Merrick Garland to the rescue

| 10:30 am EDT June 28, 2021
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Republicans do not want the feds involved in state elections because they are busy stacking the deck in favor of themselves. Attorney General Merrick Garland is having none of that, as he announced last week that they are suing the State of Georgia in response to its suppressive voter tactics. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp threw a hissy fit. Christian Post quoted Kemp’s reaction to the news, which he claimed stems from “the lies and misinformation the Biden administration has pushed against Georgia’s Election Integrity Act from the start.” Kemp and every other Republican out there responsible for rewriting their election laws need to stop this nonsense. Their laws stem from lies and misinformation from Donald Trump and the entire Republican hypocrisy that came out of the 2020 election. They are quick to use words on others that they should be using on themselves.

Garland’s actions came not a moment too soon. According to Salon, most of the new voter laws also seek to keep Democrats out of the election process by replacing existing election officials. This is the worst part of these new laws, and most people are missing it. Under these new laws, the people who normally oversee elections—secretaries of state—are being stripped of that power, giving Republicans the opportunity to do whatever they wish with votes. They can declare some of them illegal, fake, or whatever new code word they come up with, giving them the ability to throw out votes and overturn elections in their favor. To combat this sneaky trick, several House and Senate Democrats have proposed the Preventing Election Subversion Act, which is designed to protect election officials by barring removals without cause. Say what you will, but Democrats—even with their slim margins in the Senate and House—are doing everything they can to protect our right to vote.

In Georgia, his fellow Republicans have stripped Brad Raffensperger of his duty to oversee elections because he refused to cheat for Trump. Yet, Raffensperger has been openly vocal about his disdain for Merrick Garland’s lawsuit. It should not bother him either way since he no longer has power, but that is a Republican for you. They stick together even as they stick it to each other. Salon reported that Republicans in Arizona are similarly trying to strip Katie Hobbs of her power. Secretary of State Jena Griswold (CO) told salon: “Voters elected secretaries of state to administer elections, and it shows that the partisan insiders pushing these measures do not trust voters and are trying to tilt future elections in their favor.” It is not that they do not trust voters; they just want to make sure the vote goes their way. Without stacking the deck, Republicans cannot ensure their election to office, so they are doing everything in their power to make it happen.

We do not yet know whether the DOJ lawsuit against Georgia will be successful, but it is a step in the right direction. Even as Republicans try to force themselves into power, Merrick Garland has our backs.