Meaningful legislation--For the People

[Dave Grubb]

As the new republicans gather around the alter of exclusion and try to limit voting rights and access to voting an alternative appears:

Another development that has staying power is the attempt of Democrats to guarantee the right to vote. In the face of voter suppression legislation in Republican legislatures around the country, Democrats in Congress are trying to pass a law, called the For the People Act, to stop partisan gerrymandering, limit money in politics, and expand voting access.
The For the People Act, numbered in Congress as H.R. 1 and S. 1, would provide for automatic voter registration across the country and would require paper ballots. It would require that early voting be made available, and would expand mail-in voting. It would authorize $1 billion for upgrades to state voting systems.
Polling by Data for Progress and Vote Save America shows that the principles in H.R. 1 are very popular, across parties. Sixty-eight percent of Americans approve of the reforms in the bill. Sixteen percent oppose the measure. The items within the bill are also popular. Eighty-six percent of Americans support a plan to prevent foreign interference in our elections; 7% oppose it. Eighty-five percent of us want to limit the amount of politics; 8% oppose that idea. Eighty-four percent of us want more election security; 8 percent do not.
Seventy-four percent of us want to see nonpartisan redistricting; 11% do not. Sixty-eight percent want to see 15 days of early voting; 19% do not. Sixty percent want same-day voter registration; 29% do not. Fifty-nine percent want automatic voter registration; 29% do not. Even with the Republican attacks on mail-in voting, fifty-eight percent of us want to be able to vote by mail; 35% do not.
Democrats passed a version of H.R. 1 in the previous Congress, but then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to take it up. Now, every House Democrat supports the bill, while Republican lawmakers oppose it.
To try to stop the bill from becoming law, Republicans are launching a full-throated defense of the filibuster, a tradition that enables a minority in the Senate to stop legislation unless it can command 60 votes. Republican objections to this popular, and seemingly vital, measure will test whether the Senate will protect the filibuster or continue to chip away at it.
Of all today’s news, then, this issue—the fate of the For the People Act—is one that most certainly will matter in the future

I have actively worked for years to end gerrymandering in PA--without success. While it is widely popular in a PA it requires an amendment to the State Constitution and the "good old boys" refuse to allow it to come to the floor for a vote. That is what happens when we end up with "good old boys" who hail from ironclad safe districts to assume a position of power.

[Kevin]

Odd that paper ballots are seen as the acme of ballot security.

No one has heard of ballot stuffing?

Gerrymandering is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds upon. Republicans did a LOT of gerrymandering over the past 20 years to create safe seats. Now, with populism stalking the land, these safe seats are giving rise to Tea Party zealots and Trumpist nut jobs. Conservatism is great but gerrymandering has created a far right wing that now consumes the party that freed it.

[Dave Grubb]

I took the paper ballot as meaning a paper backup to the voting machines, I could well be wrong in that. Going back to only paper ballots is not warranted in my mind.

[Mike]

If they go back to paper ballots it is a step toward voter fraud because someone will can vote in my place. I won't waste my time on a paper ballot.

[Dave Grubb]

In a bit of irony---this week I sent for my absentee ballot for the spring primary. I have no idea if I will have anyone to voter for since I can not vote either republican or Democratic----maybe I can be the write-in king

As to the paper ballots---I can't imagine they are suggesting a retreat to that, but who knows. The good thing is there will be a lot of wordsmithing prior to that coming to a vote--if it ever does