Will Susan Collins and Angus King be on the right side of history when the Senate votes on the For the People Act (which, according to Wikipedia, will “strengthen voting rights, change campaign finance laws to reduce the influence of money in politics, limit partisan gerrymandering and create new ethics rules for lobbyists and federal officeholders”)?

If the past is any predictor of the future, Independent Sen. King will approve the bill and Republican Sen. Collins will not. The House version was passed last month.

The bill will defend and protect democracy and would be one of the most important pieces of legislation enacted in our lifetime. Republicans claim the bill will create chaos, which is another way of saying, “Let’s not give minorities and others more access to the polls.”

Trump supporters claimed, without basis, there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election – only because he failed to win. And it was he who encouraged the Jan. 6 insurrection of the U.S. Capitol.

More than 360 bills to restrict voting access have been proposed throughout the country, targeting and disproportionately affecting voters of color. Those voters tend to be Democrats and the GOP is running scared. Come on, Sens. Collins and King, vote to save our democratic institutions. When S1 comes up for a vote, approve it.

Connie Sage Conner
Harpswell