By Bill Lauritsen
PCDCC Legislation Committee Member
PCDCC Central Committee Delegate
Last year, Democrats were able to pull off a “Trifecta” in that we now control the White House, Senate, and the House of Representatives. Although the margins in both the Senate and House are tight, it was voter turnout that made this situation possible. This voter turnout was made all the easier and more convenient by such things as mail in ballots, early voting and drop boxes for completed ballots. In addition, volunteers drove people to the polls, provided water and other comforts to those that had to wait in long lines just to be able to cast their vote. Joe Biden won over 7 million more votes than Donald Trump and 306 electoral votes. Biden even captured the electoral votes from Georgia and Arizona. The first time a Democrat had done so in decades. In January, both U.S. Senate seats in Georgia flipped to Democratic candidates.
So, what has been the Republican response? Stop the steal! Claim that massive fraud denied Donald Trump from being re-elected. This, even though senior members of his own administration including his Attorney General, stated that these were the most secure elections in American history. Trump still urged them to say that the election was corrupted. Even now, the MAGA crowd is conducting a phony audit in Arizona and wants to conduct similar “audits” in other states in order to overthrow the results of the last election and declare Donald Trump the winner of the 2020 Presidential election. They are claiming that Donald Trump will be re-installed to the Presidency as soon as this month or at least before the next election. This is all part of the “Big Lie.”
The bigger problem, though, is with Republican state legislatures. Eighteen have already enacted draconian laws limiting ballot access justified by the big lie that the election was stolen and the only way Trump lost was due to massive voter fraud. Many of these laws restrict mail in ballots, reduce the number of polling places -- only in Democratic districts, purge voter rolls, and limit where and when drop boxes can be placed. Texas has gone so far as to restrict drop off box locations to one per county no matter the population. In other words, Harris County (Houston) with a population of 4.7 million would have only one drop off location. This would be the same as Loving County with a population of 98. A new Georgia law even made it a crime to give water to people standing in long voting lines. All of this is to ensure “election integrity.” How does forbidding someone giving water to an elderly person standing in a line for hours ensure “election integrity?”
As mentioned above, even senior officials in the Trump administration have admitted that the 2020 elections were the most secure elections in American history. The only problem for Republicans is that Joe Biden won. Instead of waiting for the next election and trying to convince voters they have a better agenda, Republicans want to make it difficult for people (especially people in more heavily Democratic urban areas) to vote. In other words, they are trying to fix future elections. The fact is, the only place that Republicans find fault with the electoral system is in areas where Joe Biden won. To add to this, Republicans are up to their old tricks with gerrymandering. Republican state legislators have even been heard bragging about drawing districts with “micro precision” to reduce the power of Democratic voting blocks. One state is looking for ways to “crack” urban areas to further divide and reduce representation. With the midterms coming soon, Republicans are counting on inaction so they can regain a congressional majority without actually winning a majority of the votes. Even now, they are passing laws to bypass local election officials with partisan hacks in order to throw out election results they don’t like. If you can’t win honestly, just cheat but claim it is the other side doing the cheating.
Why do we need H.R. 1? H.R. 1 encompasses a wide range of remedies aimed at overhauling the election process and would outlaw many of the Republican attempts at ballot fixing. It would establish a process that includes voting-by-mail, automatic registration, and a limit on purging voter rolls. As a measure to control gerrymandering, independent commissions would be created to draw districts. Other aspects of the bill concern reforming campaign laws by banning foreign contributions and expanding the disclosure of the sources of all campaign funding. It would even require the disclosure of 10 years of tax returns for those running for President and Vice President. H.R. 1 is vital to our American democratic way of life. It would be the most important election reform since the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and possibly even more important. In fact, H.R. 1 is the most important piece of legislation in this session of Congress.
Why is federal legislation necessary? Most of the Republican shenanigans are being played out in red state legislatures. Here in California, we play by the rules, having already institutionalized many of the reforms included in H.R. 1. We need H.R. 1 to override the red state attempts at ballot fixing. This is more important than the Senate filibuster. Please support efforts to pass H.R. 1 into law before the next election. Write letters to the editor of your local paper. Contact your Senators and Representative. Let your voice be heard. All we are seeking are safe and secure elections for everyone.