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A28 u.s. news
Dialuna 28 December 2020

Despite smooth election, GOP leaders seek vote restrictions

changes sought by elections officials,
such as providing more time for
clerks to process mail ballots. Michi-
gan does not allow that work to begin
until the day before Election Day.
Lisa Schaefer, executive director of
the County Commissioners Associa-
tion of Pennsylvania, said her organi-
zation also would like to see lawmak-
ers focus on reducing the strain fac-
ing local election officials.

“The more time that we spend in de-
bating other issues, the less time that
we have to do something good with
changes to the election code,” Schae-
fer said.

Democrats and voting rights groups
have already begun pushing back,
saying Republicans should be focused
on protecting voter access to the polls
and not feeding into conspiracy theo-
ries launched by Trump and his allies
to undermine the Nov. 3 election.

They say ID requirements accom-
plish little, but have a high cost.

“It’s a solution in search of a prob-
(AP) — Changes to the way mil- ing places during the pandemic. ing in particular, even though courts lem,” said California Secretary of
lions of Americans voted this year and elections officials have found no State Alex Padilla, a Democrat who
contributed to record turnout, A few states sent ballots to every reg- evidence of widespread problems. was recently tapped to fill the U.S.
but that’s no guarantee the mea- istered voter while others dropped Senate seat of Vice President-elect
sures making it easier to cast bal- requirements that voters needed a “We’d like to tighten it up as soon Kamala Harris. “It will undoubtedly
lots will stick around for future specific excuse to cast an absentee as we can,” said Pennsylvania Senate have the net effect of disenfranchis-
elections. ballot. Many states added drop boxes Majority Leader Kim Ward. ing a lot of people without necessarily
and expanded early voting options. improving election security.”
Republicans in key states that voted Republicans hold majorities in both Padilla supports sending registered
for President-elect Joe Biden already The changes were popular with vot- legislative chambers, and their sup- voters a ballot in the mail.
are pushing for new restrictions, es- ers and did not lead to widespread port was instrumental in a year-old
pecially to absentee voting. It’s an fraud. A group of election officials state law that expanded mail voting Voter fraud does happen, but stud-
option many states expanded amid including representatives of the fed- to all registered voters. One bill being ies have shown it’s exceedingly rare.
the coronavirus outbreak that proved eral cybersecurity agency called the discussed would go so far as to repeal Numerous safeguards are built into
hugely popular and helped ensure 2020 presidential election the “most that law and force voters to state an voting systems to ensure that only
one of the smoothest election days in secure” election in U.S. history, and excuse to receive a ballot in the mail. eligible voters cast a ballot. Election
recent years. U.S. Attorney General William Barr Previous elections have shown that officials say when fraud does happen,
told The Associated Press there had voters appreciate mail voting, no mat- people are caught and prosecuted.
President Donald Trump has been been no evidence of fraud that would ter their party affiliation. Republican
unrelenting in his attacks on mail change the outcome of the election. candidates down the ballot did very Not all Republicans are seeking to
voting as he continues to challenge Nevertheless, Republicans in Geor- well this year, even as a record 81.2 add restrictions.
the legitimacy of an election he lost. gia have proposed adding a photo ID million voters cast their ballot for the
Despite a lack of evidence and dozens requirement when voting absentee, a Democrat in the presidential race. In Ohio, Secretary of State Frank
of losses in the courts, his claims of ban on drop boxes and possibly a re- LaRose said his legislative priorities
widespread voter fraud have gained turn to requiring an excuse for mail In Michigan, Republicans held every are to expand early voting locations,
traction with some Republican elect- voting, such as illness or traveling for congressional seat and kept control of increase oversight of election ven-
ed officials. work on Election Day. the legislature despite Trump losing dors, add an online option for re-
They are vowing to crack down on Early supporters of the ID require- the state. Yet Republicans still held a questing absentee ballots and address
mail ballots and threatening to roll ment include Gov. Brian Kemp and legislative hearing in which Trump’s confusion over drop boxes.
back other steps that have made it Secretary of State Brad Raffensperg- lawyers argued there were wide-
easier for people to vote. er, Republicans who were criticized spread irregularities without explain- “Ohio’s got a good thing going, but
relentlessly by Trump for failing to ing how these somehow affected only we don’t want to rest on our laurels,”
“This myth could not justify throw- back his fraud claims after losing in the presidential race but not other said LaRose, who wants his priorities
ing out the results of the election, Georgia. A top deputy for Raffens- contests. approved by the Republican-domi-
nor can it justify imposing additional perger has said the ID requirement “Just like we have seen a lot of leg- nated legislature.
burdens on voters that will disenfran- would boost public confidence and islators making ill-advised decisions
chise many Americans,” said Wendy refute any future claims of fraud. to hold hearings that ended up be- Kentucky Secretary of State Michael
Weiser, head of the democracy pro- ing more political theater than policy Adams said the pandemic forced
gram at the Brennan Center for Jus- The state’s two U.S. Senate runoffs debates, we can similarly expect leg- the state to implement early voting,
tice at the NYU School of Law. next month will take place under cur- islators to further this hyper-parti- which proved popular among voters
rent law, which requires local election san agenda to restrict the vote,” said of both major parties. The Repub-
An estimated 108 million people officials to verify signatures on absen- Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn lican said he thinks it’s likely state
voted before Election Day, either tee ballots. Benson, a Democrat. lawmakers will create an early voting
through early in-person voting or by policy for subsequent elections and
mailing or dropping off absentee bal- In Pennsylvania, Republican lawmak- Benson said lawmakers should in- has heard of no opposition to that in
lots. That represented nearly 70% of ers have been writing legislation to stead look to the high turnout for the the GOP-controlled legislature.
all votes cast, after states took steps to address what they claim are problems presidential election as a guide to im-
make it easier to avoid crowded poll- with the 2020 election and mail vot- proving what worked and then make “It just makes voting easier,” he said.