On the recordMay 4, 2015
I am proud to join Senator Gillibrand in support of the introduction of the Voter Registration Modernization Act of 2015. This bill would improve the fabric of our democracy and bring our election procedures into the 21st century by eradicating barriers to voter registration and expanding access to the franchise for millions of voters who were previously unregistered to vote. I thank Senator Gillibrand for her leadership on this issue. The right to vote is the bedrock of our democracy. In our representative form of government, the right to participate in the democratic process is fundamental to who we are and what we believe. That is, our belief in being a nation grounded in the idea of equal justice under law. Voting is a fundamental right because it is preservative of all other rights. Without access to the ballot, our civil rights and freedoms of religion, speech, and press could be eroded and our faith that those rights will be fully protected lost. In 2012, our Nation witnessed cracks in the foundation of our democracy. Millions of people watched television coverage of our presidential election in disgust as voters stood in lines for hours, mainly due to problems with the paper-based voter registration system. No American in the 21st century should have to use paper ballots or stand in lines for hours in order to exercise their fundamental right to vote.…
