Introductory Fact: The 2020 Election is Over: Biden Won,
Trump Lost Stop the Lies
Republican proponents of new election bills argue that election
law changes are necessary to ensure the integrity of the election after claims
of fraud were made in places across the country following the 2020 election.
Even that despite all Federal and state officials and some 60
courts ruled that there no evidence of such maleficence. None, nada, nil, zip, zero.
What is driving this wild voting law change effort following GOP
losses in November 2020? Oh, and the January 6 failed insurrection at the nation’s
Capitol egged on by Donald J. Trump who still repeatedly disputes the election outcome, still him.
Trump continues to rant that he won and Joe Biden lost yapping that the election
was “rigged and full of fraud.”
Fact: Biden is president. He won legitimately as certified by all
50 states and 60 court cases that Trump challenged and lost and that includes at
least three U.S. Supreme Court cases against him.
A lot more follows below from the experts at tracking voting
and election issues: The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU with this headline:
“Voting Laws Roundup: March 2021”
Voting provisions, and voter suppressive bills have begun
to advance as proposed laws as of April 1, 2021 (no fooling) in some 43 states…
And, a lot from The Washington Post which also has a good rundown down on some 43
states wanting to change voting law with their headline:
“How GOP-backed voting measures
could create hurdles for tens of millions of voters”
At least 250 new state laws have been
proposed to limit mail, early in-person, and Election Day voting…
The GOP’s national push to enact hundreds of new election
restrictions could strain every available method of voting for tens of millions
of Americans.
That potentially amounts to the most sweeping contraction of
ballot access in the United States since the end of Reconstruction (1865-1877), when
Southern states curtailed the voting rights of formerly enslaved Black men (Washington
Post analysis).
Right now, in 43 states across the country, Republican lawmakers have proposed at least 250 laws that would:: limit mail, early in-person, and Election Day voting with such constraints as stricter ID requirements, limited hours, or narrower eligibility to vote absentee, plus like Texas also empower partisan poll watchers.
Note: More on the awful bill now pending in Texas here from NBC News.
That according to the non-partisan Brennan Center for Justice at NYU. Even more proposals have been introduced since that February report.
One reason for the record voter turnout was during the
pandemic, but now the proposals, restrictions really, to mail-in and early
voting proposed in 33 states is not so hot and that followed a spike in that form of voting in
2020, which is good for democracy.
My note: That method of voting the GOP obviously hates. Big voter
turnout always hurts them in sheer numbers. So, when more people vote, they lose.
So, now they want to change the rules so they never lose again – it’s just that
simple.
Truth vs. Fiction (or
actually: Facts vs. the Trump “Big Lie):
Proponents say new laws are necessary to shore up public
confidence in the integrity of elections after the 2020 presidential contest,
when Trump and his unsubstantiated claims of election fraud convinced millions of his supporters that the results were
rigged against him.
However, in most cases, Republicans are proposing solutions
in states where elections ran smoothly, including in many with results that
Trump and his allies did not contest or allege to be tainted by fraud.
The measures are likely to
disproportionately affect those in cities and Black voters in particular, who
overwhelmingly vote Democratic — laying bare, critics say, the GOP’s true
intent: Gaining electoral advantage.
The rush to crack down on voting methods comes after many
states temporarily expanded mail and early voting in 2020 because of the
coronavirus pandemic, leading to the largest voter turnout in more
than a century. Those changes reshaped both who turned out
and how they voted, with an astounding 116 million people — 73 percent of the
electorate — casting their ballots before Election Day..
In many states, Democrats are trying to make those 2020 expansions permanent — and to broaden voting access in other ways.
For example, congressional Democrats have pushed through a sweeping bill (H.R. 1: For the People Act) to impose national standards that would override much of what Republican state lawmakers are trying to constrict, including measures that would provide universal eligibility to vote by mail, at least 15 days of early voting, mandatory online voter registration, and the restoration of voting rights for released felons.
The measure has passed the House but faces steep
opposition in the evenly divided Senate and the damned filibuster rule.
Republican state legislators, meanwhile, echoing Trump’s
false claims that the election was stolen from him, are pushing hard in the
other direction. The outcome of dueling efforts will vary depending on partisan
control of statehouses.
Right now both legislative chambers and the governorship in
38 states are one-party: 23 Republican and 15 Democratic. Many of the most
restrictive proposals have surfaced in states where the GOP has a total hold on
power, including AZ, FL, GA, MO, and SC.
Key points from the Brennen Center at NYU: In a backlash to 2020’s historic voter turnout, and under the pretense of responding to baseless and racist allegations of voter fraud and election irregularities, state lawmakers have introduced a startling number of bills to curb the vote.
As of March 24,
legislators have introduced 361 bills with restrictive
provisions in 47 states. That’s 108 more than the 253
restrictive bills tallied as of February 19, 2021 — a 43 percent increase in
little more than a month.
These measures have begun to be enacted. Five restrictive
bills have already been signed into law. In
addition, at least 55 restrictive bills in 24 states are moving through
legislatures: 29 have passed at least one chamber, while another 26 have
had some sort of committee action (e.g., a hearing, an amendment, or a
committee vote).
Most restrictive bills take aim at absentee voting, while
nearly a quarter seek stricter voter ID requirements. State lawmakers also aim
to make voter registration harder, expand voter roll purges or adopt flawed
practices that would risk improper purges, and cut back on early voting.
The states that have seen the largest number of restrictive bills introduced are: TX 49 bills; GA 25 bills; and AZ 23 bills. Bills are actively moving in the Texas and Arizona statehouses, and Georgia enacted an omnibus voter suppression bill. Many bills seek to undermine the power of local officials.
Noteworthy: After county election
officials conducted elections during a pandemic and stood up to pressure to
manipulate the results, state lawmakers are now seeking new criminal penalties
to target these officials.
More Info, Jump To: Restrictive Bills Enacted into Law | Restrictive Bills that Are Moving | Expansive Bills Enacted into Law | Expansive Bills that Are Moving | Alarming Trends
My 2 cents: I firmly believe and have my whole adult life, and I hope
everyone else does, too, that free, fair, safe, and secure voting is the
backbone and key to our country and to our future.
I also believe firmly that
2020 proved that beyond any doubt. The lies did not carry – some 60 court cases
including at least three from the U.S. Supreme Court approved the 2020 election
results.
The January 6 Capitol
insurrection did not stop the final certification, either.
This raw, ugly nonsense from
the GOP must stop and it must stop now.
The election was fair and
legal and Donald J. Trump lost fair and square. Joe Biden is the legally
elected president – so get over it and let’s all work together to move forward
NOT backwards a 100 years and to put our nation back in one piece.
I’m done now. Thanks for stopping
by.
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