Reflections on the US Vote 2020 Election Day Voter Experience Study and the For The People Act
[US Vote FTPA Policy Perspective - Reader View]
[US Vote FTPA Policy Perspective - Dual Page Printer Version]
The aftermath of the historic 2020 General Election has led to calls for reforms from across the political spectrum. Despite the unprecedented turnout and near universal, bi-partisan consensus among election officials that Election 2020 was the safest and most secure election in history, many of these “reforms” are not reforms at all. Rather, 165 restrictive voting bills have been proposed in state legislatures that are a continuation of practices that pretend to protect the integrity of the vote, but in fact attempt to enshrine voter suppression tactics that would limit, not extend, the franchise to the broadest number of American voters.
These results lead US Vote to declare its support in favor of the For the People Act of 2021, which aims to introduce and expand certain voter services nation-wide. These services include the expansion of early voting, vote-by-mail and paper ballots. All are voting practices that are already in use in many jurisdictions, and have proven to be beneficial, and, according to the Study, widely accepted by voters.
While some would see any criticism of these new efforts to limit voter access as a position motivated by partisanship, U.S. Vote Foundation (US Vote), as a non-partisan, 501c(3) organization, is not advocating on behalf of one party versus the other. Rather US Vote is advocating here on behalf of all voters, from any party, who wish to enjoy their right to vote free of barriers and obstacles.
Related Resource: 2020 Post Election Voter Experience Survey report.
