THE ELECTORAL COUNT ACT CANNOT SOLVE THE GOP’S ASSAULT ON VOTING
“If you’re going to rig the game and say, ‘Oh we’ll count the rigged game accurately,’ what good is that?. . . .It’s unacceptably insufficient and even offensive.” Sen. Schumer
QUICK READ: Manchin is reportedly working with Susan Collins on a bill that would strengthen the Electoral Count Act of 1887, correcting some of the flaws that nearly upended the Jan. 6 certification. While strengthening the Act is necessary, it doesn’t address the need that millions of people will be denied the vote in 2022. We need voting protections and must keep up this fight.
TAKE ACTION NOW:
BACKGROUND
America is facing a democracy crisis, but 52 Senators don’t seem to care.
The voting rights legislation that died in the Senate last week would have partially negated GOP manipulation of how votes are cast, in what districts they’re counted, and whether they even count
Now some of these same anti-democrats are dangling the possibility of a bipartisan bill reforming the outdated and ambiguously written Electoral Count Act (ECA) that governs how Congress counts and certifies Electoral College votes, protecting poll workers and election officials, and renewing state election grants—so they can claim to protect voting rights.
GOP plans to exploit ECA loopholes to subvert future elections certainly deserve urgent attention, and Dems should close as many as possible.
Towards this end, the House Administration Committee and Senate Dems will soon introduce ECA revisions blocking every pathway to subvert an election that Trump’s corruption exposed.
While making it harder to overturn elections, as Sen. Warnock reminded, they’d do “nothing to address the sweeping voter suppression and election subversion efforts taking place” nationwide.
Pro-democracy Dems must continue fighting to include as many provisions from the voted-down voting rights legislation as they possibly can as they update the ECA.
ACTION One: Call the Senate.
Script for Oregon Senators
SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753
My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Thank you very much for fighting valiantly for the voting rights legislation our country so desperately needs. As the Senate takes up the revision of the Electoral Count Act, to close the loopholes that Trump exploited in seeking to prevent the certification of the 2020 election, it is critical that you include as many provisions from the voted-down voting rights legislation as you can.
SEN. WYDEN: Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Thank you very much for fighting valiantly for the voting rights legislation our country so desperately needs. As the Senate takes up the revision of the Electoral Count Act, to close the loopholes that Trump exploited in seeking to prevent the certification of the 2020 election, it is critical that you include as many provisions from the voted-down voting rights legislation as you can.
Script for Republican Senators
D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].
A bipartisan group of Senators is working to reform the outdated and ambiguously written Electoral Count Act (ECA), that Trump exploited in seeking to prevent the certification of the 2020 election. If you care at all about the integrity of our elections, you will expose Trump’s “Big Lie” for what it is and enthusiastically support these efforts.
ACTION TWO: Call the House.
Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Thank you very much for fighting valiantly for the voting rights legislation our country so desperately needs. As the House takes up revisions of the Electoral Count Act, to close the loopholes that Trump exploited in seeking to prevent the certification of the 2020 election, it is critical that you include as many provisions from the voted-down voting rights legislation as you can.
Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)
Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
The House is working to reform the outdated and ambiguously written Electoral Count Act (ECA), that Trump exploited in seeking to prevent the certification of the 2020 election. If you care at all about the integrity of our elections, you will expose Trump’s “Big Lie” for what it is and enthusiastically support these efforts.
Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Thank you very much for fighting valiantly for the voting rights legislation our country so desperately needs. As the House takes up revisions of the Electoral Count Act, to close the loopholes that Trump exploited in seeking to prevent the certification of the 2020 election, it is critical that you include as many provisions from the voted-down voting rights legislation as you can.
Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Thank you very much for fighting valiantly for the voting rights legislation our country so desperately needs. As the House takes up revisions of the Electoral Count Act, to close the loopholes that Trump exploited in seeking to prevent the certification of the 2020 election, it is critical that you include as many provisions from the voted-down voting rights legislation as you can.
Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
Thank you very much for fighting valiantly for the voting rights legislation our country so desperately needs. As the House takes up revisions of the Electoral Count Act, to close the loopholes that Trump exploited in seeking to prevent the certification of the 2020 election, it is critical that you include as many provisions from the voted-down voting rights legislation as you can.
ACTION 3: “GOOD TROUBLE”
Below are opportunities to fight for our democracy. As John Lewis said, make some “good trouble.”
Learn about persuasive language and communication research at the Zoom ASO Movement Briefings every second Wednesday.
Join the campaign to hold the House and Senate at GiveNoGround.org
Oregonians must protect democracy in the House by replacing retiring US Representative Peter DeFazio with another Democrat, replacing Democrat Kurt Schrader, the “Manchin of the House,” with a progressive, and electing a Democrat in Oregon’s new Congressional District 6.
Demand your primary news source drop “bothside-ism” for truth.
Check out the Poor People's Campaign Readies 'Massive, Nonviolent' Effort to Save Democracy
Outside of Portland? Check out COIN Oregon
Center for Common Ground is starting new Reclaim Our Vote campaigns: TEXAS Primary is First! Writing to 730,000 Black registered voters in Texas, urging them to vote in the upcoming March 1st Primary. Only 1 in 25 Texas voters participate in primaries Postcards For Texas with Center for Common Ground. And phone banks!
Act for Democracy has a meeting on Tuesday, January 25, at 5:00 pm. Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan will be the guest.
Join Indivisible Oregon’s Policy Team. Email Bobbie Isaacman at bobbieisaacman@gmail.com
FURTHER READING:
Democrats Must Reform the Electoral Count Act and Pass Comprehensive Voting Rights Legislation
What Congress’s new election reform idea leaves out
The Electoral Count Act and the next steps on voting rights
Jan. 6 Panel, Senate “out of sync” on election reform
Opinion: A new plan to ‘Trump-proof’ the 2024 election quietly comes together
House panel issues first proposed reforms to Electoral Count Act after Jan. 6 attack
Scoop: House committee calls for changes to Trump-cited electoral act
Bipartisan senators turn to reforming Electoral Count Act now that voting rights standoff over
Opinion: How Congress can fix the Electoral Count Act
Voting bill collapses, Democrats unable to change filibuster
