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U.S. NEWS Monday 28 deceMber 2020

Despite smooth election, GOP leaders seek vote restrictions

By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE rights groups have already
and CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY begun pushing back, say-
Associated Press ing Republicans should be
ATLANTA (AP) — Chang- focused on protecting vot-
es to the way millions of er access to the polls and
Americans voted this year not feeding into conspiracy
contributed to record turn- theories launched by Trump
out, but that’s no guaran- and his allies to undermine
tee the measures making the Nov. 3 election.
it easier to cast ballots will They say ID requirements
stick around for future elec- accomplish little, but have
tions. a high cost.
Republicans in key states “It’s a solution in search of
that voted for President- a problem,” said Califor-
elect Joe Biden already nia Secretary of State Alex
are pushing for new restric- Padilla, a Democrat who
tions, especially to absen- was recently tapped to fill
tee voting. It’s an option the U.S. Senate seat of Vice
many states expanded President-elect Kamala
amid the coronavirus out- Harris. “It will undoubtedly
break that proved hugely have the net effect of dis-
popular and helped ensure enfranchising a lot of peo-
one of the smoothest elec- ple without necessarily im-
tion days in recent years. In this Monday, Oct. 12, 2020 file photo, voting machines fill the floor for early voting at the State proving election security.”
President Donald Trump Farm Arena in Atlanta. Padilla supports sending
has been unrelenting in his Associated Press registered voters a ballot in
attacks on mail voting as options. tures on absentee ballots. widespread irregularities the mail.
he continues to challenge The changes were popu- In Pennsylvania, Republi- without explaining how Voter fraud does happen,
the legitimacy of an elec- lar with voters and did not can lawmakers have been these somehow affected but studies have shown it’s
tion he lost. Despite a lack lead to widespread fraud. writing legislation to ad- only the presidential race exceedingly rare. Numer-
of evidence and dozens A group of election officials dress what they claim are but not other contests. ous safeguards are built
of losses in the courts, his including representatives problems with the 2020 “Just like we have seen a into voting systems to en-
claims of widespread voter of the federal cybersecu- election and mail voting lot of legislators making ill- sure that only eligible vot-
fraud have gained trac- rity agency called the 2020 in particular, even though advised decisions to hold ers cast a ballot. Election
tion with some Republican presidential election the courts and elections of- hearings that ended up be- officials say when fraud
elected officials. “most secure” election in ficials have found no evi- ing more political theater does happen, people are
They are vowing to crack U.S. history, and U.S. Attor- dence of widespread than policy debates, we caught and prosecuted.
down on mail ballots and ney General William Barr problems. can similarly expect legis- Not all Republicans are
threatening to roll back told The Associated Press “We’d like to tighten it up lators to further this hyper- seeking to add restrictions.
other steps that have made there had been no evi- as soon as we can,” said partisan agenda to restrict In Ohio, Secretary of State
it easier for people to vote. dence of fraud that would Pennsylvania Senate Ma- the vote,” said Michigan Frank LaRose said his leg-
“This myth could not jus- change the outcome of jority Leader Kim Ward. Secretary of State Jocelyn islative priorities are to ex-
tify throwing out the results the election. Republicans hold majorities Benson, a Democrat. pand early voting loca-
of the election, nor can it Nevertheless, Republicans in both legislative cham- Benson said lawmakers tions, increase oversight of
justify imposing additional in Georgia have proposed bers, and their support was should instead look to the election vendors, add an
burdens on voters that will adding a photo ID require- instrumental in a year-old high turnout for the presi- online option for requesting
disenfranchise many Amer- ment when voting absen- state law that expanded dential election as a guide absentee ballots and ad-
icans,” said Wendy Weiser, tee, a ban on drop boxes mail voting to all registered to improving what worked dress confusion over drop
head of the democracy and possibly a return to re- voters. One bill being dis- and then make changes boxes.
program at the Brennan quiring an excuse for mail cussed would go so far sought by elections of- “Ohio’s got a good thing
Center for Justice at the voting, such as illness or as to repeal that law and ficials, such as providing going, but we don’t want
NYU School of Law. traveling for work on Elec- force voters to state an ex- more time for clerks to pro- to rest on our laurels,” said
An estimated 108 million tion Day. cuse to receive a ballot in cess mail ballots. Michigan LaRose, who wants his pri-
people voted before Elec- Early supporters of the ID the mail. does not allow that work to orities approved by the Re-
tion Day, either through requirement include Gov. Previous elections have begin until the day before publican-dominated legis-
early in-person voting or Brian Kemp and Secretary shown that voters appreci- Election Day. lature.
by mailing or dropping of State Brad Raffensperg- ate mail voting, no matter Lisa Schaefer, executive di- Kentucky Secretary of State
off absentee ballots. That er, Republicans who were their party affiliation. Re- rector of the County Com- Michael Adams said the
represented nearly 70% of criticized relentlessly by publican candidates down missioners Association of pandemic forced the state
all votes cast, after states Trump for failing to back his the ballot did very well this Pennsylvania, said her or- to implement early vot-
took steps to make it easier fraud claims after losing in year, even as a record 81.2 ganization also would like ing, which proved popular
to avoid crowded polling Georgia. A top deputy for million voters cast their bal- to see lawmakers focus on among voters of both ma-
places during the pandem- Raffensperger has said the lot for the Democrat in the reducing the strain facing jor parties. The Republican
ic. ID requirement would boost presidential race. local election officials. said he thinks it’s likely state
A few states sent ballots to public confidence and re- In Michigan, Republicans “The more time that we lawmakers will create an
every registered voter while fute any future claims of held every congressional spend in debating other early voting policy for sub-
others dropped require- fraud. seat and kept control of the issues, the less time that sequent elections and has
ments that voters needed The state’s two U.S. Senate legislature despite Trump we have to do something heard of no opposition to
a specific excuse to cast runoffs next month will take losing the state. Yet Repub- good with changes to the that in the GOP-controlled
an absentee ballot. Many place under current law, licans still held a legislative election code,” Schaefer legislature.
states added drop boxes which requires local elec- hearing in which Trump’s said. “It just makes voting easi-
and expanded early voting tion officials to verify signa- lawyers argued there were Democrats and voting er,” he said.q