Oppose the MEGA Act and Protect Voting Rights

I am writing to urge you to oppose the Make Elections Great Again Act introduced by Rep. Bryan Steil. This legislation represents an unprecedented attack on voting rights that would disenfranchise millions of Americans and fundamentally transform our elections from a system based on rights to one based on permission. The MEGA Act goes far beyond previous voting restriction proposals. It would mandate strict photo ID and documentary proof of citizenship requirements, effectively dismantling the Motor Voter law that has successfully expanded voter registration for decades. The bill would abolish universal vote by mail for federal elections, forcing states like Colorado, Oregon, and Washington to dismantle systems that have increased participation and reduced costs. States would also be barred from counting ballots that arrive after Election Day, even if postmarked on time. Perhaps most troubling is the mandatory voter roll purge system. States would be required to verify voter eligibility at least once every 30 days using government databases known to contain errors, including records related to felony convictions, deaths, and address changes. Voters flagged as potentially ineligible would be placed on publicly available lists while they attempt to prove they should remain registered. This creates a system where eligible voters must repeatedly defend their right to participate in democracy. The centralized voter surveillance system required by this bill would assign a unique identifier to every voter and continuously coordinate with other government databases. Combined with expanded lawsuit authority that allows private individuals to sue election officials, this creates opportunities for harassment and intimidation of both voters and election administrators. As Senator Alex Padilla noted, this legislation is based on baseless conspiracy theories rather than reality. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud that would justify these extreme measures. What this bill would accomplish is making it harder for working families, students, elderly citizens, and people with disabilities to exercise their constitutional right to vote. I urge you to publicly oppose the MEGA Act and work to ensure it does not advance in the Senate. Our democracy depends on expanding access to voting, not restricting it.