Senate Democrats introduce massive election overhaul legislation

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer introduced Democrats’ election overhaul legislation Wednesday, saying it’s needed to counter Republicans’ “racist” legislation to suppress voter turnout in critical swing states. 

The New York Democrat pointed to proposed legislation in Georgia that would do away with early voting on Sundays.

“It is to prevent African Americans from voting,” he said. “It is not democracy when you disenfranchise people by passing Jim Crow laws. That’s not democracy that’s dictatorship, and that’s where our Republican friends seem to be going.”

Several other states are reviewing proposed bills to tighten election laws and require photo ID for absentee ballots. 

But Democrats said the federal government must ensure national elections are fair, giving Congress authority to pass the massive elections bill setting federal standards. 

“When you lose in an election, what you do in a democracy is try to win over the people who didn’t vote for you — not to prevent them from voting,” Mr. Schumer said. “That is anti-American.”

The legislation Democrats are calling the For the People Act would set national guidelines for elections by requiring states to have Election Day voter registration and early voting for 15 days. It would limit money in politics, end partisan gerrymandering and establish new ethics rules. 

Senate Democrats will hold a hearing on the legislation next Wednesday.

Republicans say the bill is an attempt to nationalize elections and impose rules that benefit Democratic candidates or invite ballot fraud. They are calling it the “Democrat Politician Protection Act.”

But Democrats are ready to move forward without GOP support, even entertaining the option of doing away with the filibuster. 

With the Senate split evenly, 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats, it’s unlikely a floor vote on the legislation would pass. A bill needs 60 votes to become law and overcome a filibuster, and the major election overhaul so far lacks the support of 10 GOP senators.

Liberal activists are pushing Democrats to change procedural rules and do away with the 60 vote filibuster to get the legislation passed. 

That plan runs into a hurdle with moderate Sen. Joe Manchin III, West Virginia Democrat, who has said he will not support doing away with the filibuste.

“You cannot get rid of the filibuster unless you intend to destroy the Senate,” he said.

Mr. Schumer, though, insisted Wednesday changing Senate rules is still on the table. 

“We will see if our Republican friends join us. If they don’t join us, our caucus will come together and decide the appropriate action to take. Everything is on the table. Failure is not an option,” he said.