Restoring Voting Rights in Oregon is Racial Justice

When it comes to Oregon’s history, there’s a pretty big elephant in the room — and that’s our state’s racist past.

In the 1840s, Oregon put laws on the books with the goal of keeping Black Americans from moving here. Those laws were abolished in the 1920s, but their impact continues to reverberate 100 years later in the form of disenfranchising those currently in Oregon’s prison system.

Don’t remember learning about this in school? We’ve got you covered. Watch our video that’ll walk you through it.

In the past, we were an exclusionary state but that definitely shouldn’t be our future. In fact, we can be the first state in the nation to re-enfranchise individuals in prison by passing SB 571.

SB 571 would allow those in prison to register to vote, update their voter registrations, and vote in elections based on where they resided prior to incarceration. It would act as a lifeline between them and the communities they intend to return to after completing their sentences. It would give them a say over the many laws that control their lives in prison and the lives of their loved ones at home. 

Outdated, racist voter suppression laws should no longer have a place in Oregon. If we want a government that works for all of us, the first step is to make sure we are all guaranteed a say in who represents us.

Watch, then share our video on social media so everyone knows how we can address our past and make a better future for Oregonians by re-enfranchising thousands.

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P.S. Ready to take action now? Send an email to your state senator, urging them to pass SB 571.