CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Several West Virginia political and labor leaders voiced their support for the Freedom to Vote Act in a rally Tuesday.
The voting and elections bill, which is co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va) failed to advance in the Senate over GOP opposition on Oct. 21.
West Virginia AFL-CIO President Josh Sword spoke at the rally outside the Kanawha County Voter Registration Office and said the bill would address questions about the integrity of elections.
“It addresses those, it fixes those. It creates national standards across the spectrum on how different facets of our democratic process work,” Sword said.
MetroNews detailed the act on Oct. 17 stating it includes multiple provisions, including the enactment of automatic voter registration in every state, allowing same-day voter registration, establishing a nationwide standard for identification in states where required, improving access to mail-in ballot drop boxes, and allowing 15 days of early voting in federal elections. The measure does not include language on public financing, which Manchin opposed when part of the For the People Act.
American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia President Fred Albert was in attendance Tuesday and supports it.
“We teach our students all the time that their voice is their vote and their vote is their voice. We don’t want anything that would take away from their voice. We need to make voting rights easier, the voting process easier for our citizens not more difficult,” Albert said.
Sword hopes it is passed sooner rather than later.
“As we move into next year’s election we are all playing under the rules and regulations, not those made up by one group or another,” he said.
Others who spoke at the rally included: Delegate Jim Barach (D-Kanawha), Delegate Mike Pushkin (D-Kanawha), former West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, and Becky Ceperley, former national president of the League of Women Voters.
Elaine Harris of the Communications Workers of America and Bolts Willis of the United Mine Workers of America also participated.