The American election system has been radically changed ever since 2020. Mail-in voting and the advent of “election months” in states has left many with a bitter taste in their mouth.
But elections will never be the same if these Democrats get their way.
In the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, fears over COVID-19 drove many states to adopt completely new election systems.
For centuries, Americans lined up at the polls on election day to cast their ballot – only reasons like disability, college, or military service allowed you to vote by mail.
But that changed when nearly every state allowed mail-in voting in some shape or form.
Unfortunately, concerns over election integrity surrounded the tallying of the votes in the 2020 election, and Republicans have led the charge in trying to revert to the traditional system.
But Democrats have other plans. They not only want mail-in voting across the board, they want to force everyone to vote.
More than a dozen Democrats in Washington state have sponsored legislation that would make voting in the state mandatory for all residents.
The bill, filed by Democratic state Sen. Sam Hunt and co-sponsored by 13 others, would compel every Washington state resident who is eligible to vote to either register to vote or receive a dispensation from the requirement.
According to the measure, each registered voter must thereafter return a ballot at each primary and general election.
According to the Senate bill report, a person is not obliged to submit a justification for requesting a waiver to vote, and voters are not compelled to select any candidates for any position, but they must return the ballot to be in accordance with the law.
There are no consequences for failing to return a ballot.
“People must register for the selective service, serve on a jury, and pay taxes; they should also be required to cast a ballot,” the law adds.
“Civic duty voting declares that everyone counts and that everyone has a responsibility to have their vote counted.”
On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on State Government and Elections held a public hearing on the bill.
During the hearing, Republican state Sen. Phil Fortunato objected to the plan, saying forcing individuals to vote “rubs [him] the wrong way.”
“This is another requirement that we are forcing on the electorate,” he explained. “This should be a proud moment for you. This is something that people should desire to do.”
“This is the United States of America for a little while longer, and in that situation, we should not be compelled to do something that we may or may not want to do,” he added. “Just like we shouldn’t be compelled to have to speak or to not speak.”
On Jan. 10, a parallel bill submitted by Democratic state Rep. Sharlett Mena and co-sponsored by three others in the state House was referred to the State Government and Tribal Relations Committee.
After states proved they are unable to deliver a timely result with the current mail-in system, it’s anybody’s guess why Democrats want more ballots circulating.
Stay tuned to DC Daily Journal.
