Why all the Election changes?

[rambot]

I'm not quite clever enough to come up with a lot of options; only two really as I see only these two as being the most important options:

As for my opinions:
To increase confidence in the electoral system
It should be clear to anyone with a brain in the skull box that MANY of their bills and changes really don't do anything that DIRECTLY affects the integrity of the system.
eg: Iowa's new rules:
Shorten polling station hours (9pm to 8pm)
Reduce number of early voting days from 29 to 20
Neither of these rules should have ANY impact on increasing the integrity of an election. It makes no sense.

To limit voters
It has been made very VERY clear to Republicans that having and increase in voter turn out will have a VERY deliterious affect on their party's performance. A Republican lawyer in front of the Supreme Court essentially said as much. Clearly this is party extremely worried about more and more Americans expressing votes.


This source is left leaning but here is a fairly comprehensive list of the bills and contents:
Voting Laws Roundup: February 2021

 

[The Transcendentian]

I'm not quite clever enough to come up with a lot of options; only two really as I see only these two as being the most important options:

As for my opinions:
To increase confidence in the electoral system
It should be clear to anyone with a brain in the skull box that MANY of their bills and changes really don't do anything that DIRECTLY affects the integrity of the system.
eg: Iowa's new rules:
Shorten polling station hours (9pm to 8pm)
Reduce number of early voting days from 29 to 20
Neither of these rules should have ANY impact on increasing the integrity of an election. It makes no sense.

To limit voters
It has been made very VERY clear to Republicans that having and increase in voter turn out will have a VERY deliterious affect on their party's performance. A Republican lawyer in front of the Supreme Court essentially said as much. Clearly this is party extremely worried about more and more Americans expressing votes.


This source is left leaning but here is a fairly comprehensive list of the bills and contents:
Voting Laws Roundup: February 2021

My understanding is that it's to help make elections more secure. Voter confidence in the system is important but it comes second to having a system that actually works well. I'm a conservative but not a loyal Republican, and I think all citizens should be able to vote once for every of their district's elections. I also think that voter fraud COULD be a real problem, no conclusive evidence yet but there is also little to no evidence proving that the election system is secure from it.

I am disappointed in Republicans if they actually want some citizens to not be able to vote, what they should be doing is trying to actually offer a better policy than Democrats.

 

[GreatLakes4Ever]

My understanding is that it's to help make elections more secure. Voter confidence in the system is important but it comes second to having a system that actually works well. I'm a conservative but not a loyal Republican, and I think all citizens should be able to vote once for every of their district's elections. I also think that voter fraud COULD be a real problem, no conclusive evidence yet but there is also little to no evidence proving that the election system is secure from it.

I am disappointed in Republicans if they actually want some citizens to not be able to vote, what they should be doing is trying to actually offer a better policy than Democrats.

You might want to prepare to be disappointed Trump says Republicans would ‘never’ be elected again if it was easier to vote

 

[Dynadin]

I think it's pretty obvious. Too many of the 'wrong' people voted here in Georgia. Therefore, instead of changing their politics, and move forward the inch or so it would take to attract more voters, the Republican party has decided that those 'wrong' people be disenfranchised as much as possible. However, Georgia has Stacey Abrams, and they should know better.

 

[Ringo84]

The GOP can't win with fair elections.
Ringo

 

[variant]

I think it's pretty obvious. Too many of the 'wrong' people voted here in Georgia. Therefore, instead of changing their politics, and move forward the inch or so it would take to attract more voters, the Republican party has decided that those 'wrong' people be disenfranchised as much as possible. However, Georgia has Stacey Abrams, and they should know better.

Hopefully, telling people that you don't want them voting will inspire more and more of them to vote.

 

[Kentonio]

Limiting voters isn't inherently an evil thing.

It is however an inherently undemocratic thing. If you don't want to live in a democracy, which system would you prefer?

 

[Vylo]

Because the GOP can't win the presidency without suppression. They would barely be able to win Gubernatorial elections without suppression.... I mean, really the house would be the only place they would have much presence.

 

[Matt5]

I think it's pretty obvious. Too many of the 'wrong' people voted here in Georgia. Therefore, instead of changing their politics, and move forward the inch or so it would take to attract more voters, the Republican party has decided that those 'wrong' people be disenfranchised as much as possible. However, Georgia has Stacey Abrams, and they should know better.

And by "wrong" you mean ineligible to vote for various reasons. Stacey Abrams wants those people to vote early and vote often.

 

[variant]

And by "wrong" you mean ineligible to vote for various reasons. Stacey Abrams wants those people to vote early and vote often.

Nope Republicans are pushing legislation to make it harder for eligible voters to vote.

They are targeting minorities and the poor.

 

[Speedwell]

And by "wrong" you mean ineligible to vote for various reasons. Stacey Abrams wants those people to vote early and vote often.

No, "wrong" in this case being not eligible to vote because of not being Trump supporters. Being legally eligible to vote is not enough.

 

[Albion]

Wow. Is that poll, and the presumption that lies behind it, ever mistaken!

The proposed legislation that is referred to is being considered because of Democratic legislatures and state officials changing the election laws last year in order to guarantee their victory in the 2020 elections, and much of those changes opened the system to vote fraud.

Get that? The question of the thread has this turn of events exactly backwards!

But of course, that is the line that the party in power is running with (and successfully fooling a lot of people, apparently!).

 

[hedrick]

Nope Republicans are pushing legislation to make it harder for eligible voters to vote.

They are targeting minorities and the poor.

At least they're trying to. Since mail voting in PA and GA was initially put in by Republicans, it's at least possible that they're panicking because of the last election, and making changes that will backfire. I think the impact will depend upon how in-person voting is done. If they don't provide enough places to vote in Democratic areas, and close the polls when there are lines waiting to vote (note that under the GA law it requires a court order to extend hours), it will have an effect.

 

[Albion]

Hopefully, telling people that you don't want them voting will inspire more and more of them to vote.

Where's your evidence that any legal voter has been told their vote isn't wanted?

 

[Albion]

Nope Republicans are pushing legislation to make it harder for eligible voters to vote.

They are targeting minorities and the poor.

There is no evidence behind any of those claims.

 

[Speedwell]

Wow. Is that poll, and the presumption that lies behind it, ever mistaken!

The proposed legislation that is referred to is being considered because of Democratic legislatures and state officials changing the election laws last year in order to guarantee their victory in the 2020 elections, and much of those changes opened the system to vote fraud.

No, I'm afraid you are going to have to come up with a more plausible rationalization. That one has been thoroughly exposed as right-wing propaganda.

 

[Albion]

No, "wrong" in this case being not eligible to vote because of not being Trump supporters. Being legally eligible to vote is not enough.

That is baseless and a false claim.

 

[Albion]

No, I'm afraid you are going to have to come up with a more plausible rationalization. That one has been thoroughly exposed as right-wing propaganda.

Name-calling cannot make the false claims posted here magically become true. We can do without all the attempts at diversion, in fact.

 

[Speedwell]

That is baseless and a false claim.

You just keep on telling yourself that. You're wasting your time trying to get anyone else to believe it.

 

[Albion]

You just keep on telling yourself that.

Rather, it's that somebody needs to shed some light of truth on the disinformation that this thread has, perhaps unintentionally, invited.

But if there is "another side" to the matter, someone can post it. So far, it's all airy and unproven slander, some even to the point of being ridiculous.