FACE OUR FEARS: They are coming for our right to vote.
Thank you to Krystle Knight, Pennsylvania State Director of VoteRiders.org for joining me yesterday to discuss voter ID laws in Pennsylvania and around the nation. What is the impact they are having on our ability to vote and exercise our right to participate in our democracy.
We discussed the following:
1. In-depth look at Pennsylvania House Bill 771, a package of election reforms including a voter ID requirement, passed the House State Government Committee and will now be going to the full Pennsylvania House for a vote.
2. Concerns around needing further ID requirements to vote when you already have to prove identification the first time you vote.
3. We have such low voter turnout. (For example, in the most recent election here in May 2025, Pennsylvania Capital-Star reported that Pollster Berwood Yost shared preliminary data showing about 22% of Democrats and 18% of Republicans voted.) What does this mean in terms of lack of engagement?
4. People often talk about "voter fraud" but is this really an issue? Extensive research reveals that fraud is very rare. Yet repeated, false allegations of fraud can make it harder for millions of eligible Americans to participate in elections. What is going on here and why is there such a push to restrict our access to our right to vote?
5. Why is disinformation around voter fraud dangerous?
6. What about voter intimidation? Go Erie reported that at least 32 Pennsylvania counties, including some of the commonwealth’s most populous, received Election Day bomb threats that interrupted voting in some places and delayed ballot counting elsewhere. How does this impact people's willingness to vote?
7. And let’s not forget…NPR reported that during the 2024 presidential election, thousands of last-minute challenges to voters’ mail ballot applications, along with baseless claims by former President Donald Trump about an investigation into suspicious voter registration forms, are adding pressure on Pennsylvania county officials in the final hours before Election Day.
8. But PA isn't the only state that has issues with voting rights...let’s talk about the SAVE Act.
Thank you so much to Krystle for an honest and enlightening conversation! If you want to learn more about how you can get involved to protect voting rights in your backyard, check out VoteRiders.org
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REALITY CHECK: Trump's big budget bill targets elections and voting rights within Section 43201(c) of the House reconciliation bill — would impose a 10-year ban on the enforcement of all state and local laws that regulate artificial intelligence (AI), including rules for AI’s use in political campaigns and elections.
Simply put, a 10-year ban on enforcing AI laws across the country could mean a decade of false information that undermines voters’ right to make informed decisions. It would be more than misguided, and outright dangerous for the future of truth and trust in our elections.
This budget CANNOT pass. Please contact your Senators (I feel like I have mine on speed dial at this point) and share with them the MANY reasons we must stand together and against this disastrous and dangerous budget bill.
Call your Senators: 202-224-3121
If you don’t know who your Senators are, that’s okay! They will help you and patch you through to the correct line. We don’t have to live like this. Let’s stand together regardless of political affiliation to protect our democracy.
Free and fair elections are the only path forward!
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