WASHINGTON — Congress is preparing for a heated battle over the way Americans vote, with the two parties set to clash over proposed federal election standards and Republican-led state restrictions.
At issue is the fate of the House-passed For the People Act that would remake American elections from start to finish. It would force states to offer at least 15 days of early voting, universal access to mail-in voting and same-day registration for federal races. It’d make Election Day a national holiday, too.
The divisions between the two parties are sharp. President Joe Biden and Democrats say federal intervention is needed to stop Republicans from reviving racist Jim Crow-style restrictions that make it harder for minorities to vote. Republicans say Democrats are executing a power grab to remove necessary protections on the voting process and usurp authority from states.
Where they agree: This is about the future of democracy.
The fight is sure to touch raw nerves in a country that saw its Capitol attacked just months ago by a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters, who were egged on by groundless claims that rampant fraud had stolen the election from their candidate.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, […]
Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer attend a ceremony honoring first responders with the Capitol Police Medal of Honor on Capitol Hill on Nov. 9, 2017. | Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images file
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