Republicans Take Aim at Election Security with 'Save Democracy Act'

Reagan McCarthy | January 15, 2021 1:10 PM

The Republican Study Committee (RSC) is taking aim at election integrity in the “Save Democracy Act,” endorsed by the committee and co-signed by 30 GOP members. The legislation tackles three areas related to voter integrity, including voter registration, ballot casting, and ballot tabulation. The RSC, led by Chairman Jim Banks, hopes to renew Americans’ faith in election security from a legislative standpoint.

“The Republican Study Committee formally endorses the Save Democracy Act that would ensure free and fair federal elections in 2022, 2024 and the years to come. It is our duty to protect and uphold the democratic process and restore public trust in our election system," the committee's membership said in a release.

Today, 30 of my @RepublicanStudy colleagues & I intro'd the Save Democracy Act to ensure free and fair federal elections.

It is our duty to protect and uphold the democratic process & restore the public’s trust that their vote is counted and their voice is heard.
— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) January 15, 2021

.@RepublicanStudy's federal election security bill will:

?Require citizenship verification to register
?Prohibit sending out unrequested mail-in ballots
?Prohibit pauses in ballot-counting

We must restore faith in our Democracy!
— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) January 15, 2021

On voter registration, the legislation forbids “automatic voter registration,” and requires proof of citizenship and a full Social Security number to register to vote in a federal election. To reestablish integrity with ballot casting, the legislation bans public ballot collection boxes, and prohibits officials from sending out unsolicited absentee ballots. Voter identification and matching would also be required for both in-person and mail-in voting. With respect to counting ballots, a 30-day tabulation period would be mandated, with no pauses, and campaign representatives would be required to be able to observe vote counting and polling locations.