Republicans, under fire from Democrats and large corporations for their nationwide pursuit of new voting restrictions, are defending their proposals as similar to or better for access to the ballot papers than the election laws some blue states already have in the books.
In statements and news conferences, Republican leaders pointed to what they believe is a double standard of Democrats and activists who say the bills – and especially Georgia’s newly introduced restrictions – are attempts to cast the votes of the multiracial coalition driven by President Joe , to suppress. Biden’s victory last year.
In several cases, Republicans are right. Some traditionally democratic states, including big ones like New York, do have a long policy that lawyers say are anti-voters. Some red states use best practices to promote voter access. The difference is that many of the blue states have moved to liberalize access to the vote, while states like Georgia and Texas are actively moving in the other direction.
Texas, Lieutenant General Dan Patrick, a Republican, said Tuesday that his state already offers more early voting days than a number of other states where Democrats control both legislative chambers, as well as the governor’s mansion.
But the GOP-controlled legislature in Texas is considering massive packages of bills that will restrict early voting options, how the polling stations are allocated, and penalties for mistakes made by officials in the election process. While nothing has yet landed on the desk of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, American Airlines, based in Fort Worth, and Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Technologies, outside Austin, have already spoken out.
“So if we are somehow accused of being racist because we want to suppress the voices of the colored people, I think New York, New Jersey and Delaware are even more racist,” Patrick said during a news conference. of the accounts.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Made a similar argument Monday, saying the same companies that criticize red state bills have overlooked problems elsewhere.
“Wealthy companies have no problem working in New York, with fewer days than early voting than in Georgia, and they have to apologize for the absence of votes and restrict the election through refreshments,” he said. “No consistent or factual standard is applied here. It’s just a false story gaining speed through its own momentum.”
This is an argument that is going on right. After the mayor of Denver announced that the city would host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game – MLB withdrew from its original host city, Atlanta, in protest of Georgia’s new law – some Republicans claimed that Colorado’s required voting rights was similar to that of Georgia. which is considered one of the strictest laws in the country.
Advocates acknowledge that there is still work to be done in several democratic states.
“It does not have to be a biased thing,” but New York? “Many election attorneys respond: ‘Yes – and – New York,'” said Justin Levitt, an election law expert and professor at Loyola Law School at Loyola Marymount University in California, who spoke at the Obama administration at the department of justice worked.
Nevertheless, election policy experts have warned that Republicans are making a false equivalent, saying the argument used to justify major changes following the loss of former President Donald Trump requires more context.
“This is the big difference: New York, New Jersey, Delaware have increasingly moved in recent years to expand voting options, while Georgia, Texas, Iowa have taken the opposite direction,” said Bob Brandon, president and CEO of the non-partisan fair election center, which strives to remove barriers to the ballot box.
Colorado, for example, “has taken the lead in expanding ways and options of voting and has consequently had one of the highest turnout of any state across the country,” he said.
Here’s how some of the election laws and proposals compare.
How does Colorado compare to Georgia?
Sen. Tim Scott, RS.C., tweeted Tuesday that Colorado and Georgia both have voter laws, while Colorado has fewer days of early voting.
This is misleading, thanks to the different ways the states conduct elections. It is true that according to the new law, Georgia has to vote in person more days than early than in Colorado.
But Colorado, where Democrats control the legislature and the governor’s office, conducts its election almost entirely by mail. Ballot papers are automatically mailed to eligible voters, who can choose to vote in person during the 15 days of early voting and on election day. According to Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, most voters voted 94 percent to vote by mail.
The state has automatic voter registration for voters who apply for driver’s licenses or interact with certain state institutions, and voter registration on the same day for those who do not.
In Georgia, there is automatic voter registration with the Department of Managerial Services. According to state law, voters must register to vote about one month before the election to be eligible. The new law of the state makes it illegal for the state or provinces to send out applications for absentee ballots.
Voters in Colorado must show ID in certain circumstances, but a wide variety of documents are eligible, including utility bills and salaries. Ballot papers for postal voters are verified with a signing process.
Brandon said the proposal that Colorado has restrictive electoral laws is “completely false” and that the state is “of the best” in voting policy.
Georgia has one of the strictest laws on voters in the country, which only allows government or tribal photo IDs, such as driver’s licenses, passports or free voter ID cards offered by provinces.
While anyone can vote by mail, voters must now include driver’s license numbers or other proof of their identity with the documentation. Before Georgia enacted its law, postal stamps were verified by a signing process, as in Colorado.
What about New Jersey, New York and Delaware?
Republicans also criticized New Jersey, New York and Delaware, Biden’s home state, and also voted earlier in those states.
Delaware and New York both enacted legislation in 2019 to create permanent early voting, while New Jersey did the same last week. When all three states had fully implemented their laws, more than a week’s early voting was required by law. Texas and Georgia have about two and three weeks of early voting, respectively.
Advocates for the right to vote have long focused on New York’s restrictive policies and reluctance to adopt reforms – such as strict postal voting restrictions – but they have welcomed the expansion of the state’s early vote last year and its continued efforts to get the vote on the ballot. expand mail.
Georgia has had more than a decade of early voting and no apology by mail, though experts said the strict ID requirements could create barriers to using these options.
Texas limits those who can vote by mail, although the limits are somewhat looser than those of New York, according to research compiled by the National Conference of State Lawmakers. Texas also requires voter ID at the ballot box.
New Jersey already has no excuse for mail; Delaware lawmakers are also considering extending postal voting to all voters.
The trajectory of laws and election administration needs to be looked at, experts said.
“If we want to talk about comparing one state with the comparison of the other, let’s look at what path they are on. There is no doubt that Georgia, which already has a number of limits, has tried to make it even harder , “Brandon said.
New York has long been criticized for a voting system that favors incumbents by making it difficult to vote, and its electoral system, especially in New York City, is plagued by protectionism and incompetence. Levitt said the issue was less about bias and more about ‘incumbents who fear the electorate’.
“If you have a incumbent who does not value the voters as potential voters, but as dreaded elements of opposition, you are getting election procedures and practices that are not good,” he said.
Ban New York from giving voters food at the ballot box?
McConnell said in a statement Monday that New York “restricts election through refreshments,” an apparent reference to criticism of Georgia’s ban on giving food or water to people standing in line to vote.
Experts believe that many states have laws that mention food in prohibition of election arrangements, but the context of the laws is critical.
New York law, which bans the encouragement of voters with things like meat, liquor or tobacco, dates back more than 100 years, Levitt said when political machines would promise voters with promises of things like whiskey and fried chicken.
New York law also includes an exception for refreshing voters in polling stations that sell for less than a dollar – which is likely to cover bottled water.
The fact that an old law on bribery exists against bribery is very different from ‘looking back at the law in its current context and saying,’ Yes, we need one of those, ‘Levitt said.
“‘Someone else screwed up’ is not an excuse to screw up. It’s the ominous part of what’s it about,” he said. “It’s an argument that more jurisdictions need to get better.”