When it comes to voting rights, being asked to compromise is typically a warning sign. There is no middle ground between the arsonist and the firefighter. Just as we don’t ask the media to compromise their right to publish news stories, we should not require citizens to compromise their rights as voters. After considering the For the People Act this past summer, Senator Joe Manchin, along with other key Senate Democrats, used the August recess to draft a long-awaited revision of the landmark voting rights bill. The Freedom to Vote Act, introduced this morning, reveals a surprisingly good voting rights bill. It reflects a sobriety and understanding of the challenges facing voters that is worthy of its lofty name. It is not just a reformulation of the prior For the People Act, but in many places, it is an improvement. https://www.democracydocket.com/news/my-thoughts-on-manchins-compromise-bill/ For lovers of democracy there is a lot to like in this bill. Critics will no doubt say it is a usurpation of state's rights to make their own election laws. In reality what it is is a recognition we need to have some degree of standardization in voting laws to prevent partisan actors on the state level from tilting voting laws in their favor. The problem being Senate Repubs hate the idea of preventing partisan actors on the state level from tilting voting laws in their favor. So unless Dems can figure out a way to carve out an exception to the filibuster to get this legislation passed McTreason will block it. Never has there been a better argument for doing away with the filibuster, giving the minority the power to thwart the majority's will any time they please.
This will not pass unless the filibuster rule is modified or discarded. I can see one of two possible outcomes: either the rule is changed, or we will see Manchin two years from now apologizing for his mistake in defending it. Bookmark this post. I'll be happy to publicly retract and admit my failure if I turn out to be wrong.
To prevent excessive partisanship from dominating the redistricting process, the new bill imposes new standards prohibiting partisan gerrymandering. It also ensures that Republican efforts to rush new gerrymandered maps into place ahead of its passage will fail. Seeing as Repub gerrymandering absolutely makes it possible they will take back the House by cheating I regard this as the most important feature of the bill.
Anything designed to protect the right to vote is a good thing IF it doesn't compromise election security and if it doesn't come from federal government. The constitution clearly puts elections in the laps of the states. It would be fine for federal government to create a map to help states find the best balance between access and security and motivate the states to adopt it. It would not be fine for federal government to try to take over management of elections.
Everything designed to protect the right to vote is a good thing EVEN if it compromises election security. If a few thousand people nationally cast a vote illegally (though there is zero danger of ever getting to that point), that's a bad thing. But it's not going to alter the result of an election. If ONE citizen is denied their constitutional human right to vote, that's a tragedy and a crime against humanity.
