Indiana AG Says HR 1 Makes Opportunities for Voter Fraud 'the Law of the Land'

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said Friday that if the Senate passes—and President Joe Biden signs into law—the For the People Act of 2021, it will upset the delicate electoral balancing act between security and easy access to polls, and cement opportunities for voter fraud.

The bill, also called H. R. 1, passed the Democrat-controlled House on Wednesday on a largely party-line vote of 220-210, with all Republicans voting against it.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the only House Democrat to cast a nay vote, told The Epoch Times that his opposition was driven by constituents who were against the redistricting portion of the bill as well as the section on public finances.

The Biden administration, which has strongly pushed for the bill, praised its passage, saying the legislation is “urgently needed to protect the right to vote and the integrity of our elections, and to repair and strengthen American democracy.”

But Rokita told Breitbart News on Friday that H. R. 1 is problematic because it “basically codifies everything that was irregular or outright wrong or the opportunities for fraud during last year’s election and makes it the law of the land.”

The controversial election reform package, which spans nearly 800 pages, seeks to impose requirements on voting procedures across the entire country. Its provisions include transferring authority over how elections are administered from states to the federal government, mandating automatic voter registration in all 50 states, and legalizing nationwide vote-by-mail without the need to provide photo ID to obtain an absentee ballot.

“It takes out the balance between integrity and accountability and access to polling places,” Rokita said.

Another provision would do away with witness signature or notarization requirements for absentee ballots and would force states to accept absentee ballots received up to 10 days after Election Day.

“H. R. 1 makes photo ID illegal in the United States,” Rokita said. “Meanwhile, it mails out live ballots to everyone on the voting list—alive or dead—and it makes it much more difficult for states to take dead people off the voting rolls, to take people who moved away off of voting rolls.”

Biden has said he would sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk, which may be a tall order since the proposed legislation would need 60 votes to overcome the Senate filibuster, meaning 10 Republicans would have to buy in.

Republicans have roundly denounced the bill, with governors and state legislators across the country saying it would kneecap election integrity efforts.

Below are some of the key changes to election laws contained in the For the People Act of 2021:

Gives the federal government authority to administer elections: Although the U. S. Constitution gives states the authority to run their elections as they see fit, Democrats have interpreted the Constitution in their favor, stating in H.R. 1, “Congress finds that it has broad authority to regulate the time, place, and manner of congressional elections under the Elections Clause of the Constitution, Article I, section 4.”

Limits a plaintiff’s access to federal courts when challenging H.R. 1: It would mandate that any lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of H.R. 1 could only be filed in the District Court for the District of Columbia and all plaintiffs would be required “to file joint papers or to be represented by a single attorney at oral argument.”

Mandates automatic voter registration (AVR) in all 50 states (19 states currently have AVR): Democrats call this “modernizing” elections, meaning automatically registering any person that has given information to designated government agencies, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, a public university, or a social service agency would be registered. It mandates same-day and online registration.

Mandates no-fault absentee ballots: This provision would do away with witness signature or notarization requirements for absentee ballots. Additionally, it would force states to accept absentee ballots received up to 10 days after Election Day.

Prevents election officials from removing ineligible voters from registries or confirming the eligibility and qualifications of voters: The bill would make it illegal to verify the address of registered voters, cross-checking voter registration lists to find individuals registered in multiple states, or ever removing registrants no matter how much time has elapsed.

Restores the Voting Rights Act: This provision would require states to obtain approval from the federal government before implementing any voting rules changes. H.R. 1 would add a provision criminalizing “hindering, interfering, or preventing” anyone from registering or voting.

Bans state voter ID laws: It would force states to allow individuals to vote without an ID and instead they could merely sign a statement in which they claim they are who they say they are.

Ensures illegal immigrants can vote: The bill would shield non-citizens from prosecution if they are registered to vote automatically and agencies are not required to keep records of who declined to affirm their citizenship.

Allows same-day voter registration: “Each State shall permit any eligible individual on the day of a Federal election and on any day when voting, including early voting, is permitted for a Federal election—to register to vote in such election at the polling place … [and] to cast a vote in such election.” The section includes a clause that requires same-day voter registration to be implemented in time for the upcoming elections in 2022.

Requires registration for those under 18: “States to carry out a plan to increase the involvement of individuals under 18 years of age in public election activities in the State.”

Prohibits the publication of “misleading information” about elections: The bill makes it a federal crime to “communicate or cause to be communicated information” that is knowingly false, and designed to discourage voting, carrying with it a sentence of up to five years.

Allows felons to vote: It limits federal dollars to prisons of those states who do not register ex-convicts to vote. The provision is called the “Democracy Restoration Act.” The bill says that all felons can vote unless they are “serving a felon... (Read more)

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