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CORDER: Mississippi is a nuclear option...

CORDER: Mississippi is a nuclear option away from losing control over its own elections

By: Frank Corder - January 27, 2021

There are tectonic changes to how Americans vote that are a nuclear option away from becoming reality.

Imagine states not being able to run their redistricting.

Imagine illegal aliens being able to register to vote on the day of the election.

Imagine no more Voter ID.

Imagine party operatives ballot harvesting thousands of mail in votes.

This is what Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in Congress believe, and they are well on their way to making it federal law.

H.R. 1, titled “For the People Act,” would in no uncertain terms blow up the electoral process in every state and shift nearly complete control of federal (and state elections) to the federal government.

That may sound dramatic, but the resolution is unambiguous.

Fox News’ Tucker Carlson did a concise review of H.R. 1 that is well worth watching.

States are constitutionally entrusted with the ability to determine qualifications for voters and set parameters to secure the integrity of the election process, while the federal government’s role is merely to receive the certified results of these state-run elections and either seat the officers put forth by the states or count the electoral votes presented to Congress to be certified.

But now, H.R. 1, backed with the full political power of the Speaker of the House and Senate Democrats, seeks to transfer an unprecedented amount of elections power from the states to the federal government, making the very reasons why nearly 90% of Republicans and even a fair amount of Democrats remain unsettled and suspicious of the 2020 election outcome legal through federal edict.

What is viewed by millions of voters as activities that corrode accountability in elections and encourage voter fraud today could become lawfully practiced and even encouraged.

Here are a few of the most concerning items within H.R. 1 that Democrats are looking to change in favor of federalizing the elections process in order to ensure that they maintain the majority for years to come:

  • Voters will not be required to show ID.  Instead, they can merely sign a statement to say who are, making it impossible to verify that voter’s eligibility and status.
  • Same-day voter registration will be required, leaving no time for state election officials to verify the voter’s identity and status.
  • Voting by mail would be authorized in every state and no state could impose restrictions on mail-in voting.
  • Upon release from prison, every felon would immediately be restored the ability to vote, a provision 14th Amendment has until now left up to the states.
  • An unelected third-party committee would be empowered to draw congressional districts, taking away a state’s ability to redistrict through their legislative process.
  • Paper ballots will be required in states, and those ballots should be counted by hand or an optical character recognition device, while providing the voter the opportunity to correct a mistake with the ballot but the ballot is not required to be preserved, making it easy to change ballots when no Voter ID is required.
  • The Federal Election Commission (FEC) would be reduced from a 6 member board, with three members from each party, to a 5 member board, allowing Democrats to control and weaponize the campaign finance oversight board.

These are just some of the “reforms” in this elections measure.  There are piles upon piles of more leftist garbage heaped high in this 600+ page “Democracy Reform Task Force” resolution.  You can read the talking points here from the author, Rep. John Sarbanes.

The impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump is currently distracting Americans and the balance of Congress from what Democrats are actually engineering in terms of policy.  It is all par for the course as it is exactly what Democrat leaders want the media to be chasing as the House moves forward with H.R. 1 while everyone is chasing squirrels and soundbites.

And it could very well pass. It is their primary agenda item, as you can see with it receiving top billing as the first resolution to drop in this term of Congress.

Given the fact that now Senate Majority Leader and fellow Democrat Chuck Schumer has stood by Speaker Pelosi at every turn, the likelihood of this elections package passing is quite high.  Schumer is considering using the “nuclear option” on a variety of items on the Democrat wish list.  That procedure would allow the Senate to bypass the 60-vote rule to close debate by a simple majority of 51 votes, rather than the two-thirds supermajority normally required to amend the rules.

President Joe Biden and Congressional Democrats are playing with fire and states like Mississippi are squarely in the crosshairs as they quickly move to remake America to fit their whims.

Mississippi has made great strides to ensure the integrity of the vote for all of its citizens.  Its Voter ID law has withstood the test election after election, with no federal critique to speak of.  We’ve had record turnouts with more people voting than ever.

If the U.S. House passes H.R. 1 and the Senate goes nuclear, the American republic as we know it will be changed for generations, further casting doubt on our elections, our leaders and our fellow citizens while making a mockery of the very democratic principles this nation has embodied since its founding and that has been a beacon for the world.

About the Author(s)
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Frank Corder

Frank Corder is a native of Pascagoula. For nearly two decades, he has reported and offered analysis on government, public policy, business and matters of faith. Frank’s interviews, articles, and columns have been shared throughout Mississippi as well as in national publications. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, providing insight and commentary on the inner workings of the Magnolia State. Frank has served his community in both elected and appointed public office, hosted his own local radio and television programs, and managed private businesses all while being an engaged husband and father. Email Frank: frank@magnoliatribune.com