RSLC Election Integrity Commission Releases Best Practices For Making It Easier To Vote And Harder To Cheat
Report Highlights Existing Statutes From Republican and Democrat-Led States Across the Country
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Republican State Leadership Committee’s (RSLC) Commission on Election Integrity today continued its effort to restore the public’s trust in our free and fair elections by releasing its report on best practices drawn from existing state legislative statutes across the nation that make it easier to vote and harder to cheat.
The report, which members of the commission from across the nation have worked together to produce over the past few weeks, presents a sampling of state provisions and policies on election administration and integrity measures from both Republican and Democrat controlled states that are intended to serve as guidance for state leaders who are currently working to reform election laws in their respective states. The statutes in the report have proven their practicality and worth, embody the commission’s previously stated key principles, and increase voter access and participation without sacrificing security, accountability, and transparency.
“Rather than mandating a dangerous federal takeover of our elections system like the Democrats who control Washington are now pushing, our commission understands that action to restore confidence in our elections needs to be taken at the state level, as the Constitution grants the important responsibility of administering our elections to the states,” said Alabama Secretary of State and commission co-chair John Merrill. “This report will serve as a critical roadmap for policymakers in states that are looking for ideas on how to make their elections more free and fair. It’s our hope that each state can tailor these suggested practices to their specific needs so we can make it easier to vote and harder to cheat across the nation.”
“Many like to talk about broad principles when it comes to reforming our elections, but the devil is in the details,” added Michigan state Senator and commission co-chair Ruth Johnson. “This report was compiled by experts who have decades of combined experience administering elections and understand how reforms need to be carried out to ensure that security is never sacrificed when expanding voting access. It is a comprehensive framework that we hope all states can consider as they look to reform their election laws prior to 2022.”
The commission’s report examines three main areas of the election administration process and provides the best practices on 18 total topics. The following is a breakdown of the report:
The Pre-Election Period
Voter RegistrationPre-Election TestingPaper BallotsBallot TabulationVoter ID
The Voting Period
UOCAVAAbsentee VotingEarly In-Person VotingUniversal Vote by MailSignature VerificationElection Day In-Person VotingPoll WatchersVoting Centers
Post-Election Day Period
AuditsRecountsFunding of ElectionsVoter EngagementPoll Officials
BACKGROUND ON THE COMMISSION
The Republican State Leadership Committee, home to the national caucuses for Republican state legislators and secretaries of state, in February announced a commission to restore the American people’s confidence in the integrity of their free and fair elections by convening leading policymakers to share and discuss voter-centric current laws and future reforms that make it easier to vote and harder to cheat. The commission, co-chaired by Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill and Michigan state Senator Ruth Johnson, has been meeting each Thursday for the last two months to discuss election reforms that are being worked on in various states and collaborate on the report that it released today.
