By Colin Allred

Voting is one of our most fundamental rights. It’s not just about having a say in the future of our country, it’s about honoring the legacy of those who fought and sacrificed so that we could have a voice. As a voting rights lawyer, I’ve seen the impacts of voter suppression firsthand, and how deeply un-American it is when folks cannot vote because of arbitrary barriers put in place to make it harder.

I became a voting rights attorney because I believe the right to vote is preservative of all other rights. That’s why we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. In Congress, I’ve been working to reinstate and modernize the Voting Rights Act to stop harmful voter suppression laws here in Texas and across the country. To give more Texans a chance to participate in our democracy, we must expand early voting, make Election Day a federal holiday, and take steps like same-day voter registration that make voting more accessible, not create barriers that are harmful to our democracy. I’ve introduced legislation that would ensure integrity in our elections and protect our election workers. I stand by the words of my hero, Congressman John Lewis who said “The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democracy.”

Despite these efforts, laws like S.B. 1 in Texas make it harder for Texans to vote by mail, limit the hours of early voting and have burdensome voter registration, and voter ID provisions. This isn’t who we are as Texans. The Voting Rights Act, championed by the civil rights movement, was signed into law by a great Texan, President Lyndon B. Johnson.

I think about other Texas icons like the late, great Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, who fought fearlessly for our democracy. She never shied away from challenging those who wanted to silence our communities and take away folks’ voices in our democracy. She said it best: “What the people want is very simple, they want an America as good as its promise.”

To live up to that promise, we must do better.

Ted Cruz wants to take our democracy backward, as we all saw on January 6 when he tried to overturn a free and fair election and disregard the will of the American people. Ted Cruz supports restrictive laws based on fear tactics about widespread voter fraud. He doesn’t understand and doesn’t care that voting is a cornerstone of our democracy, and he is trying to strip away our hard-won rights.

History has shown us that elections can be decided by just a handful of votes.

Yet in Texas, only 42 percent of eligible voters turned out in 2022 and Texas sadly consistently ranks towards the bottom in the country in turnout numbers.

We have less than a month to turn out our family and friends and ensure every eligible Texan cast their ballot. It’s time to decide to vote, especially at a moment when folks like Ted Cruz want to threaten the principles our country was founded on.

I often say if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. Voting is our power and our voice. Let’s use it.