Senator Joe Manchin (R-WV) issued a voting law “compromise” in the latest attempt to push Democrats to work with GOP senators on the radical For The People Act also known as HR 1. Democratic operative Stacy Abrams quickly endorsed the compromise, saying she would “absolutely” back Manchin’s compromise. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell voiced his opposition of the document, promising that all 50 Republicans would oppose the compromise. The memo, among other things, calls for a federal holiday, a mandate of 15 consecutive days for early voting, a ban of partisan gerrymandering, voter ID alternatives, and automatic voting registration through the DMV.
While Americans may celebrate Manchin for attempting to get both political parties to come together to secure that our elections are fair and secured, HR 1 and other related bills are nothing but a power grab by the DNC and its operatives in Washington, D.C.
Stacey Abrams
The fact that Abrams, who unsuccessfully ran for Governor in Georgia, said that she would “absolutely” back the compromise should concern Americans who genuinely care about election integrity. Abrams has been a proponent of some of the most radical electoral reforms that our country has ever witnessed. She has labeled any form of election integrity proposals as “Jim Crow” and those who fight for election integrity as “racists.”
Here’s a summary of what’s in Manchin’s memo and how these reforms would weaken our electoral system:
Voting ID “Alternatives” Laws
The relaxation of voter ID laws will create a loophole that could be easily exploited by partisan election workers and individuals who seek to diminish our electoral system.
Absentee Ballots
This compromise would force states to send absentee ballots to voters who can’t vote in person. The language of the memo, however, does not specify whether individuals have to submit a request for an absentee ballot.
Federal Holiday
A federal holiday would help government workers, but it doesn’t help hard-working Americans who work in the private industry. This idea could make parents less likely to vote if schools are closed as they would have to find babysitters or stay at home.
Automatic Voter Registration
The memo calls for the automatic registration of individuals who get IDs at the DMV. If a citizen decides to register to vote, it should be because they want to vote, not because government bureaucrats want to force them to do so. We have also seen some Democratic states are providing driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. Would DMV workers be 100% accurate at registering U.S. Citizens? Would they also mistakenly register individuals who lawful residents but are not eligible to vote?
Penalties for “Voter Intimidation”
Who defines what “voter intimidation” is? We can predict that the Democratic Party would argue that election challengers and election observers would be considered voter intimidators, opening the door for potential voter fraud and other voter irregularities.
Maintenance of Voter Rolls
“Allow for maintenance of voter rolls by utilizing information derived from state and federal documents” is empty language. If the government doesn’t require secretaries of states to utilize the lists to remove deceased voters, moved voters, or anyone else that hasn’t voted in four years, every 30 days — then it is merely a useless recommendation.
While we encourage both Democrats and Republicans to come together, we cannot endorse this compromise, as it will weaken our electoral process and open loopholes that could be exploited by partisan actors and individuals who seek to disregard and diminish our U.S. Constitution. It is imperative that the U.S. Congress works to secure our electoral process.
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