'Election integrity' emerging as key priority for grassroots Republicans

ORLANDO, Florida — The three-legged stool of Republican politics is getting a fourth leg as conservatives respond to former President Donald Trump’s November defeat with sharp demands for election reform legislation.

For a generation, Republican ideology has been defined by three legs that are generally sacrosanct in primaries: social conservatism, fiscal conservatism, and backing a strong national defense. In the wake of Trump’s ouster by President Biden, what Republicans describe as “election integrity” is emerging as a fourth leg of the stool. Most Republican voters are convinced that Biden’s victory was fraudulent; they are clamoring for the party to lead efforts to secure elections through the implementation of voting restrictions.