To the Editor:
During my campaign, I spoke with countless voters about how excited I was for Connecticut to implement early voting. That excitement was shared by the people in my district—50% of eligible East Lyme voters took advantage of in-person early voting during the last election. This success shows that when we remove unnecessary barriers and trust people to make their voices heard, participation in our democracy grows.
Connecticut has made real progress in expanding access to the ballot box. Early voting and efforts to adopt no-excuse absentee voting are essential steps toward a more inclusive, accessible democracy. These reforms reflect our values—fairness, freedom, and trust in the will of the people—and that’s especially important in our state, considering our unfortunate history of voter suppression.
But as we move forward, we must be mindful of efforts elsewhere to take us backward. I am deeply concerned about legislation like the so-called “SAVE Act” being pushed at the federal level. Although billed as an election integrity measure, this bill would create a modern-day poll tax. It would impose burdensome documentation requirements on millions of eligible voters, thereby disproportionately harming seniors, married women, students, and low-income Americans. This can disenfranchise those who can least afford to navigate such obstacles in the electoral process.
These policies are based on false narratives of widespread illegal voting, designed not to protect our democracy but to weaken it by making it harder for certain people to participate. Connecticut is proving that we can expand voting access and maintain election security. That’s the model we should champion, not one that restricts the rights generations have fought to secure.
As your state representative, I will continue to advocate for policies that protect and strengthen voting rights in East Lyme, Salem, Montville, and across our state. When we empower people to vote, democracy thrives. Let’s keep leading the way.
Nick Menapace
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Menapace serves as State Representative for the 37th District, which includes East Lyme, Salem, and Montville