'Guardians of Democracy': Women Secretaries of State Defend Voting Rights and Election Security at t

[niyad]

(you can access the entire conversation through the link below)

‘Guardians of Democracy’: Women Secretaries of State Defend Voting Rights and Election Security at the State Level
9/20/2022 by Ms. Editors

On Sept. 8, Ms. recorded a “fireside chat”-style discussion with Secretaries of State Shenna Bellows (Maine), Leigh Chapman (Pa.) and Tahesha Way (N.J.). The full recording is available here; here are our favorite highlights of that conversation.

On the Path to Becoming Secretary of State:

New Jersey Secretary Tahesha Way: I am so privileged to serve alongside these two phenomenal, dynamic leaders who are on the front lines ensuring that eligible voters can cast their ballots safely, and of course, with integrity. We should understand there’s no cookie-cutter approach to this. I was not that little girl saying, “When I grow up, I want to be secretary of state or president or even mayor of my town.” I became a state judge overseeing election contested cases, and I ran for public office years ago, so that inspired me to pursue the office of secretary of state.

Pennsylvania Acting Secretary Leigh Chapman: I am an attorney by background and have dedicated my career to civil rights, racial justice, and just making sure that every eligible American in this country can register to vote, cast their ballot, and have it counted. It’s an honor to be on the front lines fighting for democracy at a time when there’s so much at stake.

Maine Secretary Shenna Bellows: My path was a little bit different. I’m not an attorney. I grew up poor without electricity or running water until I was in the fifth grade. I thought politics was fascinating and I loved the Constitution and Bill of Rights. I literally had a poster of the Bill of Rights on my bedroom wall! One of the highlights of my childhood was when my dad took me to a state convention, and I got to meet then-Senator George Mitchell and run an errand for him. I decided to run for elected office—first for U.S. Senate in 2014 against Susan Collins, and then I ran successfully for my state Senate seat in 2016. In 2020 I was elected Maine’s first female secretary of state. It’s an honor to be on the front lines fighting for democracy at a time when there’s so much at stake. … I’ve met people who have been impacted by voter disenfranchisement. I carry that with me, and I make decisions that will make our democracy better for everyone.

. . . .





Voters wait to cast their ballots at the Turkey Thicket Recreation Center for the Washington, D.C. primary elections on June 21, 2022. The most common, and arguably the most important, function held by secretaries of state is to serve as the state’s chief elections official. (Julia Nikhinson / The Washington Post via Getty Images)


. . . .

Way: One of my sheroes was Laura Wooten in New Jersey, who was the longest serving poll worker, and she was African American. She did so for 79 years straight, through the Civil Rights era, so if she can do it, then all of us can—and continue to be the guardians of our democracy.

https://msmagazine.com/2022/09/20/women-secretaries-of-state-voting-rights-election-security-midterm-elections/