The AP-NORC poll conducted from March 25 to 29 interviewed 1,166 respondents. Further analysis of the poll results found that support for voter IDs was consistent in both parties. Based on the results, 59 percent of Democratic respondents favored the measure while 45 percent of Republican respondents agreed with it. Respondents from both parties also saw minimal opposition to voter ID laws – with Democrats registering seven percent while GOP respondents registering eight percent.
However, the survey still found clear differences along party lines when it came to electoral reforms. Democratic respondents expressed strong support toward measures such as automatic voter registration, same-day registration and voting for citizens at polling places and restoration of suffrage rights for felons once they completed their sentence. They also expressed support toward mail-in voting measures such as sending an absentee ballot to all registered voters and permitting mail-in voting without the need to give a reason. Republican respondents did not favor these reforms – as seen by the lower degree of support they showed for the measures.
The poll also tackled the issues of gerrymandering, disenfranchisement and voter fraud. Sixty-seven percent of respondents said the matter of states drawing districts that favor one party was a major election problem that needs to be addressed. Forty-six percent of respondents said eligible voters being unable to exercise their right to suffrage was a major election issue. Meanwhile, 40 percent of respondents cited people ineligible to vote casting ballots as a major problem during the polls.
The survey results show that even Democratic-leaning Americans favor voter ID laws despite the leadership's push to make them unnecessary. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1 – the For the People Act – on March 3. This new legislation expanded voting rights – including same-day registration for federal elections, automatic voter registration via state agencies and a minimum early voting period of two weeks across all states.
However, a closer look at H.R. 1 and some of its provisions showed that the bill is not exactly for the people. Writing for PJ Media, journalist Victoria Taft mentioned some reasons why the For the People Act is not one for election integrity.
First, H.R. 1 bans voter ID and verifying voters before they can exercise their right to suffrage. This is despite the AP-NORC survey's findings reflecting an overwhelming support for the measure. H.R. 1 considers voter verification as an "impediment" to the right to vote, and even criminalizes state elections officials who reject someone's voter registration. In place of an ID, individuals can simply sign a statement saying they are who they say they are.
Second, the bill mandates facilitating questionable election measures such as mail-in voting and ballot harvesting. Making the two measures compulsory subsequently makes it easier to separate voters from their verified votes. Ballot harvesting became widespread in different areas, most especially in locations controlled by Democratic politicians. Meanwhile, mail-in ballots without the required verification played a role in giving President Joe Biden a huge lead in key battleground states against former President Donald Trump during the November 2020 general elections. (Related: Project Veritas exposes Ilhan Omar as criminal ballot harvester trying to steal election.)
Third, H.R. 1 prevents ballots from reaching the polling place and being counted. It contains provisions that allow "drive-by" voting and prevents any state from putting limitations on curbside voting. In addition, it mandates permanent "secure drop boxes" where ballots can be dropped. However, these measures could be problematic and undermine the electoral process when unscrupulous actors manage to get the ballots and discard them. Instances of mail-in ballots turning up in unlikely places were also reported during the 2020 polls. (Related: FBI finds discarded absentee ballots with Trump votes in Pennsylvania.)
Visit VoteFraud.news to read more about H.R. 1 and how it threatens election integrity.
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