BRATTLEBORO — Ninety-four years ago, on Feb. 14, 1920, the League of Women Voters was founded by Carrie Chapman Catt with the goal of securing the right to vote for women.
After decades of debate and protest, the 19th Amendment became law in 1920. We are excited to mark nearly 100 years of the League and, with it, women's suffrage.
But our work continues. The right to vote remains under attack, and the League remains a defender of our democracy, fighting to ensure that all Americans can cast a ballot.
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision that gutted key components of the monumental Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965. The Court's recent decision erased fundamental protections against racial discrimination in voting that had been effective for more than 40 years and opened the floodgates for a wave of attacks on voters.
In January, members of Congress introduced a bill designed to modernize the VRA through common sense solutions. This bipartisan legislation was carefully crafted to protect the rights of all voters from discrimination and repair the damage to the VRA. The updated bill seeks to better protect all voters against discrimination at the ballot box and ensure Americans are guaranteed their right to vote.
As we celebrate our 94th year, we call upon Congress to swiftly pass this bill to protect everyone's right to vote and make sure that our elections are free, fair, and accessible for every American.
Our foremothers understood that voting provides citizens the ability to have an impact on the critical issues facing their communities. The League has a long history of making democracy work, through voter registration drives, as well as candidate and issue debates and forums.
We will continue to host these events in our community during this important election year as we call upon Congress to work quickly to ensure voters' voices can be heard.