The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for July 20, 2023

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time) 

Today’s Links below the script

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Tuesday, Democratic leaders of the U.S. House and Senate re-introduced the Freedom to Vote Act, the sweeping democracy reform bill narrowly defeated in the U.S. Senate in 2022.  

The GOP’s recently introduced American Confidence in Elections Act attempts to nationalize extreme state restrictions on voting.  In contrast, the Freedom to Vote Act dramatically expands and protects access to the polls.  It mandates two weeks of early voting nationwide for federal elections, creates national standards for access to mail-in absentee voting, and outlaws recently-enacted state voter suppression tactics.

Voter ID options would be expanded, and voting accessibility for the disabled required.  Opportunities for voter registration would include automatic voter registration at the DMV, online registration, and same-day registration. New rules would prevent partisan-driven purges of voter lists without adequate notification.

The Freedom to Vote Act also bans partisan gerrymandering, and with the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, restores sections of the Voting Rights Act struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.  Dark money organizations and PACs would be required to disclose their donors, and a voluntary small-donor matching campaign finance system for Congress would be established to reduce the hold of special interests.    

While the bill came close to passage in 2022, its prospects are dimmer this time with a divided House and Senate. 

We have many other details on the bill at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Brennan Center for Justice – Summary: The Freedom to Vote Act

Brennan Center for Justice – Summary: The Many Problems with the GOP-Backed ACE Act Voting Bill
Democracy Docket – House and Senate Democrats Reintroduce the Freedom to Vote Act
U.S. Senate via Democracy Docket – Bill Text for the Freedom to Vote Act 
PBS – Press Conference of Reintroduction of the Freedom to Vote Act
Roll Call – Democrats respond to ‘MAGA extremists’ with rival election bill

Groups Taking Action:
Declaration for American Democracy Coalition*,  Common Cause, ACLU, Public Citizen, People for the American Way, League of Women Voters US *Coalition of 260+ groups

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FreedomtoVote #VotingRights 

The post U.S. House & Senate Democrats Reintroduce the Freedom to Vote Act, But It Faces More Hurdles This Session appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for July 13, 2023

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time) 

Today’s Links now below the script

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

The American Confidence in Elections (ACE) Act sounds harmless enough.  But cloaked in the bill introduced Monday in the U.S. House is an effort to nationalize mail-in voting restrictions modeled by Florida, Georgia, Texas and other voter suppression states.

The omnibus ACE Act bill includes text from 50 bills previously introduced in the House fueled by 2020 election disinformation.  Among its scores of provisions are nationwide restrictions on mail-in voting and drop boxes, changes to the Real ID system to include citizenship status on the card, and new voter access restrictions in the District of Columbia.  It provides  funding for state-level post-election audits, but outlaws private foundation funding for election administration without adding badly-needed federal support.

Aiming to keep the special interest money flowing, the bill would codify the elimination of aggregate individual campaign donations limits, following the Supreme Court’s 2014 McCutcheon decision.  And it directs the IRS not to enforce rules on 501c nonprofits engaging in political activity and not disclosing donors  – one of the Dark Money tools used to hide political contributions for special interests. 

While it’s not likely to pass the U.S. Senate, it’s an alarming reminder of how suppression in the name of election integrity is being wielded to keep eligible Americans of color, new Americans, the elderly and disabled, students, Native Americans, and others from the polls.    

We have a link to the bill text, articles and analysis at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
U.S. House Committee on House Administration – Summary of the American Confidence in Elections Act
U.S. House Committee on House Administration – Text of the American Confidence in Elections Act
The Hill – House GOP introduces election reform bill
Associated Press – Deep partisanship will be on display as Congress releases competing voting bills
NBC News – House Republicans unveil ‘election integrity’ bill
League of Women Voters US and the LWV DC – Joint Statement on the Introduction of ACE Act

Groups Taking Action:
Declaration for American Democracy, League of Women Voters, League of Women Voters DC

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Get ADM Radio Report email!  Sign up here!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #VotingRights #VoterSuppression

The post “American Confidence in Elections Act” Introduced in U.S. House Nationalizes Restrictions on Mail-In Voting & Doubles Down on Election Disinformation appeared first on American Democracy Minute.