ATLANTA – Changes in the way millions of Americans voted this year have contributed to a record turnout, but that’s no guarantee that the measures that make it easier to issue ballots will persist for future elections.
Republicans in key states who voted for President-elect Joe Biden are already pushing for new restrictions, especially on absenteeism voting. It’s an option that many states expanded during the coronavirus outbreak, which proved to be hugely popular and contributed to one of the smoothest election days of recent years.
President Donald Trump has been relentless in his attacks on postal voting, while continuing to challenge the legitimacy of an election he lost. Despite a lack of evidence and dozens of losses in the courts, his allegations of widespread voter fraud have become popular among some Republican elected officials.
They pledge to crack down on ballots and threaten to reverse other steps that have made it easier for people to vote.
“This myth cannot justify throwing away the results of the election, nor imposing additional burdens on voters that will deprive many Americans of the right to vote,” said Wendy Weiser, head of the democracy program at the Brennan Center for Justice. the NYU School of Wet.
An estimated 108 million people voted before election day, either by voting in person at an early stage or by mailing or handing out absentee ballots. That accounted for nearly 70% of all votes cast, after states took steps to make it easier to avoid overcrowded polling stations during the pandemic.
Some states sent ballots to each registered voter, while others dropped the requirement that voters needed a specific excuse to cast an absentee ballot. Many states have added drop boxes and expanded the options for early voting.
The changes were popular with voters and did not lead to widespread fraud. A group of election officials, including representatives from the federal cybersecurity agency, called the 2020 presidential election the “ safest ” election in US history, and US Attorney General William Barr told The Associated Press that there was no evidence of fraud that the outcome of the election.
Nonetheless, Republicans in Georgia have suggested adding photo ID in the absence of votes, a ban on dropboxes, and possibly a return to demanding an excuse for postal voting, such as sickness or travel for work on election day.
Early supporters of the ID requirement include Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Republicans who were ruthlessly criticized by Trump for not supporting his post-loss fraud claims in Georgia. A senior deputy for Raffensperger has said the ID requirement would boost public confidence and refute future claims of fraud.
The state’s two United States Senate rounds will take place next month under current law, which requires local election officials to verify signatures on absent ballots.
In Pennsylvania, Republican lawmakers have written legislation to address what they believe are problems with the 2020 election and in particular postal voting, even though courts and election officials have found no evidence of widespread problems.
“We want to tighten it up as soon as possible,” said Pennsylvania Senate leader Kim Ward.
Republicans hold a majority in both legislative chambers, and their support was instrumental in a year-old state law that extended postal voting to all registered voters. One bill under discussion would go so far as to repeal that law and force voters to formulate an excuse to receive a ballot in the mail.
Previous elections have shown that voters value postal voting regardless of party. Republican candidates on the ballot fared very well this year, even as a record 81.2 million voters voted for the Democrat in the presidential race.
In Michigan, Republicans occupied all congressional seats and retained control of the legislature, despite Trump losing the state. Yet the Republicans still held a legislative hearing in which Trump’s lawyers claimed there were widespread irregularities without explaining how they somehow affected only the presidential race, but not other competitions.
“Just as we have seen many lawmakers make ill-considered decisions to hold hearings that were ultimately more political theater than policy debates, we can just as expect lawmakers to advance this hyperpartisan agenda to limit the vote,” said the Michigan secretary. State of Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat.
Benson said lawmakers should instead look to the high turnout in the presidential election as a guide to improving what works and then make changes sought by election officials, such as giving clerks more time to process the ballots. Michigan does not permit work to begin until the day before election day.
Lisa Schaefer, executive director of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, said her organization would also like lawmakers to focus on reducing the pressures facing local election officials.
“The more time we spend discussing other issues, the less time we have to do something good with changes to the electoral code,” Schaefer said.
Democrats and voting rights groups have already started pushing back, saying Republicans should focus on protecting voters’ access to the polls and not contribute to conspiracy theories launched by Trump and his allies to undermine the November 3 election.
They say ID requirements accomplish little but come at a high cost.
“It’s a solution in the search for a problem,” said California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, a Democrat recently bugged to fill the US Senate seat of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. “It will no doubt have the net effect of depriving many people of the right to vote without necessarily improving electoral security.”
Padilla supports sending registered voters a ballot by post.
Voter fraud does occur, but studies have shown it to be extremely rare. There are many safeguards built into voting systems to ensure that only eligible voters cast a vote. Election officials say when fraud occurs people get caught and prosecuted.
Not all Republicans try to add restrictions.
In Ohio, Secretary of State Frank LaRose said his legislative priorities are to expand early voting locations, increase voter surveillance, add an online option for requesting ballots in absentia, and address confusion about dropboxes.
“Ohio has something good to do, but we don’t want to rest on our laurels,” said LaRose, who wants its priorities to be approved by the Republican-dominated legislature.
Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams said the pandemic forced the state to introduce early voting, which proved popular with voters from both major parties. The Republican said he thinks it is likely that state legislatures will create an early voting policy for next elections and has heard no objection in the GOP-controlled legislature.
“It just makes voting easier,” he said.
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Izaguirre reported from Lindenhurst, New York. Associated Press Writers Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Ben Nadler in Atlanta; and Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio contributed to this report.
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The Associated Press’s reporting of voting rights is supported in part by Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for this content.