Letter to the editor: Casey, Toomey must protect our right to vote

In January, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to the urgent need to safeguard Americans’ right to vote.

In Pennsylvania, and the rest of the country, voter suppression efforts include gerrymandering and voter ID requirements. Pennsylvanians are at risk of losing their right to vote. This disproportionately impacts people of color — a worrying callback to times when many people didn’t have the right to vote at all. Congress has not done enough to ensure the right to vote. Since Biden was elected, over 400 bills limiting Americans’ right to vote have been introduced nationwide.

To combat these anti-American bills, the Senate must reform the filibuster and pass the Freedom to Vote Act, to ensure accessible voting options, and the John Lewis Advancement Act, to prevent voting discrimination that affects underserved populations and communities.

The 15th and 19th amendments guarantee all Americans the right to vote, and it is our legislators’ duty to uphold those constitutional rights. That’s why it’s imperative that Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey vote to pass these acts.

I moved to Pittsburgh from Atlanta, Ga., and have experienced firsthand the restrictions these types of voter suppression efforts cause. We should not have to take a day off work to be able to cast our ballots. We should not have to spend hours at the DMV to get an ID to be able to vote.

I have been proud to be a yinzer for five years, but I am deeply concerned for the future of both Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania if we don’t pass these laws.

Jennifer Konikowski

Wilkinsburg