FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans are rolling out a ‘tool kit’ for states that they argue will help strengthen U.S. election security.
The Committee on House Administration, led by Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., is introducing the Uniform State American Confidence in Elections Act, a package of recommended legislation for states aimed at increasing voter confidence in elections.
It comes on the eve of the 2024 election cycle’s first big test: the 2024 Republican Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15.
‘I’m focused on increasing voters’ confidence and participation in our elections,’ Steil told Fox News Digital. ‘By providing a tool kit of election integrity bills to states, we are going one step further in securing our elections and increasing Americans’ confidence.’
Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., chair of the subcommittee on elections, said, ‘Americans need to feel confident that their elections are secure, which is why we have compiled crucial election integrity measures into model state legislation.’
The package is not a set of mandatory bills but rather a ‘practical framework, drawing upon successful election integrity measures implemented in various states,’ according to a one-page summary obtained by Fox News Digital.
Some of the legislative recommendations include implementing voter ID requirements, banning ballot harvesting and stopping noncitizens from voting, among others.
It would also push states to ban private dollars from being used in elections. Republicans had pushed back on Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg after nonprofits linked to him and his wife, Priscilla Chan, saw grant money distributed to local election offices throughout the country during the 2020 race.
Meanwhile, Democrat-run cities like Washington, D.C., and New York City have tried to pass laws to allow noncitizens to vote in local elections, both of which were challenged in court.
The new bills being rolled out on Thursday are not likely to get much Democrat support. Democrats have broadly opposed GOP election security efforts, accusing Republicans of trying to make it harder to vote.
Republicans, however, have pointed to data that shows increased voter turnout in places like Georgia, which saw the number of people voting increase between 2020 and 2022 despite the state levying its own election security measures like stronger voter ID requirements for mail-in ballots and barring people from handing out food and drink to people standing in line at the ballot box.
