(Washington, D.C.) – In response to the Supreme Court’s decision to block the administration’s plan to change how Americans vote by mail leading up to the midterm elections, the African American Mayors Association (AAMA), led by Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Chief Executive Officer Phyllis Dickerson, issued the following statement:

“Last night, the Supreme Court sent a clear message: no president gets to rewrite the rules of our elections at the eleventh hour and put the votes of millions of Americans at risk. For Black communities and communities of color, attempts to make voting harder are not abstract. We know this history. For generations, barriers have been erected between our people and the ballot box, and every generation has been called upon to defend the fundamental right to vote.

“As mayors, we see democracy up close. The African American Mayors Association represents mayors leading cities across this country and millions of Americans who deserve to know that their voices will be heard and their lawful votes will be counted. Mail voting is a secure and essential way that millions of Americans, including seniors, people with disabilities, working families, members of our military and voters who cannot easily get to the polls, participate in our democracy.

“The Supreme Court was right to block this effort. But this fight is bigger than one court ruling and one election. We must remain vigilant against any attempt, by any administration or at any level of government, to make it harder for eligible Americans to exercise their constitutional right to vote. Our democracy does not belong to a president or a political party. It belongs to the people. And the people, not politicians, must decide our elections.”