To put it simply, if we don’t have a healthy democracy, we can’t expect to have a healthy environment. Any system that shuts out the voices of those who are on the front lines of the worst abuses by corporate polluters and the worst effects of the climate crisis is shutting out the voices of those who need to be heard the most in the effort to protect our air, water, and climate. Yet, for a few years, there has been a dangerous trend of legislation in states across the country that puts up new barriers to the right to vote that threaten to sideline low-income voters, communities of color, young people, and seniors. We’ve seen restrictive voter suppression bills pop up from Texas to Wisconsin to Florida. But, now, there is good news and some evidence that the tide may be turning.
Yesterday, Oregon made history by tearing down obstacles to voting, not putting them up. That’s because the State Senate passed House Bill 2177, advancing legislation that will add hundreds of thousands of Oregonians to the voter registration rolls.
The bill is intended to “put a ballot in the hand of virtually every eligible Oregonian” -- giving all who are eligible access to the vote. It does that by enhancing the state’s Motor Voter program by automatically registering eligible Oregonians to vote when they obtain or renew their driver's license. In a democracy, the responsibility to create and maintain voter rolls should be with the state, and Oregon is the first state to make this historic commitment.
Traditionally, Oregon does well in participation of registered voters in elections, but not so well in the proportion of citizens who are registered. This legislation stands to change that. House Bill 2177 is estimated to add about 300,000 voters to Oregon’s current total of just under 2.2 million registered -- or about half of the 800,000 eligible but currently unregistered voters.
That’s a huge step forward. That’s why this legislation is a big victory for everyone who agrees that every citizen should have the same opportunity to have their voice heard in our democracy.
Our democracy can only thrive when everyone is on a level playing field, which is why registering to vote should be easy, fair, and transparent. The Sierra Club applauds all those who fought for this bill that recognizes that essential American principle.
-- Andy Maggi, Oregon Chapter Director