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Trump's power grab puts the freedom to vote at risk
Trump's power grab puts the freedom to vote at risk
This week, Donald Trump continued attacking our democracy. He’s trying to make it much harder for people to vote by signing an unlawful executive order falsely claiming the power to disenfranchise millions of Americans and dismantle free and fair elections. This is unprecedented and outrageous. His assault on our freedom to vote would grant unchecked power to the politicians and billionaires in Washington, D.C., like Elon Musk, to dig through our personal information and silence voters based on where we live, what we look like, and what’s in our wallets.
PROTECTING THE FREEDOM TO VOTE
WHAT'S HAPPENING: On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order that would make it harder for millions of Americans to vote by overhauling the way elections are run. This puts at risk proven and hard-fought systems of free and fair elections across the United States – particularly our vote-by-mail elections here in Oregon. The Constitution largely gives states the right to set the “time, place, and manner” to determine how elections are held. Historically, Congress has set some minimum standards for states to follow like it did with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to foster free and fair elections and outlaw discriminatory practices. Trump’s abuse of presidential power does the opposite: It is a deliberate effort to disenfranchise millions of Americans and stop us from having our voices heard.
Trump’s executive order would require states to turn over their voter lists to the Department of Homeland Security and Elon Musk’s DOGE and could eventually lead to up to 21 million eligible voters losing their right to vote – including seniors, Tribal members, people with disabilities, and married women.
In addition to stripping access to the ballot away from millions of Americans, the executive order would require states to reject ballots that aren’t received by Election Day. No state counts ballots that are cast after election day. But in Oregon, the thousands of voters who cast and postmark their ballots before polls close on Election Day would have their voices silenced by this order. Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read and Attorney General Dan Rayfield have both made it clear they will take legal action if Oregon election law is threatened by the Trump administration.
This recent executive order is an escalation of anti-democratic, anti-voting assaults on free and fair elections. It undermines the very foundations of our democracy: VOTERS get to pick our leaders – authoritarian regimes don’t get to rewrite the rules and handpick which voters are heard and which are silenced.
HOW WE'RE FIGHTING BACK:
Email your member of Congress to tell them to reject the Republican SAVE Act, which would upend voter registration and elections all across the country.
Submit testimony against SB 210, a Republican led bill in the Oregon Legislature trying to make in-person voting on Election Day the standard, upending current Oregon election laws. See a template for testimony here.
PROTECTING LGBTQ+ RIGHTS
WHAT'S HAPPENING: This coming Monday, March 31 is International Trans Day of Visibility, a day to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans folks in our community and around the world. Right now the rights, safety, and lives of the trans community are being threatened by the Trump administration and MAGA Republicans who seek to strip away their fundamental rights and freedoms.
One of Trump’s first executive orders in his second term falsely declared there to only be two legally recognized genders, a move that could impact the gender listed on peoples’ passports and visas, the safety of trans people who are incarcerated, and the health of those seeking gender affirming care. We won’t stand by while the Trump administration and MAGA Republicans weaponize our government and the laws meant to protect us to push trans people out of public life.
HOW WE'RE FIGHTING BACK:
This Trans Day of Visibility, take time to educate yourself and listen to those who are most impacted by Trump’s blatant attacks on our most vulnerable communities. Below are some resources:
Sign the “No Stonewall Without Trans and Queer People” petition by the Human Rights Campaign urging the Secretary of the Interior to restore all references to transgender and queer people on the Stonewall National Monument webpage and affirm the importance of accurate LGBTQ+ history.
Read ELLE’s AFFIRMED series, highlighting the importance of gender-affirming care.
Educate yourself on how to be an effective ally to the trans community.
UPCOMING TOWN HALLS AND EVENTS
Want to make your voice heard? Show up to a town hall, rally, or event in your community where Oregonians will be gathering to speak out, push back, and build a better future for our families:
SEIU HANDS OFF MEDICAID RALLIES
In response to Trump and Congressional Republicans pushing a disastrous budget framework that could mean $880 billion in cuts to critical programs like Medicaid and SNAP over the next decade, SEIU is hosting #HandsOffMedicaid rallies across the state. The proposed cuts would threaten health care for the 1 in 3 Oregonians who rely on the Oregon Health Plan – that’s 1.4 million of us, including kids, veterans, new parents, seniors, rural Oregonians, and people with disabilities.
Show up to make your voice heard and urge Rep. Cliff Bentz (OR-2) to vote NO on the final budget.
Date: April 12
Time: 11 am
Location: Alton Baker Park, 200 Day Island Rd., Eugene, OR 97402
Date: April 16
Time: 3:30 pm
Location: Willson Park, Salem Capitol, 700 Court St NE, Salem, OR 97301
OREGON LEGISLATURE WAYS AND MEANS ROADSHOW
With chaos at the federal level threatening the programs and services that working families rely on, it’s more important than ever that the Oregon Legislature passes a budget that protects our communities and invests in our future. Over the next month, Oregon’s budget writers will be touring the state to hear from local communities about their priorities. Sign up to make your voice heard!
Date: Today, March 28
Time: 5-7pm
Location: Liberty Theatre Astoria, 1203 Commercial St.
Date: Friday, April 4
Time: 5-7pm
Location: Old Warm Springs Elementary School, 1112 Wasco St.
Date: Friday, April 11
Time: 5-7pm
Location: Eastern Oregon University, Hoke Union Building #339, 1 University Blvd.
Date: Friday, April 16
Time: 5-7pm
Location: State Capitol, Hearing Room F
Date: Friday, April 25
Time: 5-7pm
Location: Klamath Community College, Building 4 Commons, 7390 South 6th St.