Proposals to restrict voting gain traction in Republican states

[TomCADem]

Source: CBS News

A bill introduced in the state Senate on Tuesday would severely limit who would be able to vote by mail, requiring voters to provide an excuse in order to vote by mail, although Georgia has had no-excuse absentee voting since 2005, when it was passed by a Republican legislature. Mail-in voters would also need to submit identification information to request a ballot.

In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democrat since Bill Clinton won Georgia in 1992 to win the state, and in January, Georgia's pair of runoff Senate elections handed control of the Senate to Democrats. A record 5 million Georgia voters voted in the presidential election, including 1.3 million by mail, according to the U.S. Elections Project. The January Senate runoffs also set records, with over 4.4 million voters, including more than 1 million by mail. Georgia had two recounts and a signature audit following the general election and found no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

After a record turnout election that delivered Democrats the presidency and the Senate, Republican lawmakers in Georgia introduced legislation this week that critics say threatens to diminish the number of voters participating in the state's next elections. If these provisions pass, Georgia would quickly go from being one of the easiest states in which to vote by mail to one of the more difficult ones.

a group of people standing in a room: Georgians Go To The Polls In Critical Senate Runoff Election© Megan Varner / Getty Images Georgians Go To The Polls In Critical Senate Runoff Election
A bill introduced in the state Senate on Tuesday would severely limit who would be able to vote by mail, requiring voters to provide an excuse in order to vote by mail, although Georgia has had no-excuse absentee voting since 2005, when it was passed by a Republican legislature. Mail-in voters would also need to submit identification information to request a ballot.

In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democrat since Bill Clinton won Georgia in 1992 to win the state, and in January, Georgia's pair of runoff Senate elections handed control of the Senate to Democrats. A record 5 million Georgia voters voted in the presidential election, including 1.3 million by mail, according to the U.S. Elections Project. The January Senate runoffs also set records, with over 4.4 million voters, including more than 1 million by mail. Georgia had two recounts and a signature audit following the general election and found no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

A state House committee passed a measure Wednesday that would, among other things, limit early voting weekend hours. The bill initially barred Sunday voting, which would disproportionately affect Black voters, but was amended on Wednesday to potentially allow for it. It also requires a voter to include either a driver's license or state ID number on an absentee ballot application or to provide a photocopy of an approved ID. A similar ID bill passed in the state Senate on Tuesday.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/proposals-to-restrict-voting-gain-traction-in-republican-states/ar-BB1e0XAX?li=BBnb7Kz

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The Republican party's increasingly extreme efforts to prevent people from voting underscores the power of democracy and how of touch Republicans are. Rather than try to win on votes and the facts, Republicans are doubling down on lies and trying destroy our democracy. This is why the people need to fight and participate in redistricting and vote in 2022 to take back our government from Republicans who are trying to handpick who can vote and whose votes count.

[Roy Rolling]

1. Voting Rights Act

I didn’t realize how important the Voting Rights Act was until it was invalidated. Individual states cannot adequately enforce nationwide standards of democracy the U.S. formerly stood for.

T-wrecks destroyed the American brand the same way ETTD.

America cannot effectively stand for democratic freedom around the world if election laws are left up to each backwoods sheriff or penthouse gerrymander expert to enforce.

[modrepub]

2. Power And Government Revenue Direction

The Legislative Branch (of any form of government) holds the power of the purse. They direct where government-collected taxes go. You hold that power then you can direct government-revenue flow either to your "friends" or conversely restrict it to your enemies. The last administration laid this bare. Threatening to withhold money from "uncooperative" entities (cities) and restructuring federal tax collections to limit state tax deductions (blue states tend to have higher taxes because their electorate generally demands more government services) are examples of wielding this power on the Federal level.

Densely populated areas tend to have more economic transactions than sparsely populated areas. Since tax collection is generally predicated on economic activity, it follows that the higher population density leads to higher tax revenue generation. It's been established that Democratic controlled areas generate almost 50% more tax revenue than Republican areas (Democratic controlled areas tend to be located in higher population density areas either urban or suburban areas). So controlling legislature bodies in effect allow Republicans to transfer tax revenue from Democratic areas to Republican controlled areas.

If Democrats do not take legislative steps to remedy this revenue switching scheme Republicans have been doing for years, then we deserve our fate. To be honest, I don't care what Republicans do to their own constituents but I'm tired of having my taxes diverted to enhance rural road and other infrastructure systems that I don't generally use. Or restricting investments in our public and higher education systems. This situation is only apt to get worse as our infrastructure becomes more outdated and traditional revenue streams become less effective as society habits evolve and change.