On the third anniversary of insurrectionists storming the capitol, Chair Barnes warns that the threat to our democracy is ever-present
LANSING — Today, ahead of the three-year anniversary of Donald Trump inciting a violent insurrection on the United States Capitol on January 6th, 2021, Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party Lavora Barnes released the following statement sounding the alarm on MAGA extremists and highlighting the importance of defending our democracy:
“Three years ago, Donald Trump fueled the flames on one of the darkest days in American history when thousands of rioters stormed the United States Capitol. This treasonous act was intended to undermine our democracy and override the free and fair elections, and since then the GOP has never drifted from that goal. Three years later, the fate of our country rests with the 2024 election.
“The stakes could not be higher here in Michigan. It’s easy to forget, in light of all the progress we have made over the past few years, that Michigan was ground zero for the tools that built the insurrection. January 6th must serve as an ever-present reminder that under the wrong leadership, the very foundation of our democracy is at risk.
“While Michigan Democrats have taken significant steps to protect our democracy and ensure an insurrection like January 6th never happens again, the threat is far from gone. Michigan voters know how high the stakes are this November, and will stand with President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Michigan Democrats up and down the ballot as they fight to protect our democracy and defend every American’s freedoms.”
As we observe this anniversary, it is important to remember that after taking control of the state legislature for the first time in 40 years, Michigan Democrats took action in the face of the January 6th insurrection and have done vital work to protect democracy in our state including:
- Expanding our automatic registration system
- Repealing our arcane 1895 ban on hiring transportation to the polls on Election Day.
- Establishing 9 days of in-person voting before Election Day
- Setting penalties for intimidating or preventing election officials from performing their duties
- Allowing Michigan clerks to begin processing absentee ballots before Election Day
- Strengthening our state election certification timeline and duties to remove any ambiguities
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