1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

Congress Needs to Fight Authoritarian Fascism and the Oligarchy not Freedom of Speech and Socialism. Shame on the Republican Controlled Congress Destroying our Democracy. Today I spent two hours trying to figure out if I will be able to vote in November and have my vote count. I have requested a mail in ballot for November but given that Trump and his Republican sycophants are working to torpedo mail in ballots 60 days before the election and days before ballots are to be mailed out that may not be viable. Through phone calls and emails with Philadelphia Board of Elections and Commissioners I have learned I have 2 options, and both have a risk that my vote will not be counted. 1) I can pretend that the mail in ballot system is not being challenged and just wait to see if I get a ballot in the mail. Of course this is high risk that I never get a ballot given the whole Republican party is committed to doing anything Trump wants regardless of if it is illegal, unconstitutional, or immoral. If I don’t get a ballot in the mail my only choice is to fill out a provisional ballot since it will be very unclear to the Board of Elections which ballots were and were not delivered. The problem is it is highly likely that Trump and the Republicans will sue to get provisional ballots thrown out. 2) My other option is to decide now to cancel the mail in ballot but since I am recovering from surgery and cannot travel it is not clear that the forms to cancel can get to my house and be retuned before the mail ballots are sent. If they do not, I am back to Option 1. On this same day in 2026 that a US citizen who is registered to vote with no criminal record or connections who has voted in every election in her adult life is not sure the Federal government will not disenfranchise her, The House passes bills that condemn an amorphous “socialism” and limits freedom of speech by not allowing criticism and boycotts of an Israel, a foreign power that does nothing but foment war and commit war crimes without accountability. Today in 2026 Trump, the Republican and the Dems that support them show that they have no interest in democracy, the American people. Their interest lies only with the monied, the powerful and the special interest that have them on payroll.