House GOP debuts election reform bill

House Republicans on Monday debuted the American Confidence in Elections Act, or the ACE Act, at a field hearing in Atlanta. The act aims to establish nationwide safeguards against voter fraud. House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil, R-Wis., said the measure would allow states primary control over election procedures. It would cut federal funding to states allowing people who are not U.S. citizens to vote in elections. The bill would also support military voting overseas, block the IRS from targeting conservative nonprofit groups, ensure no federal funding is used for partisan activities, and create a Social Security database to ensure that names of deceased citizens will not be accepted at the polls. Steil said the measure could reach the House floor within the year.

Isn’t voter fraud a bipartisan issue? Representatives from both sides of the aisle acknowledged support for cracking down on voter fraud. But some Democrats said the bill would silence voters rather than quash fraud. Committee member Terri Sewell, D-Ala., described the reforms as “voter suppressions” during Monday’s hearing. 

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report in WORLD Magazine on vote counting errors in the 2022 Arizona midterm elections.