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FOR THE PEOPLE ACT OF 2021
______
speech of
HON. EARL BLUMENAUER
of oregon
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a statement from Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan urging support for H.R. 1, For the People Act.
Testimony in Support of H.R. 1, For the People Act--Strengthening
America Democracy Hearing
(Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan)
Dear Chairwoman Lofgren, Ranking Member Davis and Distinguished Members of the Committee: My name is Shemia Fagan, and I'm honored to serve as Oregon's 28th Secretary of State. As Oregon's chief elections officer, I lead the agency responsible for upholding our democracy. I am writing in support of H.R. 1, For the People Act.
My dad raised my two older brothers and me as a single parent in a beautiful part of rural Oregon: The Dalles and Dufur. Our mother suffered from addiction and was in and out of our lives. I remember my brother driving us to the Portland area when I was in high school to see my mom after she had been homeless for several years. We pulled up to this large Victorianstyle house, with a big wrap around porch and we were blown away by this large house. Instead of walking up the steps to the front door when she greeted us though, my mother dropped to all fours and crawled under the porch. She invited us into her home, where a sleeping bag covered the dirt. Underneath that porch she shared with us one of her few possessions, a box of pictures of me and my brothers. A few years later she went into recovery and fought her addiction. In doing so, she fought for herself and our family. In 2014, she passed away and I'll never forget the words of the minister at her eulogy, ``Trish reached the place of an ordinary life, but it didn't just happen to her, she had to fight for it with everything she had in her.''
Many of us understand the meaning of the minister's words because we have had to fight, and are often still fighting, against poverty or injustice to reach the place of an ordinary life. The ballot is a place to have your voice heard on the issues that impact you directly. Those fighting against barriers to the ballot box need to see progress within reach, and I've learned that no matter the fight: progress must be within reach for everyone. H.R. 1, the People's Act is a step toward progress for all eligible Americans.
I'm fighting every day as Oregon's Secretary of State to ensure every Oregonian has a voice.
The consideration of H.R. 1 comes at a critical moment in America's history. For far too long, too many Americans across the country have faced barriers to having their voice heard. We should not settle for the status quo. We know that free and fair elections are a cornerstone of our society, democracy, and country--and that they are under threat. Hostile foreign governments are trying to undermine our democracy and attack our democratic institutions. Meanwhile, people within our own democratic institutions are putting up barriers that impede the fundamental right to vote. We must take seriously these attempts to undermine the basic principles of democracy.
H.R. 1, the For the People Act, will help restore and bolster voters' rights. Democracy only works when the people can participate and have their voice heard. This legislation will help to lift the voices of every American, no matter their political party or where they live.
H.R. 1, the For the People Act, will help restore and bolster voters' rights. Democracy only works when the people can participate and have their voice heard. This legislation will help to lift the voices of every American, no matter their political party or where they live.
H.R. 1 builds upon best practices across the country, including many originated in Oregon. We are proud to lead by example with tried and true policies that have improved voter access and participation in the democratic process for decades. The late Republican Secretary of State Dennis Richardson said, ``Everyone who is eligible to vote should be able to vote.'' Secretary Richardson's words exemplify what we proudly refer to as `The Oregon Way.' Together, Oregonians across the political spectrum continue to work together to reduce barriers to participating in our democracy. As Oregon's Secretary of State, I am proud to lend my voice to the chorus calling for replicating Oregon's example to other states.
Vote at Home Act is important legislation that was introduced by Representative Earl Blumenauer and Senator Ron Wyden and I'm proud to support this act and see the critical legislation included in H.R. 1.
Best Practices in Oregon include:
Vote by Mail
Automatic Voter Registration
Online voter registration
Voting Rights for formerly incarcerated individuals
Secure and convenient drop box locations throughout the state
Early Voting
Pre-registration of 16 and 17-year-olds
Voting for individuals with disabilities
Voting for uniformed services and overseas voters
Vote by mail/verified paper ballots
In Oregon, we have a proud tradition of open, fair, and accessible elections. This is why we were proud to be the first state to switch entirely to a vote-by-mail system. Voters first approved our vote-by-mail system in 1998 and it has long enjoyed bipartisan support. My recent predecessor, Republican Secretary of State Bev Clarno said in a 60 Minutes interview that voteby-mail is not controversial in Oregon and suggested that if other states try it, ``they might like it.''
Thanks to our safe, secure, and modern system, Oregon consistently ranks as a national leader in voter turnout. Voters' pamphlets are sent to every Oregon household two to three weeks before an election, giving voters time to research issues or candidates. Registered voters receive an official ballot to complete and insert into an official ballot return envelope, which is then signed by the voter. This ballot return envelope can be mailed (postage paid) or dropped off at any official drop box across the state.
Election security is built into Oregon's vote-by-mail system. Each ballot has a unique bar code. Election officials in every county double check the signature on the ballot envelope to ensure it matches the one on file. In the 2020 elections, Oregon had a 3-step authentication process that allowed for computer verification and then two individuals verify the signature on the ballot. Simply put, paper ballots are the safest method for conducting secure and accurate elections.
Military and overseas ballots are mailed to voters at least 45 days before Election day. Ballots may be accessed through an on line portal called ``My Vote'' and filled in with Oregon's online ballot-marking tool. Once printed, ballots are mailed to the appropriate county elections office. A signed ballot may be faxed or emailed if the voter completes and returns an official Secret Ballot Waiver Form.
Automatic Voter Registration
In 2016, Oregon became the first state to implement an automatic voter registration (AVR) system. Under the old system, most Oregonians needed to take a separate step to register to vote at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) after obtaining or renewing their driver license or ID Card. This law makes voter registration automatic, shifting from an opt-in process to an opt-out process. It eliminates the need to fill out the voter registration card for those with qualifying interactions at the DMV. Instead, eligible Oregonians receive a mailing from the Oregon Elections Division explaining their options for registering to vote.
The AVR process is limited to applicants who have been coded as citizens by DMV. The Elections Division sends Oregon Motor Voter Cards to those who have provided documentation that they are U.S. citizens. Oregon voters are also required to attest to their qualifications--including citizenship--at the time they submit their ballot.
As a result of automatic voter registration, 92 percent of the eligible voting population is registered to vote. Since implementation in the 2016 election cycle, Oregon saw the second largest increase of people of color registered at 79 percent, according to Blue Lab analysis. A study by political scientist and voting expert Professor Paul Gronke of Reed College, found that Oregon's AVR system helped register more people of color, young people, those who are low income, and rural voters. Across the board, Oregon's AVR system has been one of the most successful programs in the country to expand access to the ballot.
We already know that this program has been instrumental to bringing the vote to traditionally disenfranchised populations. As just one example: in 2016 advocates in Oregon spoke with a man named Charles who was automatically registered to vote. Charles was an African American and disabled veteran of both Korea and Vietnam wars who was told by his commanders not to register to vote because ``Black men shouldn't vote.'' Thanks to Oregon's AVR legislation, Charles cast his ballot for the very first time--ensuring his vote had a place in Oregon's democracy.
Online voter registration/Pre-registration for 16 and 17-year-olds
Oregon's online voter registration tool provides Oregonians a convenient and secure way to make sure they can participate in the democratic process. Oregon first implemented on line voter registration in 2009. In the first year of implementation almost 87,000 Oregonians used the system.
Just a few years after, Oregon began allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote under the online voter registration system and through the AVR system. Oregon's online voter registration system, also allows Oregonians to conveniently update their registration if they move, change their name or mailing address, or want to select or change a political party.
Voting Rights for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals
Oregon allows previously incarcerated individuals the right to register to vote in Oregon. Persons convicted of a felony, whether the defendant serves their term of incarceration in a state correctional facility or in a county jail, cannot vote while they are serving their term of incarceration for the felony. All others in the criminal justice system retain their right to vote (such as pre-trial detainees, persons serving misdemeanor sentences in county jails, persons on parole or probation).
Voting rights are restored when a person convicted of a felony is released from incarceration. However, once released from incarceration they must re-register to vote in order to restore their voting rights.
Voting for Individuals with Disabilities
Oregon allows individuals who are visually impaired to request a large format ballot from their local county clerk's office. The election clerks can send them a video, and/or an audio clip to assist individuals with filling out their ballot privately and securely. Voters with no or limited vision can use a screen reader to have ballots and the voters' pamphlets read to them. Voters using tablets to mark a ballot can increase the size of the font and change the color and contrast of the text. Additionally, Oregonians can utilize a screen reader or other technology to access a ballot at home using ``My Vote.''
Tablets also help voters with cognitive disabilities or limited reading capabilities. They work well for voters with limited range of motion. Voters who are quadriplegic or have severe arthritis can use their fingers or a number of assistive technologies, such as sip-and-puff systems, to mark their ballots.
Any Oregon voter who needs assistance with can get assistance registering to vote, voting, or returning their ballot and are encouraged to contact their local election officials to ask for assistance and support.
Conclusion
We are proud of our trailblazing efforts to ensure all eligible Oregonians have access to the ballot box. In Oregon we believe, regardless of political party or affiliation, that democracy works when everyone is represented and everyone can participate and have their voice heard. H.R. 1 is necessary to ensure Americans who all too often face barriers to the ballot box have an opportunity to have their voice heard.
H.R. 1 builds upon best practices we have built here in Oregon. We are proud to lead by example with safe, secure, transparent, efficient, and modern policies that have been working in our state and across the country for years.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 40
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
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