The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday unanimously rejected the Biden administration’s challenge to a Texas law requiring mail-in ballots to include a state identification number or partial Social Security number.
The law invalidates mail-in ballots that do not include the information.
In September 2021, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott signed the Election Integrity and Protection Act into law. It was immediately challenged by the Biden administration and other leftist groups, including the League of Women Voters, who claimed the law violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In November 2023, U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez <a href="https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/document/LaUnionDelPuebloEnteroetalvGregoryWAbbottetalDocketNo521cv00844WD/5?doc_id=X40B5HEB2GD95KRVH07PP7RUNCL">struck down</a> the provision of the Texas law requiring voters who used mail-in ballots to provide identification numbers.
But last December, the 5th Circuit Court <a href="https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/document/USAvPaxtonDocketNo23508855thCirDec052023CourtDocket/2?doc_id=X5HOV37ELCU86TASRM5FJ6HIJ3R">paused the 2023 injunction</a>, and on Monday, it dismissed the lower court’s claims. “Mail-in ballots are not secure,” staunch conservative Judge James Ho <a href="https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/23/23-50885-CV0.pdf">wrote</a>, adding that the law “fully complies with a provision of federal law known by the parties as the materiality provision of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. &#8230; The ID number requirement is obviously designed to confirm that each mail-in ballot voter is precisely who he claims he is. And that is plainly ‘material’ to determining whether such individual is qualified under State law to vote.”
“Merely requiring mail-in ballot applications to list the voter’s name and registration address triggers significant election security concerns. That information is easily available to anyone who simply requests it from Texas election officials — who readily provide copies of voter files with such information on request. As a result, any person can request and receive that information about a registered voter, use that information to apply for a mail-in ballot, and then cast the ballot, with minimal risk of detection,” he continued.
“Plaintiffs insist that there isn’t enough evidence to show that the ID number requirement would meaningfully reduce voter fraud. Texas strongly disagrees. Our precedents compel us to side with Texas. We have made clear that States have a legitimate interest in combating voter fraud, and this enjoy ‘considerable discretion in deciding what is an adequate level of effectiveness to serve (their) important interests in voter integrity,” Ho concluded.

Senate Judiciary Committee

‘Mail-In Ballots Are Not Secure’: Court Gives Texas Green Light To Enforce Voter ID Law

Elections

Politics

Texas

Voter ID

Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine bucked his own party to side with Republicans on voter ID requirements recently, but only after voting against similar requirements twice when he was a state legislator.
Golden is a vocal supporter of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a Republican bill to bolster election security, including through instituting a voter ID requirement to register to cast a ballot in a federal election. But a decade prior when Golden was serving in the Maine legislature, he voted against similar state legislation twice.
In 2015, Golden <a href="https://legislature.maine.gov/LawMakerWeb/rollcall.asp?ID=280054332&amp;chamber=House&amp;serialnumber=51" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> to kill LD 197, &#8220;An Act To Strengthen Maine&#8217;s Election Laws by Requiring Photographic Identification for the Purpose of Voting.&#8221;
Two years later in 2017, Golden <a href="https://www.mainelegislature.org/LawMakerWeb/rollcall.asp?ID=280062603&amp;chamber=H&amp;serialnumber=49" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> again against voter ID legislation. Golden and his fellow state Democrats voted in favor of a motion not to pass <a href="https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0089&amp;item=1&amp;snum=128" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LD 121</a>, which “requires that a voter provide proof of identity with photographic identification for the purpose of voting. The bill specifies the types of photographic identification that may be used to verify the identity of a voter.”
Last year, Golden seemingly shifted his stance on voter identification laws. The Maine Democrat, who was elected to United States Congress in 2018, voted in support of the GOP-led SAVE Act. He voted for it again earlier this year.
Golden later justified his support for the SAVE Act in a post on his Substack that bashed his fellow Democrats for fearmongering.
“Ensuring American elections are only for citizens is a proposition supported by 83% of Americans. It enjoys bipartisan support,” Golden <a href="https://jaredgolden.substack.com/p/dear-mainer-the-save-act-and-the" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. “But just like pro-worker, anti-free trade policies that were once welcomed for consideration by Democrats, this basic election integrity proposal has been sucked into the broader dynamic of resistance to anything that has support from Republicans, and specifically support from President Trump. Some are using misleading fear tactics about voter suppression because they think it will give them an upper hand in politics and elections.”
Golden’s swing toward Republican-backed bills could be a reflection of his competitive seat. He barely <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Jared_Golden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won</a> reelection last year by less than a point over his Republican challenger Austin Therialt. Golden’s district, Maine&#8217;s 2nd Congressional District, voted for President Donald Trump in 2020 and 2024. Recent polling has <a href="https://mainebeacon.com/opinion-maine-voters-want-our-leaders-to-stand-up-to-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> Golden is well underwater with voters.
“Political opportunist Jared Golden has a record of voting against commonsense voter ID requirements. But now that his approval rating is in the dumps and he can’t raise any money from Mainers, he’s desperately bashing his own party and flip-flopping on any issue he can to get attention and score political points. Unfortunately for Jared Golden, the deception won’t work on Mainers. Golden’s days in Congress are numbered.” said Maureen O’Toole, spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Golden’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Jared Golden

Maine’s Jared Golden Has A Shaky History Supporting Voter ID Laws

Congress

Maine

A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump from implementing an executive order that requires voters to show documentation proving their U.S. citizenship to cast a ballot in federal elections.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, a Bill Clinton appointee, granted a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump administration from going forward with the proof-of-citizenship requirements as a lawsuit plays out, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-elections-executive-order-citizenship-lawsuit-4b683fe2e1106316fdb05621be9b7d0e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-order-elections-voting-lawsuit-769caf1eceec29a13b4df78a931deb0b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a>, filed by the Democratic National Committee and leftist voting rights groups, claims that Trump&#8217;s order is &#8220;an unlawful action that threatens to uproot our tried-and-tested election systems and silence potentially millions of Americans.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/preserving-and-protecting-the-integrity-of-american-elections/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a>, which he signed in March, aims to eliminate voter fraud in U.S. elections.
&#8220;Under the Constitution, State governments must safeguard American elections in compliance with Federal laws that protect Americans’ voting rights and guard against dilution by illegal voting, discrimination, fraud, and other forms of malfeasance and error. Yet the United States has not adequately enforced Federal election requirements that, for example, prohibit States from counting ballots received after Election Day or prohibit non-citizens from registering to vote,&#8221; the order states.
Another part of Trump&#8217;s order — requiring those enrolled in public assistance to have their citizenship assessed before receiving a voter registration form — was also blocked by Judge Kollar-Kotelly. The judge denied the plaintiff&#8217;s request to block the part of Trump&#8217;s order that tightens deadlines on mail ballots, according to the AP.
Opponents of the executive order argue that states can establish their own election processes and that only Congress can take action to override state laws related to federal elections.
The judge&#8217;s move means that yet another Trump action will be tied up in the courts and prevented from taking effect. Federal judges have blocked numerous Trump orders, including on cuts to federal agency staff, deportations, and birthright citizenship. As of Thursday, 108 different rulings have blocked or temporarily frozen Trump&#8217;s attempts to carry out his agenda, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/us/trump-administration-lawsuits.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>.

Donald Trump

Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Proof-Of-Citizenship Voting Requirement

Courts

Election Fraud

Executive Orders

Judge

President Donald Trump said Republicans should have the upper hand in Wisconsin &#8220;for years to come&#8221; after the state voted on Tuesday to enshrine voter ID requirements in its constitution.
More than 60% of voters <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/04/01/us/elections/results-wisconsin-question.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> the constitutional amendment, which will make it more difficult to roll back voter ID requirements. While Wisconsin state law has required voter ID since 2011, Republicans who pushed for the constitutional amendment argued that it was necessary to prevent Democrats or the liberal state Supreme Court from undoing the law in the future.
Trump took to Truth Social Tuesday night to celebrate the approval of voter ID requirements in the swing state, saying that it was possibly the &#8220;biggest win of the night&#8221; for Republicans, a party that also cruised to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-sweep-in-florida-special-elections-congratulations-to-america?topStoryPosition=undefined" target="_blank" rel="noopener">victories</a> in two special elections in Florida to hold onto U.S. House seats.
&#8220;VOTER I.D. JUST APPROVED IN WISCONSIN ELECTION. Democrats fought hard against this, presumably so they can CHEAT. This is a BIG WIN FOR REPUBLICANS, MAYBE THE BIGGEST WIN OF THE NIGHT,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114265988202750791" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. &#8220;IT SHOULD ALLOW US TO WIN WISCONSIN, LIKE I JUST DID IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, FOR MANY YEARS TO COME!&#8221;
After Joe Biden won the presidency in 2020, Trump and Republicans pushed for voter ID laws across the country, arguing that states that lack such laws make elections susceptible to widespread fraud. Voter ID laws are also extremely popular among Americans. A <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/652523/americans-endorse-early-voting-voter-verification.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gallup poll</a> from October showed that 84% of those surveyed approve of photo identification being required at polling places, compared to just 15% who said they are opposed.
Illegal immigration has been another issue driving the push for voter identification as unlawfully present migrants have been found on state voter rolls and, in some cases, have been <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/19-foreign-nationals-indicted-illegally-voting-2016-elections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicted</a> for voting in elections. Despite the high support for voter verification laws, Democrats have largely opposed such efforts, arguing that they disenfranchise voters and decrease participation in elections.
The Wisconsin voter ID amendment passed overwhelmingly as voters also chose to elect a leftist to the state&#8217;s Supreme Court. Judge Susan Crawford won the election over conservative candidate Brad Schimel, who was endorsed by Trump and supported by more than <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/30/us/elon-musk-wisconsin-supreme-court.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$20 million</a> from Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and allied groups. During a rally for Schimel on Sunday, Musk said that the “entire destiny of humanity” could be impacted by the Wisconsin Supreme Court race as it could help Democrats gain House seats in the Midwest state.
While he spent time and energy trying to push Schimel over the line, Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1905789301557715397" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last week that the voter ID amendment is &#8220;even more important than the Wisconsin Supreme Court race.&#8221; Early Wednesday morning, Musk celebrated the passage of the voter ID amendment, <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1907300849199546454" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writing</a>, &#8220;This was the most important thing.&#8221;

Trump Celebrates Voter ID Victory In Wisconsin: ‘Allow Us To Win … For Many Years To Come’

Elon Musk

Executive

Wisconsin

The top two candidates running for the Wisconsin Supreme Court debated on Wednesday ahead of a high-stakes April election that will determine the ideological bend of the court. 
Former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel and liberal Judge Susan Crawford clashed on abortion, election integrity, and Elon Musk during the debate, which took place in Milwaukee. Both candidates are running to replace liberal Judge Ann Walsh Bradley, whose retirement will put the ideological leaning of Wisconsin’s top court up for grabs at the April 1 election. 
While the judicial races in Wisconsin are officially non-partisan, Schimel is backed by Republicans and Crawford by Democrats. Liberal judges currently hold a 4-3 majority on the state&#8217;s Supreme Court.
One of the issues that the court could decide on is whether the 1849 Wisconsin abortion law, which effectively banned all abortions, should go into effect due to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. 
Schimel <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5192160-wisconsin-supreme-court-debate/">said</a> during the debate that he believed it to be a “valid” law but didn’t think it accurately reflected the “will of the people of Wisconsin today.” 
“It was passed by two houses of the legislature and signed by a governor. That means it’s a valid law,” he said. “But what I said next was that there’s a real question as to whether that law reflects the will of the people of Wisconsin now and today.”
Crawford, who previously represented Planned Parenthood as a lawyer, said during the debate that Schimel was trying to “backpedal” on the issue. She has <a href="https://www.wispolitics.com/2025/crawford-ad-touts-her-support-for-abortion-rights/">already run</a> ads attacking Schimel on abortion, saying that she “personally trusts women to decide whether to have an abortion.”
The liberal judge also accused Schimel of being beholden to Elon Musk, whose “America PAC&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/musk-pac-backing-conservative-seeking-to-flip-control-of-liberal-state-supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has spent</a> $1 million backing his campaign. 
“I have support from all over the country — and it is because Elon Schimel is trying to buy this race, and people are very upset about that,” Crawford claimed.
Crawford’s campaign has been backed with hefty donations from Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker, venture capitalist Reid Hoffman, and leftist megadonor George Soros. Soros was instrumental in flipping control of the court from conservative-leaning to liberal after backing liberal Judge Janet Protasiewicz in the Supreme Court race two years ago.
Schimel also accused Crawford of backtracking on issues from election integrity to Act 10, a law that brought dramatic reforms to government unions. 
&#8220;Now she backs off from things she was once proud of, campaigning as a judge,&#8221; Schimel <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/12/wisconsin-supreme-court-debate-between-susan-crawfprd-brad-schimel/81772335007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Previously in her career, Crawford brought a lawsuit to end the use of photo ID requirements for voting and a challenge to Act 10. Crawford has refused to say whether she would support a proposed constitutional amendment that would put voter ID requirements into the state constitution, saying that she doesn&#8217;t &#8220;take positions on issues that could end up before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.&#8221;
Schimel has said that he would vote for the proposed amendment.
After the debate, the Wisconsin Democratic Party claimed that Schimel would &#8220;fail Wisconsin women and serve the whims of Trump,&#8221; while the Wisconsin GOP said that Crawford was a &#8220;far-left puppet serving the interests of elite Democrat donors.&#8221;
&#8220;Susan Crawford exposed her true colors in tonight&#8217;s debate, aligning herself with the extreme liberal agenda of her billionaire backers. In contrast, Judge Brad Schimel demonstrated his unwavering commitment to fairness and objectivity as a judge,&#8221; <a href="https://www.wispolitics.com/2025/wisgop-chairman-schimmings-statement-on-schimels-debate-victory/">said</a> Wisconsin GOP Chairman Brian Schimming.

Wisconsin State Capitol

Candidates Clash On Abortion, Election Integrity In High-Stakes Wisconsin Supreme Court Debate

Abortion

The 2024 election is over, but the hard work of building trust in our elections is just beginning. Conservative states like Florida, Georgia, and Texas have made great strides in the last few years. The laws they passed helped deliver a high turnout, high confidence election. But election integrity faces ongoing challenges both new and old, which is why our conservative states must double down on <a href="https://honestelections.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/HEP_2024-Election-Reform-Report_v4.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">robust election reforms in 2025</a>.
One of the most urgent threats to election integrity comes from <a href="https://americansforpublictrust.org/document/apt-report-foreign-backed-spending-in-state-ballot-issue-campaigns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">foreign interference</a>. While existing laws prohibit foreign nationals from contributing to political candidates, loopholes allow them to fund campaigns to dramatically reshape state constitutions and even rewrite foundational voting laws through ballot initiatives.
This loophole is already being exploited. One left-wing group, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, has so far taken over $240 million from a Swiss billionaire named Hansjorg Wyss, all while dumping roughly $130 million into ballot measure campaigns in 25 states. So long as this loophole exists, foreign activists and even hostile powers like China and Russia have a means to directly influence the DNA of our republic. This year, Ohio passed groundbreaking legislation banning foreign funding of ballot measures. 2025 should be the year that <a href="https://honestelections.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/HEP-Foreign-Funding-Model.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">every state follows suit</a>.
It should also be the year that states put an end to ranked-choice voting (RCV). Time and again, RCV has proven to be confusing, time-consuming, and prone to errors. Proponents claim it improves democracy, but in truth, it does the opposite. Voters must rank candidates, so voting takes longer, and the tortuous process of eliminating candidates and redistributing votes can lead to convoluted—and even incorrect—outcomes. In one glaring example, Oakland, California, certified the wrong winner in an RCV election in 2022. This year in <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2024/11/portlands-ranked-choice-debut-causes-voter-engagement-to-crater-1-in-5-who-cast-ballots-chose-no-one-for-city-council.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Portland</a>, Oregon, participation plummeted with 20% of voters leaving their ballots entirely blank in the ranked-choice race for city council.
Before the 2024 election, 10 states passed laws <a href="http://stoprcv.com/">banning</a> RCV. Left-wing donors like John and Laura Arnold fought back, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/ranked-choice-voting-ballot-measures-election-863d52ff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pouring</a> $100 million into RCV ballot measures in six states. Voters rejected them all, in red and blue states alike, while Missouri voters enshrined an RCV ban in the state constitution. But the cabal behind RCV isn’t stopping. They now <a href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter/2024/11/election-reformers-try-to-pick-up-the-pieces-00188355">say</a> they will lobby legislatures to impose what the voters just rejected. The best response from lawmakers would be to ban RCV instead.
That will keep voting simple. Empowering secretaries of state to <a href="https://honestelections.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HEP_Model-Legislation-Procedural-Audit_v3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">audit election processes</a> will keep them transparent and accountable. Process audits help make sure that election officials follow the law, that equipment functions correction, and ballots are being handled and processed properly. They go beyond merely confirming results; they evaluate every step of an election, identify problems, and help officials implement solutions.
Clean voter rolls are another cornerstone of election integrity. Outdated lists open the door to fraud and errors. States should require that officials check their rolls against databases like the National Change of Address registry, the Social Security Death Index, jury records, and the federal SAVE database to identify and remove people who have died, moved away, or are not citizens. Noncitizens should be barred from registering or voting in any state or local election.
Mail voting also requires tighter safeguards. Organized vote harvesting should be banned, with vote collection limited to caregivers, immediate family members, or officials operating in bipartisan teams. States should ban groups from sending pre-filled and unsolicited voter registration forms, as well as applications to vote by mail. Ballots should only be mailed if a voter specifically asks for one. Voter ID laws should be applied to mail ballots, and states should require that ballots be received by the time polls close on Election Day.
It is also time for states to reevaluate excessively long early voting periods. Voting early can be a valuable tool for increasing participation, but the demand for 30 or 45 days of early voting is driven more by a desire by left-wing groups to ballot harvest than any legitimate need for six weeks of voting. <a href="https://honestelections.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/July_2023_HEP-_Polling_Memo.pdf">Polling</a> shows that roughly 80% of the public favors two weeks or less of early voting, with weekend time, ensuring that voting is convenient and sane.
All of these reforms enjoy broad, bipartisan support with the public. No matter what the Left says, laws like these build trust and encourage people to vote. States across the country should make passing these reforms a priority in 2025. After all, no matter what <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/final-harris-rally-oprah-warns-trump-presidency-could-end-voting-rights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oprah</a> says, 2024 was not the last election in America. That means the work of building confidence in elections is never over.
* * *
Jason Snead is the Executive Director of Honest Elections Project Action.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Election-Day-in-America

Following Election Integrity Mandate, States Should Take These Steps To Secure Elections

2024 Election

Opinion

Ranked Choice Voting

United States

Voter Registration

Voters

A judge on Monday upheld a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/missouri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Missouri</a> law mandating that voters show photo identification at the polls to cast a ballot. 
Cole County Circuit Court Presiding Judge Jon Beetem <a href="https://www.courts.mo.gov/fv/c/JUDGMENT.PDF?courtCode=19&amp;di=3366631" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> that multiple groups that alleged the state’s voter ID laws were unconstitutional “failed to prove their case.” Beetem said Missouri’s law was a &#8220;reasonable&#8221; deterrent for voter fraud and did not violate the rights of those who challenged the measure. 
“Requiring photo identification at the polls is a reasonable way to deter potential voter impersonation,” the judge wrote. “It is not irrational or arbitrary for the State to enact laws that can deter voting fraud, such as voter impersonation.” 
The law, signed in 2022 and in effect for the 2024 presidential election, was challenged by the NAACP, the League of Women Voters, and multiple Missouri residents who claimed it imposed a burden on their right to vote. They argued the law would prevent many eligible residents from voting. 
Beetem was unconvinced, saying that Missouri makes it easy for people qualified to vote to acquire photo identification. 
“The State of Missouri provides free photo identification to individuals who wish to obtain it for the purpose of voting,” he wrote. “There was no evidence that any of the individual voter Plaintiffs were asked to pay money to obtain a qualifying photo identification from the State after asking for a photo ID in order to vote.” 
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He added that &#8220;any ‘harms’ to the organization resulting from the law are self-inflicted” and based on speculation. 
The judge ruled that these concerns do not trump the security the ID requirements bring to the election. 
“The State of Missouri has a compelling interest in promoting confidence among the electorate that the people who have voted in an election are the individuals who are registered and presented themselves at the polls.”
The ruling was celebrated by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who defended the law in court. 
“We went to court, we put on the evidence, and radical activists working to undermine our elections FAILED,” Bailey posted on X. “This is a HUGE win for election security.”
The order came <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/resounding-victory-judge-upholds-missouri-law-banning-trans-procedures-on-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the same day</a> that another judge in Missouri upheld the state’s law banning transgender procedures on minors.

Election Day Virginia

Judge Rules In Favor Of Missouri Law Requiring Photo ID To Vote

Missouri

U.S.

Election Day is nearly upon us and Democrats are finally telling Americans what their top priority will be if they win the White House and Congress this November. It isn’t securing the border, tackling inflation, or even enshrining on-demand abortion.
No, if Democrats win big in November, their first move will be <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4942046-voting-rights-bill-priority-house-democrats-majority/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passing</a> a new bill to launch a federal takeover of elections. Democrats have tried this before, repeatedly trying to ram through Congress numerous versions of a bill called <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1?s=2&amp;r=1">H.R. 1</a>, an 800-page grab bag of Left-wing election “reforms” that fundamentally rewrite the nation’s voting laws. Democrats claim this is just about voting rights. In truth they are once again aiming to launch a partisan power grab that sacrifices the integrity of American elections to give liberals a permanent political edge.
What might be in this bill? Based on Democrats’ proposals in the last Congress, Americans should be ready for the messy rules of COVID-style mail-in voting permanent. States would not only be required to offer no-excuse mail-in voting, but the option to permanently vote by mail. At the same time, it would be harder to clean bloated voter rolls than it already is, all but guaranteeing that people will stay on the rolls — and states will keep sending them ballots — long after they move or pass away.
Speaking of dirty voter rolls, Democrats want to require automatic voter registration, an error-prone practice that <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/automatic-voter-registration">half</a> our states currently do not use. Democrats know automatic systems register ineligible people. In fact just weeks ago, <a href="https://www.opb.org/article/2024/09/23/voter-registration-noncitizen-oregon-motor-voter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oregon</a> admitted its system automatically registered roughly 1,300 noncitizens. That’s why they slipped a little-known provision into H.R. 1 that prevents anyone, including noncitizens, from being prosecuted if they illegally vote after being automatically registered.
Their bill would erase laws against organized vote harvesting in roughly two dozen states. Democrats want to deploy an army of party operatives and union organizers to “help” voters fill out ballots, then collect and return them. The trouble is, vote harvesting creates obvious opportunities for voter intimidation and fraud. One shocking example: the <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/louisville/news/press-releases/former-mayor-of-martin-sentenced-to-90-months-for-civil-rights-offenses-fraud-vote-buying-and-identity-theft">mayor</a> of Martin, Kentucky bribed and coerced poor and disabled voters into casting absentee ballots in favor of her reelection. In North Carolina, harvesters tampered with or destroyed <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/four-people-plead-guilty-north-carolina-ballot-probe-2016-2018-electio-rcna49534" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hundreds of votes</a>, forcing a high-profile redo of a congressional election in 2018. 
Democrats’ proposals would have made voter ID requirements illegal, too. Time and again, ID laws have been shown to have no negative impact on turnout. Thirty-six states have ID laws and 90% of the public <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/overwhelming-majority-of-americans-want-voter-id-proof-of-citizenship-to-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">favors them</a>, but Democrats think they know better. Not only does H.R. 1 treat practically any document with a name and address as ID, it <a href="https://www.congress.gov/117/bills/s2747/BILLS-117s2747pcs.pdf">introduces</a> a bizarre new standard that lets anybody who claims to know a voter “for at least six months” vouch for his identity. Try that at your local bank.
<h3><a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH&#8217;S &#8216;AM I RACIST?&#8217; NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a></h3>
The problems would only get worse as elections draw to a close. Most states <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/table-11-receipt-and-postmark-deadlines-for-absentee-mail-ballots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">require</a> ballots to be received by the close of polls on Election Day, but Democrats tried to force every state to accept ballots up to seven days late. That’s the deadline in California, a state that routinely takes weeks to report results. If Democrats rewrite the nation’s laws, delays risk becoming the new national norm. That’s especially true as the Left nudges more people towards mail-in ballots, and liberal groups push <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-scam-gop-senator-blasts-ranked-choice-voting-after-alaska-democrat-wins-house-seat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranked-choice voting</a> (RCV) into more states. After all, with RCV, tabulation cannot even begin until every ballot is received.
The other provisions of Democrats’ voting bills are far-reaching, including mandates for 24-hour drop boxes with little thought given to security beyond labeling them “secure.” States must offer same-day registration, even though officials have little or no time to verify a voter’s eligibility before he casts a vote. New redistricting rules would give liberals the upper hand in drawing political maps. And campaign finance laws like the DISCLOSE Act would undermine Americans’ free speech and privacy rights.
To pass any voting bill, Democrats would first need to go nuclear on the Senate filibuster. Democrats tried to ax it once before, but two Senate Democrats — Joe Manchin and Kirsten Sinema — bucked their party and held the line.
But neither senator will be in office next year and progressives sense an opportunity. Senate Democrats and <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/24/kamala-harris-filibuster-abortion-rights-00180699" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kamala Harris</a> have made <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democrats-gear-overhaul-senate-filibuster-major-bills-win-2024-rcna152484" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eliminating</a> the filibuster a campaign issue. Once it goes, a federal takeover of elections, statehood for D.C., Supreme Court “reform,” and more all become possible on a purely partisan basis.
Ronald Reagan once observed that “freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” That timeframe may be generous. Progressives are signaling that our republic is never more than one election away from a fundamental reorganization.
When Democrats say that democracy is on the ballot, they mean it. If Americans want to stop Congress from rewriting out voting laws, the best thing to do this November is vote Republican.
* * *
Jason Snead is the executive director of Honest Elections Project Action.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Americans voting in an election

The Future Of Democracy Is On The Ballot

Democrats

Kamala Harris

Mail-In Voting

U.S. House of Representatives

Voting Bill

Voting Rights

Ninety-percent of Americans agree that only U.S. citizens should be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/elections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allowed to vote</a> in American elections, according to new polling first obtained by The Daily Wire.
Seventy-seven percent of Americans &#8220;strongly agree&#8221; that only U.S. citizens should be voting in American elections, polling conducted by CRC Research on behalf of the 85 Fund found, while 13% &#8220;somewhat agree,&#8221; 7% disagree, and 3% are unsure or refused to answer. Meanwhile, 92% of men and 89% of women agreed with the statement.
<a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.15%E2%80%AFPM.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-822393 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.15%E2%80%AFPM-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.15%E2%80%AFPM-1024x576.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.15%E2%80%AFPM-300x169.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.15%E2%80%AFPM-768x431.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.15%E2%80%AFPM-1536x863.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.15%E2%80%AFPM-2048x1151.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
&#8220;This poll tells us loud and clear that Americans continue to overwhelmingly embrace commonsense election rules like proof of citizenship to vote, clean voter rolls, and reject calls for all-mail elections,&#8221; said Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project. &#8220;Yet even now, liberal groups are fighting to stop states from removing non-citizens from the voter rolls and weaken mail voting safeguards. That&#8217;s absurd. Americans want elections they can trust, and they want states to take action to stop fraud and deliver secure, well-run elections.&#8221;
Broken down into political categories, the polling found that 95% of Republicans, 89% of Independents, and 86% of Democrats agree that only U.S. citizens should be voting in American elections, while 97% of people who identify as conservative, 89% of people who identify as moderate, and 84% of people who identify as liberal agree with the statement.
On the flip side, 13% of people who identified as liberals did not agree that only U.S. citizens should be allowed to vote in American elections, as well as 10% of Democrats.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
The polling also asked Americans about recent efforts by some states to clean their voter registration files and remove individuals who don&#8217;t appear to be citizens.
&#8220;Do you agree or disagree that states have the right to remove individuals from their voter list if they fail to prove their citizenship?&#8221; the polling asked. It found that overall, 84% of people agreed with that statement.
<a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.23%E2%80%AFPM-1.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-822395 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.23%E2%80%AFPM-1-1024x574.png" alt="" width="1024" height="574" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.23%E2%80%AFPM-1-1024x574.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.23%E2%80%AFPM-1-300x168.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.23%E2%80%AFPM-1-768x431.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.23%E2%80%AFPM-1-1536x861.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.23%E2%80%AFPM-1-2048x1148.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Broken down into smaller data: 86% of men, 83% of women, 93% of Republicans, 83% of Independents, and 77% of Democrats agreed with the statement, while 95% of conservatives, 85% of moderates, and 70% of liberals agreed with it.
The polling even specifically asked Americans about Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin&#8217;s August move to order the election commissioner to regularly update the state&#8217;s voter list to remove people who have been identified as non-citizens. Two lower courts ruled in favor of the DOJ&#8217;s request to block the purge, but on Wednesday, the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-allows-virginia-to-remove-non-citizens-from-voter-rolls">allowed Virginia</a> to move forward with removing about 1,600 non-citizens from voter rolls.
&#8220;The Department of Justice believes this is a violation of the National Voter Registration Act which does not allow states to conduct voter roll maintenance within 90 days of an election and is seeking a court order to require Virginia to restore voting rights to those affected,&#8221; the polling states. &#8220;Do you agree or disagree that a state should have the authority to conduct voter roll maintenance at any time to ensure only eligible individuals are allowed to vote?&#8221;
<a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.41%E2%80%AFPM.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-822397 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.41%E2%80%AFPM-1024x573.png" alt="" width="1024" height="573" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.41%E2%80%AFPM-1024x573.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.41%E2%80%AFPM-300x168.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.41%E2%80%AFPM-768x430.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.41%E2%80%AFPM-1536x860.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/Screenshot-2024-10-31-at-5.31.41%E2%80%AFPM-2048x1147.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Seventy-four percent of those polled agreed with this statement.
Youngkin applauded the court ruling on Wednesday, calling the news &#8220;a victory for commonsense and election fairness.&#8221;
“Clean voter rolls are one important part of a comprehensive approach we are taking to ensure the fairness of our elections,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We are pleased by the Supreme Court’s order today. This is a victory for commonsense and election fairness. I am grateful for the work of Attorney General <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonMiyaresVA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JasonMiyaresVA</a> on this critical fight to protect the fundamental rights of U.S. citizens. Clean voter rolls are one…
— Glenn Youngkin (@GlennYoungkin) <a href="https://twitter.com/GlennYoungkin/status/1851631305353482681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
Snead told The Daily Wire that the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling &#8220;is a win for election integrity and the rule of law.&#8221;
&#8220;90% of the public opposes non-citizen voting,&#8221; he stressed. &#8220;Despite a clear consensus, the Biden Administration chose to spend tax dollars on an eleventh hour lawsuit intended to force Virginia to add self-reported non-citizens back onto its rolls. When asked about that case, three-quarters side with Virginia and say that states should be able to clean their voter rolls at any time. By pushing to get non-citizens on the rolls, the Biden Administration is wrong on the law and on the wrong side of public opinion.&#8221;

Voters Head To The Polls To Cast Their Vote In The New Hampshire Primary

90% Of Americans Only Want U.S. Citizens Voting In American Elections: Poll

Virginia

A new survey conducted by a mainstream polling firm found that the overwhelming majority of Americans want key new tools to protect the integrity of U.S. elections, including <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/voter-id" target="_blank" rel="noopener">measures</a> championed for decades by Republicans.
The new poll from Gallup, conducted the first two weeks of October, found that 84% of Americans favor requiring all voters to provide photo identification at their polling place in order to vote.
The poll also found that 83% of Americans favor requiring people who are registering to vote for the first time to provide proof of citizenship.
X owner Elon Musk highlighted the poll in post asking, &#8220;why do &#8216;Democrats&#8217; oppose the will of the people?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Then why do “Democrats” oppose the will of the people? <a href="https://t.co/nEVSwGBpcp">https://t.co/nEVSwGBpcp</a>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1849475072974872721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
Support for both measures received strong majority support from Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.
Among Democrats, 66% supported providing citizenship documents and 67% supported providing a photo ID when voting.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1729077615157000&amp;usg=AOvVaw17Kprl74oE9DYOLREdiBPU">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28</a>
Among Republicans, those two measures received 98% and 96% support, respectively.
Among Independents, the two measures each received 84% support.
Early voting was supported by 76% of all voters, including 95% support from Democrats, 76% support from Independents, and 57% support from Republicans.
The most polarizing measure that was proposed was &#8220;sending absentee ballot applications to all eligible voters prior to an election,&#8221; with 87% of Democrats supporting while only 36% of Republicans also favored it.

US-POLITICS-VOTE

Overwhelming Majority Of Americans Want Voter ID, Proof Of Citizenship To Vote

U.S. Citizens

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis discussed his efforts over the weekend to make sure that his state has the most secure elections in the country this fall.
DeSantis told &#8220;Sunday Morning Futures&#8221; host Maria Bartiromo on Fox News that the state has banned ballot harvesting and imposed serious penalties for offenders.
&#8220;We require photo ID in order to vote,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;ve banned the use of Zuckerbucks, and we&#8217;ve been aggressive at policing the voter rolls so that we have accurate voter rolls, and when people have run afoul of our election laws, this election crimes unit we&#8217;ve created has been able to investigate, refer these people to prosecution, and you&#8217;ve had over 50 people just in the last couple years that have been convicted of various types of voter fraud.&#8221;
&#8220;In the state of Florida, we require voter ID,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;We also prohibit issuing any type of photo ID to illegal aliens, no driver&#8217;s license, no local government IDs, no private organizations are allowed to issue illegals photo ID, and we don&#8217;t recognize out of state licenses or any type of ID for illegals. What that means is it&#8217;s almost impossible for an illegal to register to vote. In some of these states where they do issue those ID cards, they can go in, and there&#8217;s really no check of the citizenship that has been done. So we&#8217;ve been very aggressive in ensuring that only US citizens are on the voter rolls. When we&#8217;ve identified people that have voted illegally who are not US citizens, we have brought prosecutions against them.&#8221;
He said that Democrats &#8220;oppose voter ID because they want there to be illegal votes. There&#8217;s no other reason.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This morning I joined Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures to discuss Florida&#39;s election integrity efforts. <a href="https://t.co/Fc8bK289Pc">pic.twitter.com/Fc8bK289Pc</a>
&mdash; Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1835330114134941937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The 2024 Republican National Convention

DeSantis: ‘Democrats Oppose Voter ID Because They Want There To Be Illegal Votes’

Florida

Maria Bartiromo

Ron DeSantis

Virginia this week removed more than 6,300 non-citizens from the state&#8217;s voter rolls as part of election security measures spearheaded by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
On Wednesday, Youngkin signed an <a href="https://www.governor.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/governor-of-virginia/pdf/eo/EO-35-Comprehensive-Election-Security-Ensuring-Legal-Voters-and-Accurate-Counting---vF---8.7.24.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a> instructing the Department of Elections to remove &#8220;non-citizens who may have purposefully or accidentally registered to vote.&#8221; Pursuant to the order, the state also identified and removed from voter rolls 79,867 deceased voters, and identified registered voters who had moved out of state.
“The Virginia model for Election Security works. This isn&#8217;t a Democrat or Republican issue, it&#8217;s an American and Virginian issue,&#8221; Youngkin said in a <a href="https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2024/august/name-1031585-en.html">statement</a>. &#8220;Every legal vote deserves to be counted without being watered down by illegal votes or inaccurate machines.&#8221;
Virginia does not require voters to present identification at the polls, which allows unregistered voters to impersonate deceased individuals or others on the voter rolls.
Youngkin&#8217;s executive order notes that it is essential for different agencies&#8217; jurisdictions to work together to ensure clean elections. Virginia identified non-citizens using information submitted to the Department of Motor Vehicles cross-referenced with Department of Homeland Security and Social Security information. Virginia entered into comprehensive data-sharing agreements with seven states and, has received data from 42 states.
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1723127970231000&amp;usg=AOvVaw04Igph3MeZNo0mmKzEoR_6">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR &#8216;AM I RACIST?&#8217; — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
Other states could have a harder time purging non-citizens from voter rolls, however, because &#8220;Virginia is one of only three states in the nation that require those registering to vote to provide their full 9-digit social security number.&#8221;
Youngkin&#8217;s efforts to secure elections come after the Democrat-controlled legislature created extended early voting periods and mail-in voting. Youngkin said drop boxes are &#8220;under 24/7 monitoring,&#8221; but still called for &#8220;strengthening state and federal law.&#8221;
His executive order said that absentee ballots must only be mailed when requested by a voter, and that returned absentee ballots cannot be counted unless &#8220;the last four digits of a voter&#8217;s social security number and year of birth provided on the envelope are matched to the voter&#8217;s record in the statewide voter registration system.&#8221;
The order also requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to generate a daily file of non-citizen transactions, and instructs local registrars to notify county prosecutors when they become aware of an illegal immigrant&#8217;s attempt to register to vote. The order made clear that Virginia&#8217;s Attorney General &#8220;has full authority to enforce election laws,&#8221; and that the state will use only paper ballots going forward.
&#8220;In Virginia, we don’t play games, and our model for election security is working,&#8221; Youngkin said.

Virginians Head To The Polls On Election Day

Virginia Removes More Than 6,000 Non-Citizens From Voter Rolls

Illegal Immigration

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