WASHINGTON—Today the League of Women Voters of the United States’ president Dr. Deborah Turner issued the following statement in response to President Biden’s State of the Union address:  

 “In last night’s State of the Union address, President Biden touched on many important issues impacting our country, including the foundation of our democracy.   

 “For the last few years, our democracy has been threatened and attacked. The continuous spread of lies and mis- and disinformation has sown seeds of mistrust, which led to a deadly insurrection against the will of the American people. We must do more to fortify trust in our democratic institutions. There is no greater way to do that than to protect the right to vote — the backbone of our democracy.   

 “At the League, our mission is to empower voters and defend democracy. We believe everyone deserves an equal opportunity to have their voice heard. The right to vote is the most basic and essential promise of our nation.   

“President Biden said, ‘Democracy must not be a partisan issue. It must be an American issue.’ We couldn’t agree more. The right to vote is not a partisan issue; it is an American issue, a fundamental freedom of our democracy that must be protected at all costs. It's time for Congress to send legislation that protects voters and expands access to the ballot to the desk of our President so that he can sign it into law." 

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