This is an open letter to Susan Collins.

Sen. Collins, you have said that the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act are an over-reach and a power grab on the part of the Democrats in the Senate. You have also said that you believe the issue of protecting voters’ rights should be left to the states.

Can you please tell us:

1) Why you voted in past years to reauthorize the historic 1965 Voting Rights Act, but voted this fall against even discussing on the Senate floor these pieces of legislation that would restore the protections in the VRA?

2) If it wasn’t a states’ rights issue when you voted before to reauthorize the VRA, why are states’ rights important to you now when states are trying to restrict people’s voting rights?

3) You were elected to the Senate to represent the interests of the people of Maine. Maine has repeatedly expanded voting rights and worked to make voting as easy as possible, especially for older people, people of color, working people, and for people with disabilities. Why are you unwilling to represent to your colleagues Maine’s commitment to expand voting rights or to vote to make voting easier for all U.S. voters?

4) Why are you not speaking out about the Big Lie and how it is destroying people’s belief in our election system, not to mention, threatening to destroy the Republic? Sen. King has been eloquent about the danger we face, but we have heard not one word from you.

5) What is it going to take for you, who have the safest seat in the Senate, to stand on the side of democracy over autocracy?

Karen Heck

Waterville