating in and inciting an insurrection were somehow lacking in serving their agenda.

To spite there being zero evidence of election fraud, 106 bills have been filed in various state legislatures to “tighten” election laws and thereby making it harder to vote. The rationale used is that there were problems in the last election.

Yes, there were, the big lie spread by a sore loser, wanna-be autocrat who had a hard time believing 81 million voters didn’t like him as president and the 74 million voters who were gullible enough to believe the big lie he spread like manure on an Indiana cornfield.

I should mention, most of the voter “reform” that is being proposed is in traditional “red” states like Arizona and Georgia as well as in the swing state of Pennsylvania. This 21st-century version of a poll tax includes making mail-in voting more restrictive, removing election drop boxes, calling for two forms of identification or providing proof of citizenship.

Some election officials make no attempt to hide why they want voting to be more restrictive. According to Alice O’Lenick, who heads the Gwinnett County Board of Registration and Elections, Republicans have “… got to change the major parts of them (election laws) so that we at least have a shot at winning.”

The legislature in Arizona wants to have the power to overrule the secretary of state’s ability to certify an election.

In Texas, the legislature gives a perfect example of Orwellian double-speak in calling for “election integrity.” This is in spite of the fact that Texas already has low voter participation because of antagonistic and punitive voting laws.

The right to vote is fundamental to the survival of our democracy. As citizens, this is our most sacred and, sadly, our most under-appreciated right.

We, as a nation, witnessed how fragile our democracy is on Jan. 6. Do not be deceived, it can happen again.

There are a plethora of examples as to how important it is for a nation’s citizens to have a voice, and, unfortunately, what happens when their voices are silenced.

Michael Kinser

Portland