A Pew Research poll found that most Americans support the voting provisions within the ‘For the People Act’, the pro-democracy bill Republicans are working to block.
A new poll out Thursday found many of the provisions within a voting rights bill congressional Democrats are looking to pass are widely popular with Americans, a sign the GOP outcry against the legislation has not worked.
The Pew Research Center survey found that “sizable majorities favor several policies aimed at making it easier for citizens to register and vote,” with 61% of voters supporting automatically registering eligible citizens to vote, 63% saying anyone should be able to vote absentee without an excuse, 70% supporting giving people their voting rights back after serving their felony sentences, and 78% supporting two weeks of in-person early voting.
All of those provisions are within the “For the People Act,” which House Democrats passed in March, and Senate Democrats are now rallying behind.
Republicans have vilified the act, making hyperbolic claims and flat-out lying about what the bill would do in order to justify their opposition to it.
Among the lies Republicans have told about the legislation is that it will allow undocumented immigrants to vote, makes elections more vulnerable to foreign interference, and rig elections in Democrats’ favor.
None of those claims have much merit. Rather, the legislation would:
- Require states to implement automatic voter registration for federal elections. That means anytime an eligible voter has contact with a state agency — most often the Department of Motor Vehicles — they are automatically registered to vote. If they do not want to be registered, they can opt out;
- Give money for states to use paper ballots to prevent foreign interference in vote totals;
- Allow anyone who wants to vote by mail to do so without needing an excuse, as well as require states to have early voting for federal elections;
- And restore voting rights to those who have completed felony sentences.
Privately, Republicans worry that making it easier to vote will hamper GOP chances in future elections.