“There Is a Ticking Timebomb”

Republican controlled states across the country are moving more aggressively with their democracy-killing agenda to make voting as difficult as possible in counties where Blacks, Latinos and low-income voters reside. Legislatures in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa and Montana all have put in place vote-canceling laws in 2021. More Republican pols are concocting similar legislation.

The most in-your-face assault on the democratic process thus far is taking place in Arizona:

Arizona Republicans are looking to put an end to the state’s top election official’s ability to defend election laws in court. Recently added language to the state’s budget package, which could be passed by the legislature as soon as this week, deprives Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs of any role in elections-related litigation. The bill rests that authority solely with the state’s attorney general, who currently is a Republican, Mark Brnovich.

But there’s a catch. The measure sunsets in Jan. 2023 — presumably because, come the 2022 election, the attorney general could be a Democrat. Or, perhaps, the secretary of state could be a Republican.

This dangerous assault on American democracy by Republicans in power and their corporate backers could be slowed or even halted altogether with the For the People Act. The legislation requires “early-voting, automatic and same-day registration, and prevent the severe manipulation of district boundaries for partisan gain”, among other safeguards.

But Senator Joe Manchin, Democrat of West Virginia, is opposed to For the People Act, even though poll after poll shows “the measure is extremely popular”. Manchin, the most conservative Democrat in the U.S. Senate, wants changes made to the bill that will appease Republicans:

Manchin’s opposition comes at a critical moment when there is escalating concern about aggressive state Republican efforts to curtail access to the ballot. Many see this as an existential moment for the Democratic party and fear that Republicans will permanently reap the benefits of a distorted electoral system if Democrats cannot pass federal legislation. There is heightened urgency to act quickly so that crucial protections can be in place when the once-per-decade redistricting process gets under way later this year.

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Related “Disinformation and Lies. I do think it’s the greatest risk in security for our elections”.