Stand In For the People Sponsored by the
MT League of Women Voters

The Supreme Court’s recent decisions

on limiting voting rights,
in approving ballot collection restrictions in Arizona, and
by overturning California’s law to disclose dark money sources

underscore the importance of passing S1, the For the People Act!

Senator Schumer has committed to bringing it up again for consideration before the August recess, now scheduled for August 6. The League of Women Voters US has taken a position in favor of reforming the filibuster to enable S1 to be passed with a simple majority vote.

Now, as never before, we need everyone to engage their friends, family, and the public in understanding why we need to pass S1 by letting our Senators know the importance of this issue in the next week.

Now and until August 3:

* Recruit others to join this action.

* Make signs (hand-lettered is fine) with messages:

a. Thank you, Senator Tester for supporting S1!

b. Honk and wave” if you support S1, For the People Act!

*Call and leave messages at Senators’ offices to pass S1.
Sen. Tester 202 224-2644 D.C. 406 452-9585 Great Falls
Sen. Daines 202 224-2651 D.C. 406 453-0148 Great Falls

* Sign an index card with a message when you come to the August 3rd event.

* Bring your own letters to leave at the Senators’ offices.

* Check out the state League of Women Voters on Facebook.

On August 3:

1. The attendees will be delivering signed letters and postcards to each Senate office asking for the Senator’s support for S1 and to change the filibuster if needed.

Go to Senator Tester’s office (119 1st Ave. N., #102) at 1:00 pm to deliver the letters and postcards brought by participants and then head to the bridge until about 1:30 pm carrying a “Honk and wave if you support S1, For the People Act” or a “Thank you, Sen. Tester for supporting For the People” poster.

Go to Senator Daines’s office (104 4th St. N., #302) and deliver the letters and postcards brought by participants at 2:00 pm and then walk to the corner of 4th and Central until about 2:30 pm carrying a “Honk and Wave if you support S1, For the People Act” posters.

2. Safety precautions:

Don’t block the sidewalk. Be sure other pedestrians can get past without feeling intimidated. Don’t respond to any harassment as we don’t want to escalate situations. Focus on the message of protecting voting rights and transparency in campaign finance. If you feel threatened, call the police.

3. Covid precautions:

With the rise of the Delta variant, please wear a mask if you go into the office. Those outside should maintain 6 feet of distance from each other.

Here is a sample letter from the LWV that you may use or personalize:

In the 2020 election, Montana expanded access to ballots through use of mail ballots for the primary and general election. The result was the largest voter turnout in sheer numbers ever.

Although Montana elections are safe and secure, the 2021 Montana Legislature passed bills that disproportionately make it harder for Native Americans, students, the poor and the elderly to vote. Other states passed laws that are even more egregious in discouraging people from voting.

The For the People Act will countermand these bills and strengthen our democracy. The voting rights protections and reforms in S1 have broad bipartisan support at the state and local levels and have been successfully implemented across the country. The bill has support from over 2/3 of the American people across different political ideologies.

The Senate filibuster rule has historically been used to prevent passage of civil rights legislation and attack equality protections. We support filibuster reform to stop filibuster abuse and ensure issues the American public care about can move through Congress and get a recorded vote.

Protecting our freedom to vote is an idea that all Americans agree on, and it is time for the Senate to act. By passing the For the People Act, the Senate will send a message that protecting our freedom to vote is not a partisan issue but a deeply held American value.

THANK YOU! 

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