Are GOP Efforts to Improve Election Security Effective?
Republican lawmakers are working desperately to improve voting security following the 2020 presidential election, when states abandoned traditional election procedures in the name of COVID-19.
Republicans claim Democrats made changes designed to facilitate voter fraud, though efforts to prove so have been defeated in court.
“[Voting laws are] definitely percolating as a more mainstream issue, but that’s because there were wholesale changes made without going through the legislative process, using COVID as the rationale for why,” explains Arizona State Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R). “The Democrats have misused, exploited, and politicized COVID to implement changes in elections that could never get passed otherwise.”
Lawmakers have introduced more than 400 election-related proposals since November 2020. According to New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice, at least 30 bills designed to tighten voter access have been signed into law. And more than 50 bills making it easier to vote have been signed into law.
Many of the new laws target mail-in voting – including the number and location of ballot drop boxes, the amount of time a person has to request a mail-in ballot, and limitations on who can drop off another person’s ballot. Other laws affect early voting, absentee voting, voter ID requirements, signature verification rules, voter roll purges, conduct at polling stations, and the use of outside funding for election administration.
Nearly all of the new laws have been passed in GOP-majority states. As expected, Democrats have framed Republicans’ efforts to improve election security as political and racist.
“What is clear is that there is a wave of state laws that make it harder for Americans to vote, and in a really unprecedented manner,” argues Eliza Sweren-Becker, counsel to the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center. “This is reflecting a real concerted effort in states across the country to make it harder for Americans to vote, to carve Americans out of the electorate rather than politicians trying to win over those voters.”
Other Democrats claim the GOP effort is a response to Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump.
“Republican elected officials do not like the results of 2020 and now they’re trying to change the rules of future elections,” claims Jena Griswold (D) Colorado’s Secretary of State. “In the middle of a pandemic, we had the securest election in America’s history with record turnout of both Democrats and Republicans. So elections work.”
What Griswold is failing to see here is that “record turnout” is likely to include fraud, especially considering the fact that 46% of 2020’s vote came by mail. Griswold is also failing to acknowledge that several voting overhauls signed into law include provisions that make it easier and safer to vote.
Author’s Note:
Republicans are doing a great job here. But it won’t matter how secure elections are in red states if blue and borderline states remain corrupt.
Elections are the foundation of democracy and thus must be conducted with the proper security. Unfortunately security is not possible without rules. This is why IDs and records are required when you apply for a job or bank loan, rent a car, or purchase a house. These things are far less important than a presidential election and yet require more paperwork.
In most cases, Americans have months or years to prepare for a given election. This is more than enough time to comply with any voting restrictions or requirements.
Until we greatly decrease demo maggot corruption, our elections will be in serious risk of cheating and fraud
Yeh, but Republicans need to grow some ball and stand up to Democrats who are the racists.
Seven States election officials & unaccountable judges changed the voting rules in 2020, completely in violation of the States exclusive authority to hold elections.
These so-called battleground States were on the brink of electing T45 when the shenanigans, voter fraud, dead people voting, mysterious discovery of 95% Biden* ballots, & other planned voting irregularities tipped the election to border-crisis Biden* in the early hours the next day. And 75 million Trump voters know it.
Legal voting will never be available until the Congress adopts a full proof system and procedure to guarantee all votes are legally submitted. Voter I.D. must accompany a ballot. There is an old saying, “If there is a will, there is a beneficiary.” Lets be honest, the only voters complaining about procedural changes are the DEMORATES. If DEMOS are concerned about rural voters who can get to a poll to vote, they should start a service that arranges to pick up said voter, in a car, and take them to the nearest poll (with acceptable ID in hand.) Solves two problems, voter ID and no questionable mail in submissions. If a voter is so feeble and illiterate they problem should be voting anyway, who knows they may make a mistake and vote for a Republican, accidents happen. Just saying–
If either party objects to “one vote per legal citizen” with one “VOTER PHOTO ID, in had” is a problem to either party then the vote should be disallowed at the designated poll. Make it bipartisan, fair, and legal and keep the poll workers integrated in the vote counting, 14% blacks and 46% whites, keep it racially equal.
As usual, if you follow the money, you will see a small number of power brokers duping the little guy into total distrust of the American institution of voting so they can line their pockets with your money and maybe, just maybe get candidates that will further line their pockets with your gold. The power brokers probably don’t even believe The Big Lie, they are in it for the power, the money. Only 4 cases of fraud discovered in AZ, two for each party. Nada.
With little evidence and a mountain of false allegations, they outsource vote counting to inexperienced hack jobs looking for a buck. You help line their pockets with your funding, your contributions to the cause. The other day I saw a car-dealership sized Trump 2024 flag —- some yahoo paid big bucks to the cause for that. And for what, chances are he won’t even run for anything beyond the bank with your money.
With 86 failed court cases, most tossed for lack of evidence, they continue to troll for your bucks using The Big Lie. They like to tie it into your fears of being overcome by the tsunami of urban black voters and immigrant brown voters and the need to “fix” the voting process to fight back as if one person, one vote is bad.
The end result will be no change to the vote in AZ, all third-party tampered voting machines will be replaced at a yuge cost to the citizens, both parties, as they line their pockets with your gold, and set the stage for 2022 distrust hoping it helps their candidates that will help their bottom lines. Distrust in our institutions means bottom line profits so they continue to sow away.
Here’s the background on the cash and who’s behind it: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/08/09/the-big-money-behind-the-big-lie It’s a good read teaching us that once again, a few power brokers are creating a false narrative so they can take your money and perhaps take the power to make even more money. As always, both parties, if something is wrong, you can usually follow the money to find out why.
As per usual, the author tries to write a fairly balanced and factual article – until the end. There’s that last paragraph of unsubstantiated accusations just before the real bullshit that starts with “author’s note”. Usually, an author’s note is used to clarify some point, as in “a reader pointed out that my first draft of the story had an incorrect date, so I fixed it” or “so-and-so’s title was incorrect and was changed after it was noticed”. But NO, this author goes into full opinion, conspiracy theories, and Republican talking points.
Why not call it what it is? Maybe “here’s what I REALLY want to say” or “following is the opinionated drivel that PBP actually pays me for”? (assuming that old Joe Gilbertson actually pays you)…
The commiecrats will find ways to cheat.
… You better get back, commiecrat
Living in the city ain’t where it’s at
It’s like trying to find votes in a Trump golf shrine
It’s like trying to cheat Trumpers so their votes will de…..clinnnne
eh ha, when we gonna bring out Wally and The Beaver?