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Reforms needed to stop voter suppression

The June 10 article, "Chaos in Georgia" was particularly enraging to me as a young advocate for democracy. I took AP U.S. Government this year and learned about the Supreme Court Case Shelby County v. Holder and its ruling of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 unconstitutional. I never expected to see the effects of this decision that my teacher described so obviously as what happened in Georgia this week.

I fear that many Americans don't realize the fact that, as so clearly evidenced by this primary, voter suppression is getting worse, not better in the U.S.

If we truly want to maintain our democracy, we need to ensure that the citizens of this country can equitably vote, no matter their individual circumstances.

Illinois currently has a bill in the Senate (SB 1863) that would improve accessibility of the ballot-box in Illinois via expanding mail-in ballots and early voting.

Similar legislation and election reform must be passed across the nation if our elected officials will ever be an accurate reflection of the people the govern.

Guaranteeing a citizen's right to vote doesn't mean six-hour-long lines for some and walk-ins for others.

The intentional manipulation of the most crucial system to the functioning of our democracy must be stopped now. Else, I fear that my teacher's description of America in the '70s might be the closest we ever get to fair elections, and that is a grim look for the "greatest country on Earth."

Nataly Panczyk

Palatine

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