ATLANTA (AP) – Changes in the way millions of Americans voted this year have made a significant contribution to voting, but that doesn’t guarantee that easing measures will stick to future elections.
Republicans in the major states that voted for President-elect Joe Biden are already pushing for new sanctions, especially for absentee ballots. It is an option that has expanded amid coronavirus outbreaks in many states that have proven extremely popular and have helped ensure one of the smoothest election days in recent years.
President Donald Trump has been relentless in his attacks on mail voting as he continues to challenge the legitimacy of lost elections. Despite the lack of evidence in the courts and dozens of damages, their widespread voter fraud claims have found a connection with some Republican elected officials.
They are promising to sabotage the mail ballot and threatening to repeal other steps that make it easier for people to take action.
“This legend could not justify throwing out election results, nor would it support imposing an additional burden on voters that would exempt many Americans,” said Wendy Weiser, head of the Democratic program at the Brennan Center of the NYU School of Justice. Law.
An estimated 108 million people voted before election day, initially by individual ballot or by mailing or by abstaining. After measures were taken to avoid crowded polling stations during the epidemic in the state, it polled about 70% of all the votes cast.
Some states sent ballots to every registered voter while others waived the requirement that voters need a specific excuse to cast an absentee ballot. Many states added drop bds and expanded early voting options.
The changes were popular among voters and did not lead to widespread fraud. A group of election officials, including representatives of the Federal Cybersecurity Agency, called the 2020 presidential election the “safest” election in U.S. history, and U.S. Attorney General William Barre told the Associated Press that there was no evidence of fraud that would alter the results. . Election.
However, Republicans in Georgia proposed adding the requirement of a photo ID when voting in absentia, banning drop-offs and possibly an excuse for mail voting, such as traveling to work on sick or election day.
Among the early proponents of ID requirement, Governance. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Rafensparger, a Republican who has been repeatedly criticized by Trump for failing to claim his fraud after losing in Georgia. “The need for an ID will boost people’s confidence and any claim of future fraud can be ruled out,” said Rff Fenceperger’s top deputy.
The state’s two U.S. The Senate will pass two laws next month under the current law, requiring local election officials to verify signatures on absentee ballots.
In Pennsylvania, Republican legislators are writing legislation to say what they claim, even though courts and election officials have found no evidence of a problem, especially in the 2020 election and mail voting.
“We want to tighten it up as soon as possible,” said Kim Ward Ward, a Pennsylvania Senate majority leader.
Republicans have a majority in both chambers of legislature, and their support was significant in a year-old state law that extended mail voting to all registered voters. The bill that is being debated will force the repeal of the law and give voters an excuse to get a ballot in the mail.
Previous elections have shown that voters appreciate mail voting despite their affiliation with the party. The Republican nominees did well this year, despite a record 21.2 million voters voting for Democrats in the presidential race.
In Michigan, Republicans sat in every congressional seat and Trump controlled the legislature despite losing the state. However, Republicans still held legal hearings in which Trump’s lawyers argued that this not only affected the presidency, but caused widespread malpractices without explaining how it would affect other contests.
“Just as we’ve seen many legislators make evil-advisory decisions to hold hearings that have become more of a political theater than policy debates, legislators can expect more of this ultra-biased agenda to restrict voting,” the Michigan secretary said. Was. State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat.
Bains said legislators should focus on turn-off voting in the presidential election to improve what has been done and then make the changes demanded by election officials, such as giving Clark more time to process the mail ballot. Michigan does not allow that work to begin until the day before election day.
Lisa Schaefer, executive director of the County Commissioners Association Penn Pennsylvania, said her organization would also like to focus on reducing tensions facing local election officials.
“The more time we spend discussing other issues, the less time we have to do something good to change the election code.”
Democrats and voting rights groups have already begun pushing for pressure, saying Republicans should focus on protecting voters’ access to the ballot, regardless of the conspiracy theories initiated by Trump and his allies to undermine the Nov. 3 election.
They say the ID requirements are a bit lower, but the cost is higher.
Democrats have been tapped to fill the seat of Kamala Harris, who was recently elected vice president of the U.S. Senate, said California Secretary of State Alex Lexpad Dilla. “The election will undoubtedly have the net effect of liberating many people without improving election security.”
Pedila supports registered voters to send votes in the mail.
Voter fraud occurs, but studies show that it is very rare. Numerous security measures are designed to ensure that only eligible voters cast their ballots. Election officials say that when fraud occurs, people are caught and prosecuted.
Not all Republicans want to add sanctions.
In Ohio, Secretary of State Frank L. Rose said his legal priorities are to expand polling stations as soon as possible, increase surveillance of election vendors, add an online option to request absent ballots, and eliminate confusion over drop-offs.
“Ohio has got a good thing, but we don’t want to rest on our laurels,” said L. R. Rose, who will have to get his changes through the Republican-dominated legislature.
Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams said the epidemic forced the state to implement early voting, which proved popular among voters from both major parties. Republican said he thinks state legislators will likely formulate an early voting policy for subsequent elections and that the G.O.P. It is not heard to be opposed in the legislature controlled by.
“It just makes voting easier,” he said.
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Izaguir reports from Lindenhurst, New York. Associated Press writers Mark Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Ben Nadler in Atlanta; And Columbus-based Julie Kerr Smith of Ohio contributed to this report.
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Associated Press coverage of voting rights is partly received from Carnegie Corporation of New York. AP is solely responsible for this content.
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