The right to vote is critical. Congress must protect it.

Our freedom to vote means having a say in the quality of schools, hospitals, jobs and roads in our communities. We all deserve to have our voices heard, through fair elections, to influence decisions that impact our everyday lives and determine our futures. Unless Congress acts quickly to pass the Freedom to Vote Act (announced this week), an inclusive democracy that truly represents and works for all of us remains far out of reach.

In North Carolina, the right to vote is more critical now than ever, as our electorate continues to grow and become more diverse and engaged. According to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Black population in Alamance County grew to 20.9% in 2020 and the Hispanic population grew to 13.1%. But if Congress does not act to protect the right to vote, 34% of the population are at risk of having their voices silenced by racially-motivated attempts to disenfranchise marginalized communities.

A Republican-controlled state legislature threatens fair representation for all North Carolinians, particularly Black and brown communities whose voices have long been silenced. As efforts are underway to draw new maps for congressional districts in our state, we must safeguard against partisan gerrymandering that could divide communities and diminish how neighborhood concerns, voices and issues are heard at both the state and national level for the next 10 years and beyond.

Fortunately, there is a way to stop all of this and realize the promise of democracy for all.

The Freedom to Vote Act would ensure our democracy serves and reflects the people, including North Carolinians, by guaranteeing that congressional districts are drawn to give fair representation for all, protecting the freedom to vote, and curbing the influence of big money in politics. It would also restore federal voting rights for citizens with past felony convictions who have completed any term of incarceration, further building on the progress our state has already made.

In early August, I traveled to Washington, D.C., to join 100 of my colleagues from 26 states in telling Congress that our democracy can’t wait. As harmful anti-voter bills and extremist lawmakers, including here in North Carolina, perpetuate deliberate barriers to the ballot box, we demanded that Congress stand with our communities and protect our rights. As a result, Senate Majority Leader Schumer committed to taking up voting rights as the Senate’s first priority after recess.

The Senate’s introduction this week of the Freedom to Vote Act, a transformative step forward in ensuring our equal access to the ballot box, brings us closer to a democracy that is truly of, by and for the people. I urge the U.S. Senate, including Sens. Tillis and Burr, and President Biden to recognize what’s at stake if we don’t act quickly to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and build on the sustained momentum for critical legislation that it represents. The Senate must finish the job to progress toward a fair democracy that restores power to the people.

I’m fighting for every member of my community to realize their voice matters in shaping the future of our community, state and country. I hope my colleagues and leaders in Congress do the same.

This story was originally published September 16, 2021 at 9:13 AM with the headline "The right to vote is critical. Congress must protect it.."