Republican members of Congress want to change how D.C. residents vote.
The Constitution gives states the responsibility of overseeing local and federal elections. Congress can’t legislate how individual states conduct elections.
As D.C. is not a state, Congress has authority over local laws, including D.C.’s election laws.
House Republicans proposed a new bill they say would act as a blueprint states could follow for conducting elections, but the American Confidence in Elections Act would actually change several laws in D.C.:
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- Voters would be required to show a photo ID.
- Restrictions would be placed on drop boxes for ballots.
- The District would be restricted from sending mail-in ballots to voters unless requested.
- Same-day voter registration would be prohibited.
- Non-citizens would be prohibited from voting in local D.C. elections, which is set to begin in the next election cycle.
Previously, House Republicans with the help of Democrats including President Joe Biden successfully blocked D.C.’s revised criminal code from becoming law and have tried to block two other laws from taking effect.
Mayor Muriel Bowser, who recently testified before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee, sees the legislation as another step backward for D.C. home rule.
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“We need to fight back against any interference from people who don’t live here, from making the rules of our District,” she said.
The Republican chairmen of the House Oversight and Administration committees invited D.C. Board of Elections Executive Director Monica Holman Evans and former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to testify about the legislation.
The two committee chairmen issued a statement, saying, “Congress needs to get serious about election integrity and implement a comprehensive plan to restore confidence in America’s electoral process. The American Confidence in Elections Act is landmark legislation set to build voter confidence, equip states, protect Americans’ political speech and ensure overdue election integrity measures for the District of Columbia.”
While several years ago there were delays in reporting election results and more recently some issues with several hundred ballots being sent to wrong addresses, the District has not had any major election problems that would have called into question the validity of any election.
The congressional hearing is set for Wednesday. While Bowser has not been invited to testify, she said she plans to weigh in with members of Congress on the legislation.
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