Republican lawmakers in key states that President-elect Biden won pledged to crack down on voting reforms implemented in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic that made it easier for Americans to vote, according to the AP.
Why it matters: Popular reforms contributed to this year’s record turnout and did not produce widespread fraud, as claimed by President Trump and his supporters, according to the Justice Department.
Context: Attorney General Bill Barr told the AP in early December that the department did not find evidence of widespread electoral fraud that would change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
The big picture:
- Georgia: Republicans in Georgia, whom Biden narrowly won, proposed to require photo identification when voting absent, to ban mailboxes and to demand an excuse to vote by mail.
- Georgia’s second two rounds for the United States Senate in January will take place under current law.
- Pennsylvania: Republicans, who hold the majority in both Pennsylvania legislative chambers, are discussing reforming a law that extends postal voting to all registered voters, demanding instead an excuse to receive a ballot in the mail.
- Michigan: Republican lawmakers held a hearing in which Trump’s lawyers baselessly alleged widespread irregularities in the vote, and the Democratic Secretary of State warned that this could lead to new voting rules.
Of importance: Instead, some Republican-controlled states are trying to make it easier for Americans to vote.
- In Ohio, Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose told the AP that he hopes to expand early voting sites and add an online option to order missing ballots.
Go deeper: Georgia’s early vote for Senate seats starts with big turnout