Liz Cheney Introduces Bill To Prevent Stolen Elections—Here’s How It Would Work

The bill by Cheney and Lofgren would set the stage for a vote as early as this week in order to prevent another post- election debacle.

The Presidential Election Reform Act would make it clear that the vice president can only be a minister when Congress counts electoral votes.

If a state casts its electoral votes illegally or picks a candidate who isn't qualified for the presidency, members of Congress can object, but only if a third of the House and Senate agree.

The bill would prevent state lawmakers from changing their policies if one of them won the election.

If a governor violates the law, a court can order a different official to certify the election.

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The presidential election reform act could move quickly. The bill is expected to be taken up by the House Rules Committee on Tuesday and a vote could be taken this week, according to reports.

It is not clear how the Presidential Election Reform Act will be reconciled with the Senate's attempts to modify election laws. The bill introduced by Manchin and Collins is slightly different from the Cheney-Lofgren bill. The Senate is expected to take up the Manchin-Collins legislation after the November elections, despite the fact that at least 10 Republicans have indicated support for it.

Key Background

The nation's byzantine election laws were exposed as a result of Trump trying to overturn his 2020 loss. With baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, Trump and his allies pushed swing state lawmakers to block the certification of President Joe Biden's state-level wins. Hundreds of Trump's supporters would riot in the Capitol during a joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021. Some of the confusion was caused by the Electoral Count Act of 1886, which set procedures for Congress to certify presidential races but has been derided as "hopelessly incomprehensible" Both parties have shown willingness to reform and clarify the Electoral Count Act, which was written after the 1876 election.

Tangent

The push to reform the electoral process could be one of Cheney's final acts before she leaves Congress. The daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney was ostracized by the party after she voted to impeach Trump over the January 6 riot and joined a House committee to investigate him. Since losing her primary in August, Cheney has pledged to do "whatever it takes" to prevent Trump from taking the presidency in four years.

The Supreme Court is considering a case that could make it easier for state lawmakers to overturn election results. The "independent state legislature" doctrine claims that the Constitution gave state lawmakers the sole power to set election policies and superseding state courts. The high court could allow the legislature to change voting rules.