Former Georgia governor candidate Stacey Abrams has stated that she supports Sen. Joe Manchin’s new voting rights legislation.
What We Know:
- Last week, Manchin (D-WV) stated that he would vote against the For the People Act, a bill being pushed out by his own party. This bill would guarantee “automatic and same-day voter registration, place limits on gerrymandering, and restore voting rights for felons.” He also stated that he wouldn’t vote for eliminating the filibuster rules because it has been useful in the past with maintaining Democratic laws in place.
- In response to his party’s bill, Manchin proposed his own updated version of the legislation, with a list of criteria that he would support. According to CNN, Manchin’s proposal includes making Election Day a holiday, banning gerrymandering, creating a mandate that enforces 15 consecutive early voting days or more, and enforcing a voter ID requirement that allows alternatives, such as utility bills.
- Abrams has said that she wouldn’t “explicitly” support the voter ID aspect of the bill, but she wouldn’t reject it entirely. She believes that Manchin’s voter ID requirement brings up a point that many have tried making for years, and that’s that people can showcase their identity in multiple ways. Abrams supports voter identification, just not the type that has harsh restrictions that turn voters away because they can’t prove their identity.
- Republican Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) still plans to vote against the voting rights bill. Even with Abrams’ endorsement and Manchin’s changes, he feels that it’s still “an assault on the fundamental idea that states, not the federal government, should decide how to run their own elections.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) feels that most New Yorkers would have an issue with the voter ID mandate, and she herself also disagrees with it.
- A few Republicans have named Manchin’s proposal the “Stacy Abrams substitute.” Abrams’ political pull scares the GOP; she was an integral part of Georgia turning blue during the 2020 elections, increased the number of Black voters in the state, and almost won her governor’s race. Abrams illustrates everything that the GOP is trying to stop with their own set of voter laws.
- Machin has received the backing of some Democrats. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) sees Manchin’s revisions as a way to bring Democrats closer to achieving their goal of passing fair voting laws. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) praised Manchin’s efforts to enhance the bill and plan to work through some of his main points.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) still plans on putting the For the People Act on the Senate floor on Tuesday for a procedural vote. Manchin has not decided on if he will vote for or against the bill, but he will continue speaking with GOP members in hopes that they back his revisions. Due to the filibuster rule, the bill needs a unanimous vote from Democrats and at least 10 Republicans to pass.
