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Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me in the past to share your thoughts on policy matters, particularly those regarding democracy and the right to vote. I am honored to have the opportunity to bring the voices of the people of Minnesota’s 5th district to Washington and to fight for our shared values – values that put people at the center of our democracy.

We are one week away from Election Day – with Nov. 7 drawing nearer, a day when important local elections will be on the ballot in Minnesota. It is my belief that every American should have an equal opportunity to exercise their right to vote and easy access to our election system. I am an ardent supporter of expanding early in-person and absentee voting, making Election Day a holiday to make it easier for workers to get to the polls, and of lifting barriers to voting for the formerly incarcerated and for young voters. The only way to truly protect our democracy is to encourage access to it and participation in it. If you haven’t already, please make a vote plan today. You can find all voting information here: https://pollfinder.sos.mn.gov/. 

I was pleased earlier this year when the Minnesota Legislature passed the Democracy For the People Act, which Governor Walz signed into law in May. This sweeping, new law enacts a number of provisions that expand access to voting, including the establishment of automatic voter registration, allowing 16-and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote, and the creation of a permanent absentee voter list that will automatically send people who sign up a ballot each election. I was also pleased to see Governor Walz signed into law another House bill that restored voting rights to over 50,000 Minnesotans on parole, probation, or community release, which went into effect in July. Restoring voting rights to those who have been convicted of a felony, but are no longer incarcerated is an important step in helping to facilitate reintegration into the community and ensuring all voices are heard. 

In Washington, I have been working diligently to fight for these issues on a federal level. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 14, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore and modernize the full protections of the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965. Among many other provisions, H.R. 14 would establish a nationwide anti-regression standard to ensure states do not backslide on voting rights, empower the Attorney General to request federal observers be present anywhere in the country where discriminatory voting practices pose a serious threat, and require transparent public notices of any voting changes. 

Please rest assured that I will continue to push for sound legislation that removes obstacles to the registration process, expands access to polling stations, and prohibits discriminatory voting policies.  I look forward to your continued engagement on these issues and other important matters in the future. Please do not hesitate to contact me or my office whenever we can be of service, and I highly encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter to keep well-informed of the good trouble I am stirring up in the People’s Congress: omar.house.gov/contact/newsletter. 

In Service,

Ilhan Omar