Republican lawmakers in key states won by President-elect Biden have vowed to crack down on the voting reforms implemented during the coronavirus pandemic that made it easier for Americans to vote, the AP said.
Why it matters: The popular reforms contributed to this year’s record turnout and did not lead to widespread fraud, according to the Justice Department, as President Trump and his supporters claim.
Context: Attorney General Bill Barr told AP in early December that the department had found no evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
The big picture:
- Georgia: Republicans in Georgia, which Biden narrowly won, proposed demanding photo ID in the absence of votes, a ban on dropboxes, and an excuse for voting by mail.
- The two United States Senate layoffs in January will take place under current law.
- Pennsylvania: Republicans, who hold a majority in both Pennsylvania legislative chambers, are discussing reforming a law that extends postal voting to all registered voters by instead demanding an excuse to receive a ballot by mail.
- Michigan: Republican lawmakers held a hearing where Trump’s lawyers unfounded alleged widespread voting irregularities, and the Democratic Secretary of State warned that this could lead to new voting rules.
Of interest: Some Republican states are instead trying to make it easier for Americans to vote.
- In Ohio, Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose told AP that he hopes to expand locations for early voting and add an online option for requesting ballots in absence.
Go deeper: Georgia’s early vote for Senate seats starts with a high turnout