Page 16 - Adelante Magazine April 2021

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By: Janie Mackenzie | with permission from; Aron Solomon
Photo by: Sora Shimazaki from Pexels
HR 1: FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT - TO VOTE?

COVID-19 has upended not just our daily lives, of voters who fail to respond to notice within 30
but also the way we do business, the way we days with proof of citizenship.”
work and even the way we participate in
democracy. In the lead-up to the 2020 election, TEXAS
much focus was placed on how voting could Texas, also known for their strict voting require-
remain fair, while keeping constituent safety a ments is now considering a bill to limit who can
priority. This led to a number of creative and send absentee ballot applications to voters
modern options to help people exercise their without request, as well as TX HB 1026, which
democratic franchise. From expanded mail-in would strip voter registration authority from
voting, to early ballot drop-off boxes, these initia- county clerks and require “the secretary of state
tives proved wildly popular among voters. to send voter registration information to the
But these solutions have also led to a number of Department of Public Safety for citizenship verifi-
lawsuits questioning their validity, and over the cation.
winter, a number of states have moved towards
enacting their own laws to address electoral These 5 states represent just a small percentage
inconsistencies. While many are modernizing of those considering new voting laws in State-
their election procedures, others are introducing houses from coast to coast, as the same debate
more restrictive measures that aim at curbing plays out at the federal level with the House of
voting rights. Representatives recently passing HR1 (the For
the People Act) with the intent of expanding voter
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, access.
thus far in 2021, “thirty-five states have intro- SB241 also introduces stricter identification
duced, pre-filed, or carried over 406 bills to requirements, including requiring qualified HR:1 would require states to automatically
expand voting access (dwarfing the 188 absentee voters to provide their ID. Passage of register people to vote, restore the voting rights
expansive bills that were filed in twenty-nine the bill would eliminate early voting on Sundays, of felons, mandate two or more weeks of early
states as of February 3, 2020). Notably 93 such effectively ending “Souls to the Polls” and similar voting, encourage mail-in voting and increase
bills were introduced in New York and New initiatives popular among Black churchgoers. absentee ballot drop box locations nationwide.
Jersey,” Additionally, GA HB 531 would limit the number The package also includes provisions to
and locations of early voting drop-boxes, as well increase election security at both the state and
At the same time, according to the Brennan as criminalize individuals handing out food or federal levels, require social media platforms to
Center, “Twenty-eight states have introduced, drinks to voters as they stand in long lines to maintain records of all political ads, and confront
pre-filed, or carried over 106 restrictive bills this exercise their most fundamental right as an gerrymandering by requiring states to establish
year (as compared to 35 such bills in fifteen American. independent redistricting commissions to redraw
states on February 3, 2020).” congressional district boundaries.
Here are just a few of the more restrictive laws ARIZONA
states are seeking to pass: In February, Arizona Republicans advanced a Passage of the close to 800-page package in the
number of proposals, which if passed, could Senate would almost immediately set up a
PENNSYLVANIA make it much more difficult for constituents to confrontation between the federal government
Pennsylvania leads the nation with 14 restrictive cast their vote. and states seeking to strengthen voting laws, as
policy proposals under consideration in 2021. Arizonaʼs HB 2370 would eliminate the early many provisions found within HR1 are in direct
These include 3 proposals seeking to eliminate voter list, while AZ SB 1069 and AZ HB 2560 conflict with provisions some states are looking
“no-excuse” mail in voting, eliminating the make it easier for officials to remove voters from to implement.
permanent early voter list, limiting who is allowed the permanent absentee ballot list. Additionally,
to send absentee ballot applications to voters AZ HB 2369 “would further restrict who can As the far-and possibly over-reaching bill will
without request, requiring the rejection of assist voters in collecting and delivering mail certainly face a filibuster once it reaches the
absentee ballots based solely on mismatched ballots (existing policy already limits such assis- Senate, its future is murky at best, yet, itʼs intro-
signatures (unless corrected within 6 days of tance to family and household members), add a duction brings to light the most important issue
notification), increased access for poll watchers voter ID requirement for turning in mail ballots in we currently face as Americans: the erosion of
to absentee ballot tabulation and canvassing person, and require all mail ballots to be the literal fabric of democracy - the right to vote.
activities, and rejection of ballots not received by notarized.” While these differences in policies may not come
election day, while prohibiting modifications of to a head immediately, the next four years, and
the rule by court order. MISSISSIPPI the almost guaranteed battle within the courts,
Mississippi, historically known for their strict will determine where the line in the sand is drawn
GEORGIA voting requirements, seeks to add even further when it comes to ensuring the very foundation of
Referred to as “a redux of Jim Crow in a suit and roadblocks on the way to the polls. MS HB 543 democracy is secure for all Americans.
tie,” by Georgia politician and former guberna- seeks to eliminate the use of certain forms of ID,
torial candidate Stacy Abrams, SB241 is on the including out-of-state driversʼ licenses, while MS
precipice of passage and includes a number of SB 2254 would require voters to provide proof of About Janie Mackenzie
suppression measures such as ending the right citizenship in order to register to vote. An Janie Mackenzie is a political writer, strategist
to vote by mail without providing an excuse, additional 3 bills (MS HB 586, MS SB 2016, MS and media specialist, as well as the former
limiting absentee voting to constituents 65 and SB 2577) would “require a comparison of the Online Media Manager for a national Senate
older, those with a physical disability, or those voter rolls against other databases to identify campaign. She currently serves as the Director
planning to be out of town on Election Day. non-citizens, and require removal from the rolls of PR and Publicity for NextLevel.com.

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