LETTER: Democratic voting bill protects the rights of Nevadans

My fellow Nevadans, please don’t be dissuaded, distracted or discouraged by President Donald Trump’s erroneous and misleading remarks about the perils of mail-in ballots. His divisive warnings are not true.

According to the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institute, a nonprofit public policy organization, there is no evidence that mail ballots increase electoral fraud. Furthermore, despite partisan fears, Brookings scholars say neither party gains an advantage.

We don’t need a thinktank to tell us that if we don’t vote, we all lose. This sacred, hard-won right has been fought for over and over again. It wasn’t that long ago, that women and Black people could not vote. Voter suppression continues to threaten this freedom.

We must remember that voting by mail is not new. Many states have moved to it in recent years to make it more convenient to vote — and obviously the concept has become more popular in recent months because of the very legitimate concerns of large crowds at the polls in the midst of a pandemic.

I commend Gov. Steve Sisolak for moving Nevada to a safe and effective voter option so that I don’t have to risk my life during what may be the most important election of my lifetime. Let’s not get caught up in the hype. Elections have consequences — especially for civil rights, social justice and human rights. Don’t let the divisive rhetoric drown out the will of the people.