Received this e-mail from U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley’s (D. OR) re-election campaign on behalf of himself and Democracy for America:
What just happened in Wisconsin’s primary election should never happen again. Progressives won the most critical state Supreme Court election, but voters in Wisconsin were faced with a horrific choice—go to the polling place and risk your life, or stay home and don’t participate in our democracy.
No American should ever have to choose between protecting their health and exercising their constitutional right to vote.
Here in Oregon, we’ve been voting by mail for decades. You get three weeks to vote. You can do it in your PJs. You get the time to study the issues and the candidates. No one has to stand in line at polling places. And we have one of the highest voter turnouts in the nation.
Universal vote-by-mail is a great idea in the best of times.
But right now, in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, vote-by-mail is critical for the health of all Americans — and the health of our democracy. Please join me and Democracy for America in demanding funding for national vote-by-mail in 2020.
Democracy for America recently endorsed me for re-election this fall. Together, we’ve worked together many times to fight for critical civil rights, economic justice, health care, environmental protection and more. Today, we are called to fight for our democracy itself and I couldn’t be more committed to this fight with you.
President Trump and the Republicans are hell-bent on preventing more states from adopting vote by mail measures. They’d rather exercise tools of voter suppression than voter empowerment. It’s downright dangerous to oppose voting by mail during the pandemic.
As we continue to grapple with the ongoing coronavirus crisis, we have a duty to protect our elections and the health of voters. That’s why I’m joining forces with DFA and calling on Congress to empower states and include funding for vote by mail in the next coronavirus aid package. Will you join me?
Sign our petition urging Congress to include vote by mail funding in the next COVID-19 aid package.
All voters must be heard during this national crisis, and the safest way we can make that happen is by ensuring ALL Americans can vote by mail. Voting by mail has a proven track record of being safe, easy, and secure.
Stay safe. Stay healthy. And let’s make sure your voice is heard in this critical fight for our democracy.
Onward!
Jeff
