Democrats have been fighting to expand access to the polls through early voting, vote-by-mail and other measures, efforts that expanded as the coronavirus pandemic raged.
Republicans have been fighting those efforts and pursuing measures to curb access to the polls nationwide claiming public distrust in elections since Trump and his allies persistent allegations of fraud.
Georgia House Bill 531
Republican lawmakers in Georgia muscled legislation through the state House on Monday that would roll back voting access, over the objection of Democrats and civil rights groups gathered at the Capitol to protest.
The bill comes after record turnout led to Democratic wins in Georgia’s presidential election and two U.S. Senate runoffs.
Bill Text: GA HB531 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Comm Sub | LegiScan
The Georgia bill HB531 would:
- Require a photo ID for absentee voting
- Limit the amount of time voters have to request an absentee ballot,
- Restrict where ballot drop boxes could be located and when they could be accessed
- Limit early voting hours on weekends
- Ends no-excuse absentee voting adopted by a Republican-controlled legislature in 2005
Georgia House passes GOP bill rolling back voting access (apnews.com)
The Biden administration weighed in on the political fight backing Democrats’ efforts to overhaul voting rules and turn over the process of drawing congressional districts to independent commissions.
The United States is facing an “an unprecedented assault on our democracy, a never before seen effort to ignore, undermine, and undo the will of the people, and a newly aggressive attack on voting rights taking place right now all across the country,” President Joe Biden’s Office of Management and Budget said in a statement.
Election Reform bill, HR1
The bill addresses voter registration matters such as
- Promoting internet registration
- Automatic registration
- Same day registration
- Conditions for removal of registrants
The House of Representatives is set to vote and likely to pass a sweeping election reform bill, HR-1, as soon as this week. Biden’s fellow Democrats have a majority in the House, but the bill is unlikely to pass the Senate, where the measure would need support from all 50 members of that party caucus, plus 10 Republicans.
Text – H.R.1 – 117th Congress (2021-2022): For the People Act of 2021 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress