House Resolution 1 is rearing its head in the Senate again. This time, Sen. Joe Manchin and other Democrats are calling it the “Freedom to Vote Act.” They’re claiming that it is a compromise bill.
Nice try. Actually, senators, it supports a Washington takeover of state elections.
Like H.R. 1, this bill would fill voter rolls with people on any government list. This has previously resulted in people being registered multiple times because they are on multiple lists. Automatic registration has also resulted in noncitizens being registered to vote. Accurate voter rolls are the cornerstone for election integrity. Inaccurate rolls provide opportunities for fraud.
This bill would also require all 50 states to allow same-day voter registration with no verification of identity. Same-day registration provides election officials no time to verify the accuracy of a registrant’s information or to check an individual’s eligibility to vote. This has enabled fraud in states such as Minnesota, where more than 1,000 ineligible felons voted before they could be verified. Their votes may have swung a 2010 election for the Senate.
Additionally, this bill would legalize felons voting in all federal elections, a decision that the Constitution leaves to states. This “compromise,” then, will flood the voter rolls with inaccuracies and risk chaos on Election Day.
Many states, such as Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Arizona, have passed laws to fix the problems that were seen in 2020. Congress should let other states do the same.
J. Christian Adams is the president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, a former Justice Department Voting Section attorney, and a current commissioner on the U.S. Commission for Civil Rights.
