Voting is truly the basis of our Democracy. However, the right to vote has been hard fought.
As we head into November elections, the team at Kendal at Home has scheduled a special session with Patrick C. Wohlfarth, Associate Professor in the Department of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland on Thursday, October 28th at 11 am ET. The session titled Voting Rights 1965 to 2021 and Beyond will focus on statutory foundations of contemporary election regulations and the U.S. Supreme Court's role in shaping this landscape. We hope you can join us. As we consider this important discussion, we wanted to share Kendal Corporation's Voting Rights Statement of Principles.
The right for citizens to cast their votes is a core tenet of our democratic republic.
We at The Kendal Corporation, guided by our Quaker values, believe it is our duty to speak out in opposition to the disproportionate, harmful impacts of recent legislation aimed at restricting voting rights, under the guise of preventing voter fraud, such as the recently passed voting law in Georgia and others passed or proposed around the country.
These laws and proposed laws, and the individuals in power who champion them, seek to diminish the voices of Black Americans and other marginalized populations, including older adults and individuals with mobility impairments, and of individuals with shift work, multiple jobs, or strict child- or family-care responsibilities.
These effects – so antithetical to our national character – deeply impact residents, members, their families, and the dedicated and heroic staff who live our mission across our communities. We will not stand on the sidelines when those we serve, and those we serve alongside, are so blatantly and shamelessly targeted and disenfranchised.
As leaders among aging-services providers, we at The Kendal Corporation commit ourselves to:
• Accommodating residents and colleagues so they may freely vote, thereby taking part in the democracy promised to them;
• Supporting marginalized businesses, organizations and causes – with our voices and with our wallets;
• Mobilizing the many voices within the Kendal system – unified in our shared values – to oppose and to take action against this deeply harmful legislation; and
• Advocating with others across the aging-services field – a field with a disproportionately impacted workforce and resident population – to take on such advocacy within their own communities.
There are numerous educational resources available describing recent legislation aimed at restricting voting rights. One such resource is The Brennan Center; an independent, not-for-profit and nonpartisan law and policy organization, whose mission focuses on upholding democracy and voting rights. For more information - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-roundup-may-2021
