New group emphasizes urgent need for election security, voter access

PARKERSBURG, W.V. -- Less than a week after the For the People Act faced an initial roadblock in the U.S. Senate, 50 West Virginia veterans came together Monday to call on Sen. Joe Manchin to do everything he can to get the bill passed. The new coalition, West Virginia Veterans for Democracy, was announced at an event in Parkersburg by five of its members, including U.S. Army and Navy veterans.

In a letter addressed to Sen. Manchin, the veterans write that they “are gravely concerned about the state of American politics in the wake of the 2020 election and attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.” The For the People Act, they conclude, will restore “faith in our democracy.” Among other reasons, the group supports the proposed law because it secures our elections from foreign interference, creates equal access to the polls for all eligible voters, and holds elected officials accountable. The bill’s passage hinges on Sen. Manchin, who initially threatened to vote NO in a recent op-ed but voted YES to start debate after negotiating with the bill authors.

The West Virginia Veterans for Democracy coalition launched with over 50 members, and includes veterans across several branches of service. The bill’s passage hinges on Sen. Manchin, who initially threatened to vote NO in a recent op-ed but voted YES to start debate after negotiating with the bill authors.

The For the People Act is the most significant anti-corruption and pro-democracy legislation since Watergate, tackling a range of issues including ending partisan gerrymandering, securing and modernizing our elections, and halting big money’s control of politics. It would also put a stop to the 389 anti-voter bills in 48 states that state lawmakers have introduced since March.

The West Virginia Veterans for Democracy coalition emphasized the particular risk that anti-voter bills nationwide pose to disabled veterans, and the important protections for disabled veterans in the For the People Act.

“Disabled veterans, in particular, are some of the most impacted populations by anti-voter bills,” said Rodney Wilson, US Navy Veteran. “As a person with a service-related disability, I welcome what For the People Act will bring to my community. We need to make it a priority to remove barriers to political participation.” 

"Anti-voter legislation is being rammed through our system as corrupt politicians seek to disenfranchise many in order to rig election wins for themselves, placing myself and 4.7 million other veterans with a service-connected disability at a great risk of losing our voices in this democracy,” said June Spence, a US Army veteran and a WV Organizing Fellow with Common Defense. “The For the People Act will preserve the democratic principles that I sought to uphold during my time in the Army."

The bill has overwhelming support in West Virginia among voters of all political stripes. In a RepresentUs poll, 71 percent of West Virginians supported the For the People Act, including 66 percent of Trump voters.

“It was encouraging to see Senator Manchin engage in the process and ultimately vote YES to start debate on the For the People Act, but the work doesn’t stop there,” said RepresentUs West Virginia Organizer, and former State Delegate Sammi Brown. Brown is also active in the National Guard. “We’ll continue showing the senator that West Virginians -- left, right and center -- support this legislation. And for those that have served: Your sacrifices have protected this country. Your voice, in this moment, just may save our democracy.”

For More Information:

Sammi Brown, RepresentUs WV, (304) 283-0315, sbrown@represent.us

RepresentUs is America’s leading anti-corruption organization working city-by-city, state-by-state to fix our broken political system.