Representative Pete Sessions has sponsored a bill in the U.S. House straight from the dreams of every election integrity patriot in America. Can it pass, and how effective would it hypothetically be?
The solution to Ukraine? Clean elections. The solution to the debt crisis? Clean elections. The solution to the border crisis? Clean elections. The solution to everything? Clean elections.
Corrupt elections are what allow bad policies to continue forever.
I would also make election day a national holiday with as much of the workforce as possible exempt from working, at least on the same level as Christmas Day.
I'm assuming that the following clause in the Constitution gave the Federal Government the authority to overrule the Southern state election systems during the Civil Rights Era, basically nullifying the 10th Amendment because it is specified in the Constitution. If so, the same authority should apply to the proposed, desperately needed election system reforms.
Article I, Section 4, Clause 1:
The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.
The Elections Clause gives state legislatures authority over Senate and House elections but allows Congress to regulate such elections and thereby override state election laws.
The U.S. Constitution recognizes that elections have their legal and practical origins with the States. The United States itself was created by the votes of citizens of the States. The U.S. Constitution also recognizes that, on all questions of Federal vs. State authority, the Supreme Court shall be the final arbiter; and, on the matters over which Congress exercises those powers specified in the U.S. Constitution, its laws shall be final.
Congress does not have the power to "override state election laws" for State elections; States have absolute authority over the rules for the elections for their jurisdictions. States have no authority over the Regulations for the Elections of Senators and Representatives. It may be inconvenient for States to have two balloting systems: one for their offices and one for members of Congress and the President; but that is what the People decided when they ratified our national law.
My point, as stated, was that Congress has the authority to overrule the State election systems as applied to the President and members of Congress, which I'm assuming was the justification for the federal involvement in the Southern states election systems during the Civil Rights Era. This would give the SAVE and MESA acts the legal authority to straighten out the Federal elections that states are responsible for running.
What can the Federal government do regarding elections for state political offices if the state elections violate the Constitution or Federal law, which almost certainly is the case, at least in the blue states where officials are "installed"?
The Constitution is tricky; it keeps failing to live up to any simple State vs. Federal divides like those taught in every law school. For example, Congress has unlimited power to borrow and tax; but it can only coin money. States have complete authority over their elections, and they can make rules that allow everyone to vote who lives in the state. Those rules do not violate the U. S. Constitution or Federal law because Congress does not have authority to make the rules for elections to state and local offices. Congress does not need that authority nor should it have that authority. The 24th Amendment abolished poll taxes for Federal elections: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax." Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections (1966) was the worst kind of overreach because it presumed to tell the States that they cannot have their own rules even when they obey 14th Amendment and apply those rules equally.
I defer to Capt. Keshel’s judgment about whether there are parts of MESA that are guilty of the same kind of Federal overreach.
Every one of your readers should be in 100% support of this bill.
I'm going to re-stack this one to my substack and share it on X and Gab.
Thank you for working with the two fellows that helped put this together.
The solution to Ukraine? Clean elections. The solution to the debt crisis? Clean elections. The solution to the border crisis? Clean elections. The solution to everything? Clean elections.
Corrupt elections are what allow bad policies to continue forever.
I would also make election day a national holiday with as much of the workforce as possible exempt from working, at least on the same level as Christmas Day.
I'm assuming that the following clause in the Constitution gave the Federal Government the authority to overrule the Southern state election systems during the Civil Rights Era, basically nullifying the 10th Amendment because it is specified in the Constitution. If so, the same authority should apply to the proposed, desperately needed election system reforms.
Article I, Section 4, Clause 1:
The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.
The Elections Clause gives state legislatures authority over Senate and House elections but allows Congress to regulate such elections and thereby override state election laws.
https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S4-C1-1/ALDE_00013351/
The U.S. Constitution recognizes that elections have their legal and practical origins with the States. The United States itself was created by the votes of citizens of the States. The U.S. Constitution also recognizes that, on all questions of Federal vs. State authority, the Supreme Court shall be the final arbiter; and, on the matters over which Congress exercises those powers specified in the U.S. Constitution, its laws shall be final.
Congress does not have the power to "override state election laws" for State elections; States have absolute authority over the rules for the elections for their jurisdictions. States have no authority over the Regulations for the Elections of Senators and Representatives. It may be inconvenient for States to have two balloting systems: one for their offices and one for members of Congress and the President; but that is what the People decided when they ratified our national law.
5 star comment
My point, as stated, was that Congress has the authority to overrule the State election systems as applied to the President and members of Congress, which I'm assuming was the justification for the federal involvement in the Southern states election systems during the Civil Rights Era. This would give the SAVE and MESA acts the legal authority to straighten out the Federal elections that states are responsible for running.
What can the Federal government do regarding elections for state political offices if the state elections violate the Constitution or Federal law, which almost certainly is the case, at least in the blue states where officials are "installed"?
The Constitution is tricky; it keeps failing to live up to any simple State vs. Federal divides like those taught in every law school. For example, Congress has unlimited power to borrow and tax; but it can only coin money. States have complete authority over their elections, and they can make rules that allow everyone to vote who lives in the state. Those rules do not violate the U. S. Constitution or Federal law because Congress does not have authority to make the rules for elections to state and local offices. Congress does not need that authority nor should it have that authority. The 24th Amendment abolished poll taxes for Federal elections: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax." Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections (1966) was the worst kind of overreach because it presumed to tell the States that they cannot have their own rules even when they obey 14th Amendment and apply those rules equally.
I defer to Capt. Keshel’s judgment about whether there are parts of MESA that are guilty of the same kind of Federal overreach.
Yes, it is crazy that election day is not a holiday, especially when early voting didn't exist yet.
Trade Juneteenth for 1st Tuesday of November. We don’t need divisive holidays and we don’t need any more either!
"It’s all about transparency, and up until recently, it was the Democrats who made the exact case I just did."
EXACTLY!
It was a HUGE mistake for Republicans to ignore their pleas, which are now gone FOREVER.
From your lips to God’s ears my friend🙏🏻🙏🏻
Ball point pens to mark ballots, rather than felt tip markers. Roller balls make a dimple to verify original ballots.