John,

It’s not Dueling Banjos, it’s Dueling Bills.

The House Administration Committee is taking up the Republicans’ American Confidence in Elections Act, or ACE, which aims to create multiple roadblocks to voting and relax restrictions on dark money flowing into politics, increasing allowable limits while eliminating disclosure requirements.

Meanwhile the Democrats are introducing a bill to do exactly the opposite. Their Freedom to Vote Act would protect and expand the right to vote, make it easier to submit ballots, and tighten restrictions on dark money. They will introduce this bill in the committee as an Amendment to replace the entire Republican bill.

The two bills represent two vastly divergent views of the parties’ visions of America. Click here to tell your Congressperson to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and expand citizens’ access to American democracy.

Perhaps the darkest parts of the Republican bill, however, are the elements that rewrite the entire electoral process for Washington DC. Since the District of Columbia has no congressional representation, the Republicans want to use it as a petri dish to try out all their voting restriction ideas at once -- which the Washington Post called out as “an affront to the principle of home rule.”  

The Republican bill would require that photos of every voter be included in the poll books. It would eliminate all same-day registration and third-party ballot collection, and place restrictions on ballot drop boxes. Mail-in ballots would count only if received on Election Day (currently they count if they are received up to 15 days after). Provisional ballots would only count if filed in the assigned precinct. And the bill preemptively bans any ranked-choice voting system, where voters select 2nd and 3rd choice candidates.

In contrast, the Democrats’ Freedom to Vote Act would ensure that every eligible voter can vote, bring greater transparency, and reduce the influence of wealthy special interests. It would make voting systems more accessible and reliable, including automatic voter registration, expanded early voting, and protections against discriminatory voter ID laws.

The choice is clear. Click here to tell your Congressperson to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and end voter suppression.

Thank you for amplifying the voices of the voters and helping limit the influence of big money in our elections.

- Amanda

Amanda Ford, Director
Democracy for America
Advocacy Fund