Voting bill faces a divided Senate

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., likely won’t be able to drum up enough votes to avoid a filibuster, but the chamber will hold a test vote on the For the People Act on Tuesday. The Democratic-supported voting reform bill narrowly passed a House vote in January. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has submitted proposed compromises in an effort to build bipartisan support, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has said that no Republicans will vote for it.

What is in the bill? Proposed changes include standardizing election procedures across all states, expanding mail-in voting, and eliminating some Republican-sponsored voting laws. Democrats argue laws requiring additional proof of ID, limiting mail-in ballots, and updating early voter lists unfairly target minority and low-income voters. Manchin suggested making Election Day a national holiday and allowing alternative IDs. Republican senators say the election reform bill is an example of government overreach and a partisan attempt to gain an advantage in future elections.

Dig deeper: Read Harvest Prude’s report on the tug-of-war over Republican and Democratic election reform proposals.