This shouldn't be a partisan issue, but it somehow continues to be.
Often times national party decisions in the US do not translate into local action even by folks in the same part as obviously things change on the ground.
The Secure Elections Act was introduced by a Republican: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/226....
As someone else pointed out, it didn't even make it out of the committee controlled by the ruling party, and certainly wouldn't have made it out of the Republican-controlled Senate.
This legislation would pass in a Democratic Congress and White House, but absolutely will not in a GOP-led government. Full stop.
Apparently some Republicans support this bill. I bet there are some Democrats that don't support the bill.
Partisan reductionism presents an overly simplistic view of a complex phenomena.
And bills don't represent ideology anyway. They often have unintended consequences. Politicians might be interested in fixing a "vulnerable system" while rejecting a particular bill for some other reason. For example: Voter ID.
> And bills don't represent ideology anyway.
Yes they do, that's why we vote for one party or another. Think taxes are too high? Want to expand social programs? Legislation is how all of that is executed. Bills absolutely represent party ideology. Take the green new deal, for example. How was that bill not an example of party ideology?
> Politicians might be interested in fixing a "vulnerable system" while rejecting a particular bill for some other reason. For example: Voter ID.
Voter ID laws were designed explicitly to suppress minority votes and have been struck down time and again by the courts. They were not designed to solve a legitimate issue, because there is no evidence that rampant voter fraud exists in the US[0].
What does exist, however, are coordinated ballot-harvesting efforts designed to unduly influence the outcome of elections, as was witnessed in NC-9 in this past election. But again, the GOP doesn't seem to be very concerned about this specific issue.
[0]: https://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/debunking-voter-fraud...
That is not what motivates many people who care deeply about this issue. Its partisan spin used to malign a contrary view. Believe it or not many Republicans are not racists hell-bent on denying minorities the right to vote. I know it seems impossible, but some Republicans even are minorities.
> What does exist, however, are coordinated ballot-harvesting efforts designed to unduly influence the outcome of elections, as was witnessed in NC-9 in this past election. But again, the GOP doesn't seem to be very concerned about this specific issue.
A lot of Republicans in California complained about ballot harvesting.
FWIW I agree that voter fraud not a major problem. And neither is vote hacking.
Both sides play footsie with these issues and its dangerous as it undermines the credibility of the system as a whole. If you believe elections are stolen or democracy is dead, then the American government is illegitimate. How long till we're advocating ignoring its laws, or overthrowing the regime.
Another civil war is the last thing we need in this country.
A slightly corrupt system that we collectively pretend is pristine is far better than the alternative.
They would have done that long ago if they wanted to, but instead they made themselves the primary beneficiaries of a broken election system, rampant gerrymandering, voter suppression and election fraud.
It doesn't matter which individual R's turn it is to temporarily go against the grain for some publicity, the republican committee and caucus will always vote with their party if they have majority to pass what the party wants. Partisan reductionism is the only proper attitude to this party.
The Republican voting bloc has stymied enforcement actions for much of that time.
One of the worst problems in the country right now is that things have become so geographically polarized. Many people live so deep in their (red|blue) bubble that they don't even know anyone who votes for the other side.
Yes. I grew up in Kentucky and Tennessee, and went to college in Virginia. The first time I moved to a town of more than 30,000 (Los Angeles) I was 24. So I am very familiar with the culture of "middle America".
Yes, Republicans have overwhelming majority support in many districts, but they would not hold a majority in the House without gerrymandering [1] and they would not hold a majority in the Senate without the inherent bias towards small states built into the two-senators-per-state system. (I guess it's not fair to call that a "dirty trick", but I do think it's fair to apply that label to a lot of the things that Mitch McConnell has done as Senate majority leader.) Also, without that bias, no Republican would have been elected president such George H.W. Bush.
[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/11/08/how-gerrym...
I've served as the captain in the largest precinct in the most "liberal" legislative district (LD) in one of the most "liberal" states. I've been doorbelling my precinct for 10 years. My LD's GOTV efforts is specifically credited for winning multiple statewide offices and initiatives.
The people (voters) aren't any where nearly as partisan as the election results. But if you went by media accounts, we're all treehugging socialists. The truth on the ground is there's a HUGE variety of opinions, positions.
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/us/politics/voting-suppre...
Of course, currently the Democratic Party relies heavily on actual racial/gender minorities, but if they are smart they understand how fleeting that association can be, there is no guarantee it will remain durable over time. Especially as the number of older white male voters dwindles through natural attrition, it is pretty likely that the demographics of the parties are going to evolve.
[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-power-that-gerry...
[2] https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/14/scott-walker-lame-...
[3] https://www.npr.org/2018/10/23/659784277/republican-voter-su...
[4] https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/16/opinions/brian-kemp-georgia-v...