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The Republican Party is moving to reign in mail-in voting after the practice surged during the 2020 presidential election due to exceptions made for the COVID-19 pandemic. The party is now pushing for new restrictions on mail-in voting, citing concerns about fraud and abuse.
This comes as the midterm elections approach, and the GOP is worried that mail-in voting will give Democrats an advantage. The party is also facing criticism for its handling of the pandemic, which has killed more than 500,000 Americans.
Mail-in voting was used by millions of Americans during the 2020 election, and it was credited with helping to make the election process smoother and more accessible. However, Republican leaders have long raised concerns about the practice, and they argue that it opens the door to fraud and abuse.
The new push to restrict mail-in voting is likely to face strong opposition from Democrats, who argue that the move would disenfranchise voters. It’s unclear if the GOP has the votes to pass any new restrictions, but the party is expected to make a major push on the issue ahead of the midterms.
According to Reuters, 18 states have re-passed limits on mail-in voting due to security concerns. These states are mostly governed by Republicans, who are worried about potential voter fraud.
Different restrictions on mail-in ballots include requiring extra identification requirements and shortening the window in which the votes can be cast. This could pose a problem for voters who want to participate in the upcoming midterm elections but may not be able to meet the new requirements.
It is unclear how these changes will affect voter turnout, but it is possible that they could discourage people from voting by mail. This could have a significant impact on the outcome of the election, so it is something that everyone should be aware of.
As the United States gears up for the midterm elections, the battle lines are being drawn over voting rights – and the GOP is moving to pull back on pandemic-era mail-in voting.
Recently, state laws that make it more difficult to vote by mail have been proposed or passed by Republican lawmakers. As WEAU reported, the most recent state to rule in favor of the GOP’s efforts in Wisconsin, with a judge ruling on Wednesday that missing information on witness certification envelopes containing absentee ballots cannot be filled in by election clerks according to state law.
The Brennan Center for Justice and Voting Rights Lab estimates that 22 states have expanded mail-in voting since the pandemic began. Republican lawmakers in these states are now working to reverse those changes, citing concerns about voter fraud.
On the contrary, Democrats say that voting by mail is a safe and easy way to vote, especially during a pandemic. They don’t believe that voter fraud is widespread in America and argue that making it more difficult to vote by mail will stop some people from being able to vote on Election Day.
The fight over voting rights is sure to intensify in the coming weeks as we head into what is shaping up to be a hotly contested midterm election.
