After stops in Connecticut, California, and Texas, a series of hearings made a stop in New York to address voting concerns and protections amid what Democrats call the Trump administration\u2019s effort to cast doubt ahead of the midterm elections and seek more federal control over state elections.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The event was held at Rochester City Hall and was led by U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and New York Rep. Joe Morelle.<\/p>\n
Several experts spoke, including former White House counsel, the deputy commissioner of the Monroe County Board of Election, and a policy and litigation expert.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The topics covered included how local officials prepare for secure, safe, and accessible elections, misinformation, voter intimidation, and how voters can participate with confidence and what they can do if they face registration or other problems.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether it\u2019s the SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) America Act which would drop election administration, keep millions of eligible voters from the polls, make it much more difficult for people to register to their God given right to vote,\u201d said Morelle. \u201cWhether it\u2019s forcing states to comply with and hand over personal, private data. That\u2019s the Department of Homeland Security.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s clear is that they\u2019re not interested in a contest of ideas, in articulating a vision, and demonstrating to the American people that they actually have a track record of success because they know that\u2019s a non-starter,\u201d said Jeffries. \u201cSo unfortunately, Republicans have concluded led by Donald Trump that their best course of action when it comes to the midterm elections is to suppress the vote, intimidate voters, all they can to potentially rig the outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since April, House Democratic leaders have been holding a series of voter protection hearings to inform voters.<\/p>\n
They come at a time when Trump and members of his administration are casting doubts on the voting process.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month the president held a primetime address to question the legitimacy of state elections and a day later, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin held a press conference pledging to aggressively pursue voter fraud cases.<\/p>\n
This week, the president is asking the Supreme Court to allow his administration to move forward with putting in place a sweeping executive order aimed at mail-in voting that lower courts have blocked in nearly two dozen states which is setting up a major elections dispute at the high court with midterm elections just around the corner.<\/p>\n