Election Security Law Announced By Democrats In US Senate

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Keeping the Democrats together and focused on the same goal is pretty much like herding cats. And that does not even take into consideration the Republicans when they are full out against the legislation the Dems want to move through Congress. Or the GOP is playing a “Lucy.” That is when they dawdle around eating up the Democrats’ calendar days, then pull the football aka legislation at the very last moment.  Well, the Democrats pull a surprise move of their own on Thursday.

Senate Rules Committee Chair Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is responsible for oversight of federal elections. She summed up the voter abuse situation in a  statement she released Thursday. It that read:

‘Across the country, we are seeing election administrators and officials face a barrage of threats and abusive behaviors by those seeking to overturn election results. We need to respond to these threats head on to protect those who are on the frontlines defending our democracy.’

The Minnesota senator announced legislation to fight against the Republican lawmakers’ efforts, both state and federal to eat into the foundation of America’s democracy, which rests up free, fair, and equal elections. But it went further and will put into place new protections for those who handle the nuts and bolts of the voters’ elections, the election workers. Since the 2020 election, they have seen a dramatic rise in violent threats.

Senator Klobuchar argued that her legislation “is key:”

‘[She argued] legislation is key to fighting back against attempts to undermine our elections and ensuring our democracy works for every American.’

On Tuesday, Klobuchar announced that Senate Democrats were close to a new bill, entitled the Protecting Election Administration from Interference Act. It somehow managed to “unite progressives and more centrist Democrats.” It addresses workers’ safety and ability to do their jobs:

  • Ballot counters
  • Those canvassing
  • Those certifying election results, plus
  • The Department of Justice (DOJ)’s ability to bring lawsuits to force compliance with election record requirements.

The legislation also calls for strengthened protections for federal election records and election systems. According to Klobuchar, the new legislation will:

‘[S]top election officials or others from endangering the preservation and security of cast ballots.’

The senators joining Klobuchar were Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jon Ossoff, (D-GA), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) as she made the announcement. With this bill, they were addressing the vital need for such a law. This began with Donald Trump’s big lie, where he falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen from him.

Last June another voter protection bill was introduced by Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), the Preventing Election Subversion Act in an effort to protect the integrity of local elections and the safety of their workers and volunteers.

The nation’s lawmakers have been concerned that election workers’ safety has been buried in violent threats. Indeed, some of them have seen their personal information posted online and shared with those with malicious intent. Some of them have even indicated that Trumpsters broke into and entered their homes.

In an April survey, Brennan Center for Justice found that close to one in six local election workers have been threatened. Nearly one in three felt unsafe on their jobs.

Klobuchar’s bill is not part of the Senate leaders’ negotiations over a diminished voting rights bill. Republicans in the Senate blocked a broader For the People Act.

The senator held a rarely-used field hearing in Georgia, this spring, according to WTOP News:

‘These things are done to design to make sure that people don’t vote. That, my friends, is why we need national bedrock, basic standards for voting in this country.’


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