Margaret Riddle: League of Women Voters says fraud charges a ‘myth’

The League of Women Voters throughout its nearly 100-year history in the United States has always maintained a primary focus on voter service.

The League has particularly worked to ensure that every eligible citizen is supported in exercising the right to vote, which is the foundation of our democracy. It has, therefore, been particularly troubling to hear President Trump speaking since his inauguration about supposed voter fraud in U.S. elections.

Members of the local League of Women Voters agree with the recent statement by Chris Carson, president of the National League of Women Voters, in response to the unsubstantiated claim from the White House that millions of illegal votes were cast in the past election. Ms. Carson states: “President Trump is calling for a major investigation into voter fraud — in an election that he won! We know that widespread voter fraud is a myth perpetuated to push election laws that restrict voting. We cannot allow false claims to drive policies that will limit participation in our election process. There is no need for an investigation into a nonexistent problem. The issue has been studied and put to rest.”

Members of the Northampton Area League of Women Voters invite our neighbors to join us in speaking out against this attack on voting rights.

Margaret Riddle

Leeds

The writer is secretary for the League of Women Voters of the Northampton Area.