Thread by @DanWeiner329

Don’t believe disinformation you read about #HR1 (a/k/a the #ForThePeopleAct or #S1). Here are answers to some of the most common myths floating out there. brennancenter.org/our-work/resea…

No, #HR1 is not a “partisan power grab.” Key provisions like automatic voter registration, early voting and redistricting reform are based on policies Republicans overwhelmingly support at the state level, and under which they have done very well electorally.

It’s not a “federal takeover” of elections either. State and local officials will continue to run elections. #HR1 simply sets a federal floor for voting access, as Congress is explicitly permitted to do under the Constitution and has done many times before.

#HR1 doesn’t allow non-citizens to vote. It makes voter registration easier, but only for citizens. Dozens of states have already passed the same reforms and there is zero evidence of widespread non-citizen voting.

#HR1 won’t lead to more “voter fraud.” People already use most of the voting methods the bill requires in dozens of states, and have been doing so for decades. Yet voter fraud is so rare, an American is more likely to be struck by lighting than commit it.

#HR1 doesn’t give taxpayer money to politicians. It does include a new voluntary program to match small donations to candidates so that they don’t have to rely on big donors, but the program isn’t funded w/ taxpayer money. There is language in the bill that says that point blank.

Remember, $$ for campaigns must come from somewhere. If you don’t want billionaire megadonors to have all the clout, you need an alternative. #HR1 is the first serious attempt in decades to offer one federally + other corruption-busting reforms that voters overwhelmingly support

Of course, we can debate all this stuff on the merits. But it would be better to focus on what’s actually in #HR1. Here’s a decent high-level summary: washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/…

And if you want to take a deeper dive, we put together an annotated guide explaining each provision and the rationale behind it, with links to the actual text. brennancenter.org/our-work/polic…