Protect our voting rights

Washington state is a leader in voting rights, including universal vote-by-mail. Washingtonians can vote regardless of where we are when ballots are due. Born and raised in Spokane, I am grateful to have been able to maintain my voting rights even when I’ve been away.

As a college student, working in the private sector, and as a federal employee, I have temporarily lived elsewhere. Our laws, and dedicated public servants such as Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman and Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton, secured my voting rights in the elections that mean the most to me.

Home again, I’m troubled that some state legislators are trying to restrict our rights. The 4th Legislative District’s Representative Rob Chase and Senator Mike Padden have introduced bills to severely restrict voting by mail. They claim to want efficient government, yet would prevent most residents from voting by mail, and saddle absentee voters with the burden of applying to vote prior to each election.

Their justification? That we’re subject to fraud and intimidation when we vote from the safety of our homes and submit our ballots via the USPS or the voting center of our choice. Nonsense. Our system has worked without a hitch for a decade. Whether we’re away for school, work or pleasure, we should continue to enjoy secure, efficient access to voting. And shouldn’t every other American voter? Ask your U.S. legislators to support the We the People and John Lewis Voting Rights Acts, and your WA legislators to retain our rights!

Carmela Conroy, U.S. Consul General, retired

Spokane