I remember voting my first time, the year the voting age was lowered to age 18 in 1971. I stood in a long line, so incredibly proud to be a fully fledged, adult American citizen, doing what has long been considered a duty Americans had to perform. The wait seemed like nothing compared to this new reality.
But voting has been difficult for groups of Americans for all kinds of reasons, and this difficulty has been made worse by legislative skullduggery, refusal to embrace ideas such as pre-canvassing that have wide bipartisan support, and consistently underfunding board of elections on both state and county/local levels. Groups such as the elderly, the disabled, and the historically limited through the use of Jim Crow legislation, still experience significant obstacles in performing this cherished and, indeed, vital part of American democracy.
It is time to truly level the playing field. It is time to pass powerful legislation that supports accessible voting places open to all people, using mailing and drop box options that have better time frames for returning ballots that reflect the real-world realities of jobs, children, language differences, and educational backgrounds.
Is this too much to ask? That in this modern world, we use modern methods to insure that the demand of our 240+ year U.S. Constitution to vote gets completed by all of the people, not just some of the people.
Sharon Furlong, Feasterville
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