U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Mobile) is seeking a legislative solution to address what he sees as issues that occurred during the 2020 general election.
The congressman recently announced that he was cosponsoring the American Confidence in Elections Act (ACE), put forth by U.S. Reps. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) and Bryan Steil (R-Wis.).
The bill was crafted as the Republican alternative to the Democrat-sponsored “For the People Act” (H.R. 1) and the “John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act” (H.R. 4).
Thanks to @RepJerryCarl for cosponsoring the #ACEAct, legislation that will empower states with tools to restore election integrity!https://t.co/AXoNLZ6x4M
— House Admin. Committee GOP (@HouseAdmnGOP) August 17, 2022
“There’s no doubt the 2020 elections had issues,” Carl said in a statement, “which is why the ACE Act is critical to restoring our election integrity by providing states with important tools to help with the delivery of ballots, verification of signatures, using voter ID, giving observers access to the process, updating voter lists, and conducting post-election audits.”
The South Alabama congressman stated his belief that the opposing party was working adamantly to undermine the integrity of U.S. elections.
“With the Democrats’ constant attacks on the integrity of our federal elections, I’m proud to join my colleagues on this important effort to strengthen our elections and guarantee their security,” continued Carl. “Our elections should always be free, fair, and secure, and this legislation will go a long way to ensuring Americans that their vote matters. It’s time to restore confidence in our elections.”
According to the summary of the bill, the measure “focuses on strong election integrity reforms that meet the moment while respecting the Constitution, federalism, and conservative principles.”
The summary continues, “Further, the ACE Act continues to address disappointing challenges faced by military and overseas voters and makes the biggest legislative effort in a generation to protect political speech in a climate where Democrats are doing everything in their power to silence conservative voices.”
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill also endorsed the bill, saying in a statement, “The ACE Act provides states with the necessary tools to bolster election integrity, bans non-citizen voting, helps states strengthen their voter ID measures, and protects free speech by preventing the establishment of a ‘Misinformation Czar.'”
“Additionally, this legislation will create a forum for the bipartisan discussion of best election practices between states, and provides model legislation for state legislatures to consider as well as other election transparency and security reforms,” added Merrill.
The ACE Act prohibits the following:
- Non-citizens from voting and allows states to use REAL ID as proof of citizenship
- Same-day registration and ballot harvesting
- Federal funds for payments in support of congressional campaigns
- Contributions and donations by foreign nationals in connection with ballot initiatives
- Funding for a potential “Disinformation Governance Board”
The ACE Act requires the following:
- Photo ID to vote in person or request an absentee ballot
- Annual list maintenance
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” Weekdays 9-11am on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.