Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Marc Elias Democracy Docket: How the GOP Will Try To Subvert Our Elections
https://www.democracydocket.com/news/how-the-gop-will-try-to-subvert-our-elections/. . .
By manufacturing fraud, Republicans create controversy that can be exploited after Election Day by Republican candidates who do not prevail. The faux outrage created by the right-wing echo chamber vilifies election workers and provides excuses for disregarding election results.
Republicans are also deeply invested in making key changes to the vote-counting process. In Georgia and Arkansas, the legislature has given Republican-controlled partisan election boards more power. In Arizona, the Republican Legislature passed a new law transferring much of the power to enforce these rules from the Democratic secretary of state to the Republican attorney general. Republicans are also organizing and recruiting “Big Lie” advocates to run county elections and staff local election boards.
Republicans know that the single point of greatest vulnerability for election subversion is the state certification of election results. And each of these changes, from making voting more difficult to ensuring that those who count votes are more partisan, provides an excuse for Republican election officials to refuse to certify election results.
A certificate of election signed by the secretary of state and governor is the golden ticket to a seat in the House or Senate. Without a fully executed certificate of election, Senate rules and House precedent provide no simple way for a member of either chamber to be seated. A certificate of ascertainment signed by the governor determines which presidential candidate’s electors meet as a part of the Electoral College.
If Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey had refused to sign their states’ certificates of ascertainment, President Joe Biden would have faced a difficult path to have his electors in those states recognized. Had those two governors also refused to sign certificates of election for the three senators and eleven Democratic members of Congress elected in 2020, Democrats would have likely been in the minority in both the House and Senate.
It would be troubling enough if election certifications could be sabotaged by governors or secretaries of state. Republicans are already fielding candidates for those offices who would likely block the certification of free and fair election results they do not support. But, as Republicans demonstrated in 2020, they know how to target vulnerabilities in the system below that level.
By manufacturing fraud, Republicans create controversy that can be exploited after Election Day by Republican candidates who do not prevail. The faux outrage created by the right-wing echo chamber vilifies election workers and provides excuses for disregarding election results.
Republicans are also deeply invested in making key changes to the vote-counting process. In Georgia and Arkansas, the legislature has given Republican-controlled partisan election boards more power. In Arizona, the Republican Legislature passed a new law transferring much of the power to enforce these rules from the Democratic secretary of state to the Republican attorney general. Republicans are also organizing and recruiting “Big Lie” advocates to run county elections and staff local election boards.
Republicans know that the single point of greatest vulnerability for election subversion is the state certification of election results. And each of these changes, from making voting more difficult to ensuring that those who count votes are more partisan, provides an excuse for Republican election officials to refuse to certify election results.
A certificate of election signed by the secretary of state and governor is the golden ticket to a seat in the House or Senate. Without a fully executed certificate of election, Senate rules and House precedent provide no simple way for a member of either chamber to be seated. A certificate of ascertainment signed by the governor determines which presidential candidate’s electors meet as a part of the Electoral College.
If Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey had refused to sign their states’ certificates of ascertainment, President Joe Biden would have faced a difficult path to have his electors in those states recognized. Had those two governors also refused to sign certificates of election for the three senators and eleven Democratic members of Congress elected in 2020, Democrats would have likely been in the minority in both the House and Senate.
It would be troubling enough if election certifications could be sabotaged by governors or secretaries of state. Republicans are already fielding candidates for those offices who would likely block the certification of free and fair election results they do not support. But, as Republicans demonstrated in 2020, they know how to target vulnerabilities in the system below that level.
7 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
