Senate Bill Proposals to Prevent Another Jan. 6
-
The legislation would clarify that the vice president's role in counting votes is merely symbolic and raise the threshold for when lawmakers can challenge election results.
...
The first bill would clarify that a state’s governor, unless otherwise stated, submits the slate of electors to Congress; allows for expedited judicial review for legal challenges related to the issuance or transmission of a slate of electors and clarifies that the vice president’s role overseeing the election certification is ministerial, according to the group’s summary. In addition, it raises the threshold for House members and senators to challenge election results, going from a single member in each chamber to one-fifth of members in both chambers. Finally, the bill provides specific requirements for when a presidential candidate can receive federal funds to prepare for a transition to the White House.The second bill would increase the penalties for individuals who intimidate poll watchers, election officials or candidates to a maximum of two years in prison as opposed to one. Plus, it would provide guidance for the handling of absentee ballots and would reauthorize for five years the Election Assistance Commission, a centralized clearinghouse for election information and best practices that was created in the aftermath of the 2000 election. ...
