BANGOR, Maine — The Greater Bangor Areas NAACP and Indivisible Bangor joined forces to host a Democracy rally at Pierce Park in Bangor on Sunday.
The celebration of Democracy was a way to urge Senator Susan Collins and Senator Angus King to pass S.1 'For the People Act.'
"Some of the things that it does is it expands early voting, it ensures that people can absentee vote across the states, it also limits lobbying and it also tries to get money out of politics," said Michael Corlew, a member of Indivisible Bangor.
Corlew said S.1 bill is critical to protect the right to vote and get money out of politics. Corlew said that the bill must pass by the end of July to take effect before the 2022 election.
Michael Alpert, Greater Bangor Area Branch NAACP President, said voting rights are being called into question in certain states. Alpert said he was there to fight for equal voting rights.
"The repression of voting right has everything to do with racism, it's the repression of black people, brown people, Latinos, all minorities, now that is unamerican," said Alpert.
The event included speakers and voter registration opportunities.
The Bangor event is one of six 'Deadline For Democracy' events held across Maine during the past two weeks.
"The event on Sunday recognizes that our American democracy is an experiment. We are joyful that our democracy has endured so long, that our idea of government by and for the people has lasted," said Patricia Burnes of Orono, with Indivisible Bangor. "But we're not naive. We know that any experiment can fail, and we know that our country's only chance at continued success is the preservation of fair and free elections."
"If we want our democracy to thrive, we must make sure that Americans who are eligible to vote can do so without needless barriers placed in their way," added Corlew. "The best way to achieve that is to pass S1, the For the People Act, which expands early voting access, improves options for absentee voting, and makes registering to vote easier. These are things that Maine has been doing successfully for years. We know they work."
Senator King is an original co-sponsor of S.1. He voted to proceed to take up the legislation for Senate consideration and debate last month.
“Elections have been the backbone of American government for nearly 250 years – and over the course of our history, we have worked to form a more perfect union by steadily (albeit slowly) expanding access to the ballot box to more and more Americans,” said Senator King. “It is my fervent belief that we must carry on this effort by working to ensure that voting is simple and accessible for every eligible voter who wants to participate. Unfortunately, in light of the demonstrably false accusations of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, we’re seeing states across the country push in the opposite direction. Dozens of state legislatures are considering – or have already enacted – sweeping legislation aimed at rolling back fundamental protections for voting rights. The goals of these state bills are clear: to make voting a more onerous process for citizens simply trying to make their voices heard."
“In light of these threats to the lifeblood of American democracy, I was hopeful the Senate could come together to open a debate on legislation that would ensure that voters pick politicians – not the other way around. The goal here was to establish a floor that ensures every American can exercise their right to vote, while still providing states the flexibility to adjust rules in ways that better serve their citizens. Unfortunately, every one of my GOP colleagues voted to block any discussion of the issue, denying us the opportunity to build toward consensus that would defend our time-honored electoral traditions – including a serious effort at compromise introduced in recent days that was rejected instantly. I am deeply saddened by this outcome; voting rights should be America’s foundation, not a partisan fault line. This is a blow to our democratic system, but I am determined that it will not be a fatal blow. In the days to come, I will forge ahead in conversations with any colleague who will engage in good faith to find a path forward that strengthens voting protections and protects the American experiment in self-government for future generations,” said King.
Senator Collins Director of Communications Annie Clark told NEWS CENTER Maine Sunday that Collins opposes this bill. "(The bill) would prevent even the most most basic voter ID laws, mandate that states allow ballot harvesting — a practice that has been outlawed in Maine, and force the federal government to subsidize the campaign of millionaire political candidates. These changes just don’t make sense," said Clark.