Submitted to CT Mirror Viewpoints by Laura Smits

Written on the anniversary of the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol.

As we begin 2022, still in the midst of a global pandemic, marking the one-year anniversary of the literal physical attack on our Congress and United States Capitol, it is important to remember that change is inevitable, and hope, ever present. Let’s also remember that only hours after the mob ransacked the Capitol and threatened legislators’ lives, Congress came back together and continued their work, once again, certifying a free and fair election.

We are still learning about what happened that day and why, and what it means for our democracy going forward. In the past year, many states (including ours!) saw an increase in legislators introducing bills to strip the powers of election administration officials in an effort to make democracy a partisan process. This kind of electoral manipulation cannot be tolerated.

Even though the majority of Americans believe that voting rights should be protected, there are two important bills currently stalled in the Senate, the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. We will continue to work with our partners to keep up the pressure on our lawmakers to ensure that they do their job to pass these bills and protect voting rights at the federal level. You can help us call on Congress and President Biden to Deliver for Voting Rights – and see the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Action.

Let’s also be mindful that as we work towards the goal of expanding and protecting voter access, we must also pause and take care of ourselves and our families in these turbulent times.

Onward for voting rights.

Laura Smits is President of the League of Women Voters of Connecticut.