Hi,

It was one year ago this Thursday that Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, committing acts of violence, espousing white supremacy, and perpetuating the Big Lie that the election result was anything but a conclusive victory for President Biden. 

Now Trump's next coup may already be taking shape. A recent New York Times headline reads: "In Bid for Control of Elections, Trump Loyalists Face Few Obstacles."  

Unless Congress takes action, the far right may be able to try and manipulate an outdated law at the heart of the January 6 insurrection after the next presidential election. We can't let that happen. 

Sign the petition: The Electoral Count Act, the 140-year-old law that governs certification of presidential elections, must be reformed! 

Thanks to a memo written by Trump lawyer John Eastman, and a powerpoint presentation leaked by former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows, we now know the outrageous details of Donald Trump's January 2021 coup attempt.1 

That fraudulent plan sought to exploit the outdated Electoral Count Act, the law that governs how Congress certifies presidential elections. Trump's plan to overturn the 2020 election rested on the absurd idea that a state legislature could choose electors after citizens have cast their votes, effectively allowing the legislature to override the will of the people. 

If Trump had gotten GOP legislatures in at least three states to repudiate the election results and substitute presidential electors for Trump — then get Congress' approval, and maybe the Supreme Court's, too — he might've won. Trump's scheme was far fetched and totally illegal. But new reporting shows that Trump was likely just days away from convincing a few state legislatures to take his side and try to overturn the results of the 2020 election.2 

The Congressional committee responsible for investigating the events of January 6th is reportedly working on recommendations for legislation reforming the Electoral Count Act right now.3 It's essential that the committee introduce strong and clear legislation, and that Congress pass it as soon as possible. We can't risk another attack on our democracy. 

Sign the petition: The Select Committee on January 6th should introduce legislation reforming the Electoral Count Act as soon as possible! 

Thanks for taking action,

Izzi and the team at Demand Progress

Sources:
1. CNN, "Trump lawyer's memo on six-step plan for Pence to overturn the election," September 21, 2021.
2. The Atlantic, "How Donald Trump Could Subvert the 2024 Election," December 6, 2021.
3. The New York Times, "Fearing a Repeat of Jan. 6, Congress Eyes Changes to Electoral Count Law," December 4, 2021.

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