Democratic leaders’ over-the-top rhetoric surrounding voting access should be Mainers’ first clue that the so-called “For the People” Act is not what they claim.

President Biden called Georgia’s election law “Jim Crow in the 21st century,” despite Georgia having more early voting days (17) than his home state, Delaware (0). Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called a recent, common-sense Supreme Court decision on Arizona’s voting rules banning ballot harvesting and requiring voters to vote in their own precinct “… one of the darkest days in all of the Supreme Court’s history.”

These histrionics have filtered down to the rank and file as well. Activists have been working overtime spinning a false narrative that our democracy is on the line and the “For the People” Act is the only way to save it. In reality, the 800-plus-page bill is an attempt to regulate nearly every facet of states’ elections. When the Democrats drafted the bill, they clearly ignored the advice of many election officials from their own party, who told them it was unworkable.

There is simply no compelling reason to impose this boondoggle on every state. The last election, in November 2020, saw one of the highest voter turnout rates in decades. When legitimate instances of voter suppression arise, the Department of Justice can and should use its authority, under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, to stamp them out.

Kudos to Sen. Susan Collins for standing up to the misinformation surrounding the “For the People” Act and rightly voting against it.

Amy Volk
former Scarborough Republican legislator
Saco