On the recordJanuary 18, 2022
I rise because we have seen a continuous assault on voting rights and election integrity in recent years, pushed by partisan operatives, foreign governments and, most disturbingly, some of our own elected officials. Over the weekend, the former President pressed members of his party in Pennsylvania to plant more Republican operatives in our election system in order to influence the counting of votes. The former President said, ``We have to be a lot sharper the next time when it comes to counting the vote. Sometimes the vote counter is more important than the candidate.'' That is just wrong. I will be the first to agree that our election workers are essential, but not because they are supposed to change the results in our elections for one political party or another. That is not how American elections work. Here, the people decide. This kind of mindset is exactly why it is so important to have people of good character trained and ready to execute the duties of poll workers faithfully. Poll workers are the first line of defense for ensuring the right to vote. They help voters overcome challenges, both bureaucratic and physical, at the polls. They also help educate the public about how safe and effective our election system really is. We need more engaged citizens who want to contribute to our democracy to get involved and sign up to be poll workers in our communities.…
