Strong Bipartisan Support as Electoral Count Reform Act Advances in Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a strong bipartisan vote of 14-1, the Senate Rules Committee advanced the Electoral Count Reform Act (ECRA) in the legislative process yesterday afternoon. The bill was supported by both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). In its current form, the ECRA has 11 Republican cosponsors and 11 Democratic cosponsors.
Trevor Potter, founder and president of Campaign Legal Center (CLC) and Republican Former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission, issued the following statement:
“The bipartisan nature of this proposal to bring the Electoral Count Act into the 21st century is significant and historic. It’s notable that in the last week, both chambers of Congress have taken significant steps toward updating the ECA. We commend the bipartisan, bicameral efforts that are underway to address this archaic law’s most serious vulnerabilities. We now call on members of the Senate and House to work together to come to a consensus and enact the strongest possible legislation before the end of the year. Partisan actors are already laying the groundwork to succeed where they failed in 2020, seeking opportunities to change the rules when election outcomes do not align with their goals. With the 2024 presidential election right around the corner, time is running out. An updated ECA is urgently needed to protect the will of the people. Congress must meet this moment.”
The Electoral Count Act (ECA) has not been updated since it was first enacted more than 130 years ago, and it is rife with imprecise language, gaps and ambiguities that partisan actors attempted to exploit as part of an organized effort to overturn the 2020 election. Although this plan failed, the obscure language of the ECA remains ripe for manipulation.