There are election reforms that both Democrats and Republicans seem to like – NPR
Residents wait in line to vote outside of the Tippecanoe branch library on Oct. 20, 2020, in Milwaukee, Wis. Minimum standards for access to in-person early voting are one reform that both Republicans and Democrats have backed. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption
Residents wait in line to vote outside of the Tippecanoe branch library on Oct. 20, 2020, in Milwaukee, Wis. Minimum standards for access to in-person early voting are one reform that both Republicans and Democrats have backed.
Earlier this year, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called a targeted effort by some senators to reform the election certification process that former President Donald Trump attempted to hijack on Jan. 6, 2021, "unacceptably insufficient and even offensive."
Schumer wanted to go bigger.
He wanted to focus on much more expansive voting rights legislation, known as the Freedom to Vote Act, which would have overhauled essentially everything about the American election system: when and where Americans could cast a ballot, how they contribute to political campaigns and how states draw their political lines.
The proposal was trimmed down from an even larger elections bill, but it was still so massive that many election experts and even some Democrats privately say they never actually expected it to pass.
Then it failed.
Democrats in Congress haven't made it clear what they might pursue next, but experts see at least two paths toward a more piecemeal approach to putting in some guardrails around elections in the U.S.
The option gaining momentum recently is an update to the aforementioned rules around presidential election certification, known as the Electoral Count Act.
The law has been derided as poorly written and vague for decades, and its lack of clarity led to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when Trump supporters falsely believed Vice President Mike Pence had more power over the certification of Electoral College votes submitted by the states than he actually did.
A bipartisan group of senators has been meeting to discuss potential revisions to the law, and there are indications that Schumer's opposition to it may be softening since the larger Democratic effort on voting rights failed.
Rick Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California-Irvine, said that he feels the voting reforms in the Freedom to Vote Act are necessary too, but Congress would be right to prioritize the ECA and other laws meant to prevent subversion of the results of a presidential election.
"As much as one might be concerned about voter suppression and I've written two books on the subject, I'm very concerned about it I put the concern about election subversion even higher," Hasen said. "If you don't have a system where votes are fairly counted, you don't have a democracy at all."
The bipartisan group of senators looking at changing the law is working in smaller groups focused on a number of different aspects of voting reform, according to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who spoke to reporters Monday night after the group met on Capitol Hill.
Each of the smaller groups has a Democrat and Republican co-chair, Collins said, and they are focused on protecting election workers and potential new funding for election administration, in addition to updating the ECA. But she made it clear she thinks whatever legislation that comes from the group will not look anything like the Freedom to Vote Act.
"My goal is to have a bipartisan bill that can secure 60 or more votes in the Senate," she said. "If we re-litigate issues that have already been rejected by the Senate, then I think it would be very difficult for us to reach the 60-vote margin."
The bipartisan group of 16 senators, which includes nine Republicans, is set to meet again on Friday and could start writing text for their proposal in the coming days or weeks. The GOP support is key, since Democrats would need 10 Republicans in agreement to pass a measure in the Senate.
"This group is full of members of the Senate that have experience in getting bipartisan bills to the floor of the Senate. So maybe this group will be more successful," said Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, a member of the group.
On Tuesday, a group of key Democratic senators also separately released their own potential draft update to the ECA. In some cases, the plan by Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Angus King, I-Maine, mirrors proposals that were part of a House Administration Committee staff report released last month.
For example, it says that for an objection to a state's election results to be raised before Congress, the current threshold of only needing one member from each chamber should be raised. Rather, the Senate Democratic proposal, like the House staff report, suggests that one-third of each chamber should have to object. Both Democratic plans also say objections should be subject to a vote by a supermajority not a simple majority in both the House and Senate.
"We stand ready to share the knowledge we have accumulated with our colleagues from both parties and look forward to contributing to a strong, bipartisan effort aimed at resolving this issue and strengthening our democracy," Durbin, Klobuchar and King said in a statement on Tuesday.
King and several members of the bipartisan group agreed they see a potential to work together.
"I'm going to work with anybody who wants to work on the issue," King said.
Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski, another member of bipartisan group, says the various efforts signal momentum.
"I think what that telegraphs is that this is important and it's something that we can move through on a bipartisan basis," Murkowski said.
The level of bipartisan engagement on the ECA never coalesced around the other voting rights reforms Democrats had hoped would come from this Congress, which have grown more urgent as some states across the country passed laws last year restricting voting access.
Republicans have often said they have no interest in federalizing the nuts and bolts of election infrastructure, so mandating things like automatic voter registration or no-excuse absentee voting was a nonstarter.
But Matthew Weil thinks there is another way.
Weil leads the elections project at the Bipartisan Policy Center, which recently released a report detailing what it sees as an "achievable" set of reforms for Congress to focus on.
"Both parties have prioritized elections to their voters," said Weil. "Democrats have been spending a lot of time talking about voter suppression and voters from the Republican Party are hearing that our election system is completely insecure."
BPC's proposal would address both concerns, Weil says, meaning there's a way for politicians to sell it to their voters no matter their affiliation.
Importantly, the BPC report does not argue for federal mandates, but instead argues for an incentivization structure where federal funding would be tied to whether states meet minimum accessibility and security standards such as:
Nine states that range across the political spectrum either currently already meet all of the report's minimum standards or meet all but one. Both Colorado and Georgia meet all of the proposed minimum standards for instance, even though Colorado is a vote-by-mail state and Georgia leans more heavily on in-person voting.
Because of the incentive structure, the proposal also might be an easier sell to Republicans like Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who worry about federal overreach. LaRose staunchly opposed the Freedom to Vote Act, calling it a power grab on the part of Democrats.
But in an interview with NPR recently, LaRose said he had read the BPC report and that he could see supporting similar legislation. Ohio already complies with more than 80% of the report's standards.
Weil, of the BPC, sees parallels to 2002 when Congress passed a bipartisan set of election reforms in the shadow of the 2000 presidential election, one of the closest and most contentious in modern history.
"Both parties had incentives to do something about the elections process," Weil said. "I think I see some of those same possibilities now."
NPR's Claudia Grisales contributed to this report.
Follow this link:
There are election reforms that both Democrats and Republicans seem to like - NPR
- Exclusive | Democrats Get Lowest Rating From Voters in 35 Years, WSJ Poll Finds - The Wall Street Journal - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Democrats' 2028 presidential race is going fast and furious - Axios - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Democrats rally in Texas over Trump order to redraw districts: The only way they can keep power is to cheat - The Guardian - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Democrats Fight Against Republican Funding Bill that Raises Utility Bills and Energy Prices, Slashes Resources for the Arts and National Parks -... - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Elon Musk is threatening to put third-party candidates on the ballot. Democrats are giddy. - Politico - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Can Texas Democrats Stop the Redistricting By Breaking Quorum? - Democracy Docket - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Texas Democrats Confer With California and Illinois Governors on Redistricting - The New York Times - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Rep. Ro Khanna thinks the Epstein files could help Democrats 'fight Trump effectively' - NBC News - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Iowa Democrats kick off canvassing campaign ahead of upcoming elections - KTIV - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Democrats request copy of Epstein birthday book that reportedly contains Trump poem - The Guardian - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Texans, Democrats condemn GOP redistricting plans at first public hearing - The Texas Tribune - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Are the Democrats Getting Better at the Internet? - newyorker.com - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Scoop: Democrats think they can get their hands on Epstein's birthday book - Axios - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Former Governor Roy Cooper speaks to NC Democrats during annual Unity Dinner ahead of likely 2026 Senate run - ABC11 - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- An early report on the Kansas governor's race: Heavyweight Republicans and low-key Democrats - Kansas Reflector - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Wave of young Pa. Democrats engaging in politics as party debates its future - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Democrats Chances of Flipping the Senate Just Went Up - New York Magazine - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Democrats Should Use Shutdown Threat as 'Leverage' to Oppose Cuts, Says Rep. Subramanyam - Bloomberg.com - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- In Epstein, Democrats Find Weapon Against Trump and Republicans - The New York Times - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Wisconsin Democrats launch push to take the majority in the Senate after years in the shadows - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Two Democrats Are Bolting From a Bipartisan Governors Group - The Atlantic - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Democrats Are Running Circles Around Republicans on Epstein - Politico - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Democrats Have Few Tools to Counter G.O.P. Redistricting - The New York Times - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- We learned some lessons: How Chuck Schumer and Democrats are gearing up for the next funding fight with Trump - CNN - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Some Democrats may finally be ready to play dirty over redistricting - vox.com - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Democrats Havent Failed to Fight Trump. Theyve Failed to Win. - New York Magazine - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- VIDEO: Blackburn Slams Democrats for Obstructing President Trumps Agenda and Will of the American People - Senator Marsha Blackburn (.gov) - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- NCUA Meeting Seats In Limbo: Will Reinstated Democrats Show Up Or Sit Out? - CU Today - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Senate Democrats agree to advance military construction, VA spending bill - The Hill - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- 2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America - KALW - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Opinion | Are the Democrats Dead or Alive? - The New York Times - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Opinion | James Carville: My Fix for the Confused and Leaderless Democrats - The New York Times - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- One year after Biden's unprecedented exit from 2024 race, Democrats poll numbers at rock bottom - Fox News - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- US protesters call for Democrats to face Trump and fight, fight, fight with every tool available - The Guardian - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- 'Flood' of ICE agents is coming to cities run by Democrats, according to the White House - USA Today - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Pennington County Democrats host town hall discussing veterans issues - kotatv.com - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- These Democrats could be targeted in the GOP's Texas redistricting push - Houston Chronicle - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Republicans and Democrats Call for More Information on Epstein Case - The New York Times - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Opinion | There Is Hope for Democrats. Look to Kansas. - The New York Times - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- 'Flood' of ICE agents is coming to cities run by Democrats, White House warns - USA Today - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Day 1 of Texas special session starts with Democrats signaling they could flee over redistricting - ABC13 Houston - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Trump blames Epstein files on Democrats and Comey but the timeline tells a different story - Poynter - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Democrats oppose move to house immigrant detainees at Fort Dix - New Jersey Monitor - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- The 2026 Senate map is tough for Democrats, but Republicans have their own headaches - AP News - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Democrats in South Carolina are barely pretending they're not already running for president - Politico - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Democrats 2024 Autopsy Is Described as Avoiding the Likeliest Cause of Death - The New York Times - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Scoop: Why Democrats didn't make Trump miss his deadline to cut $9 billion from PBS, NPR - Axios - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- How can Democrats win back working-class voters? Change their tune | Joan C Williams - The Guardian - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- 'Dear God': Democrats storm out of vote on controversial Trump nominee - Fox News - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- POLITICS: Door Open For Democrats To Win In City Of Celina Elections - Mercer County Outlook - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Weeks After a Heat Wave Baked the US, Democrats Push to Declare Heat a Major Disaster - Inside Climate News - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Opinion | Can Anything Save the Democrats? - The Wall Street Journal - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- President Says Epstein Critics Are Being Used by Democrats - The New York Times - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Mamdani charms national Democrats. But N.Y. Dems are just meh. - The Washington Post - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Trumps New Strategy on Epstein Fallout: Blame the Democrats - The New York Times - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Talking Trump accounts and mocking Democrats, Vance offers preview of how GOP will message the 'big, beautiful bill' - Politico - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Thank Fairfax County Democrats for your higher tax bill this year - Fairfax Times - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- E&E News: Youth fighting Trump on climate get boost from Democrats - POLITICO Pro - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Democrats walk out of Emil Bove judicial confirmation hearing - CBS News - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- John Fetterman's Approval Rating With Democrats Hits Record Low - Newsweek - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Opinion | Democrats risk taking the wrong lessons from Trumpism - The Washington Post - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Democrats Storm Out of Vote on Trumps Judicial Nominee, Emil Bove - The Daily Beast - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Democrats and Republicans in Congress are working together to pass sanctions on Russia - 90.5 WESA - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Opinion | Democrats finally found an anti-Trump argument that works - The Washington Post - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Cook County Democrats mostly sticking with incumbents on primary slate but Assessor Fritz Kaegi is in limbo - Chicago Sun-Times - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Democrats bill would require OSHA to issue worker heat protections - E&E News by POLITICO - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Trump tries to shift blame to Democrats for Epstein controversy - WGBH - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- WATCH: Democrats protest Bove nomination hearing with walkout before vote - NBC New York - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Hungary opposition figures urge Democrats to organize against autocratic takeover by Trump - The Guardian - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Hunter Biden says Democrats lost election for not staying loyal to his father - The Washington Post - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- 'The powerful protecting the powerful': Democrats see an opening on Epstein - Politico - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Democrats demand Pam Bondi and Kash Patel be summoned for Epstein hearing - The Guardian - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- As Trump looks to net five GOP seats through Texas redistricting, Democrats grasp for response - The Texas Tribune - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Democrats are trolling Trump and the GOP over the Jeffrey Epstein case - AP News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Democrats Broach Potential Walkout to Block Texas Redistricting - The New York Times - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Democrats Are Workshopping New Tactics After Losses of 2024 - The New York Times - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Mamdani Goes to Washington With Key Democrats in Congress Still on the Fence - THE CITY - NYC News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Hunter Biden says Democrats lost election because they werent loyal to his father - The Hill - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Democrats bash Trump over Texas redistricting: Act of desperation to cling to power - The Hill - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Democrats raked in money in the Michigan and Illinois Senate races - Politico - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]