| Introducing bills is easy. It’s getting them passed in both Houses of Congress that’s the challenge, and Senator Mitch McConnell is not a happy man. |
[NTD] Democrat lawmakers on Thursday introduced a bill dubbed the "Vote at Home Act," which seeks to "massively expand vote-at-home ballot access," enacting automatic voter registration and providing voters with pre-paid ballot envelopes.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) introduced the bill (pdf), saying in a press release that the legislation is meant to "fight voter suppression."
| We had more people voting than ever before in 2020. Some voted multiple times. We had people feeding ballots into the counters that were previously untouched by human hands. Who exactly is being suppressed? |
"Our democracy is stronger when every American can vote, without standing in ridiculous lines or having to take time off work or school to exercise their Constitutional rights," Wyden said in a statement.
| In other words, we can't inconvenience people in any way. The Democrats would like not to inconvenience voters into even thinking... |
| They’ve long laughed about casting your vote for you after you die; this time round they added voting for you pre-death as well, so you needn’t be inconvenienced even by leaving the couch in front of your television. |
| Why, they'll even clear out your mailbox for you! How much more convenient can we make it? |
The initiative stands in contrast to a bill introduced by Republicans several weeks ago, which seeks to tighten voter registration verifications and narrow rules for when and how mail-in ballots can be accepted, in a bid to strengthen the integrity of federal elections.
The Democrat lawmakers said the introduction of the bill was encouraged by what they described as "the successful expansion of voting at home and by mail in the November 2020 election," in which almost 50 percent of voters cast ballots by mail, a record high in federal races.
| And some of those ballots were even legitimate! |
"Last year we saw a widespread expansion of vote-at-home access as a safe and secure way to participate during the COVID-19 pandemic," Blumenauer said in a statement. "We should continue to make voting easier, not harder. This important bill would strengthen and clarify the right to vote at home, the most secure and convenient way for voters to exercise the franchise."
Critics of expanding vote-by-mail initiatives have warned of the increased potential for voter fraud, allegations of which were front and center in the contested presidential election, with President Donald Trump, members of his legal team, and supporters, making numerous claims that amounted to the charge that the election was stolen. |