Republican Drive to Overhaul Voting Procedures Gains Momentum

Republicans aim to leverage their control of the White House and Congress to push through voting procedure changes like voter ID and proof-of-citizenship. They argue these reforms will restore public confidence in elections, though Democrats criticize these measures as restrictive and cite existing lack of proof of widespread fraud.

Republicans are fast-tracking efforts to revise the United States' voting procedures, capitalizing on their control of the presidency and both houses of Congress. Their focus includes implementing voter ID and citizenship proof requirements to supposedly bolster public trust in elections.

Critics, mainly from the Democratic Party, contend these measures are spurred by unsubstantiated claims from President-elect Trump about 2020 election fraud. They emphasize the need for expansive voter accessibility, countering what they label as restrictive Republican proposals embodied in the ACE and SAVE acts.

The legislative push may face hurdles as Republicans hold narrow congressional majorities. Democrat Joe Morelle emphasizes bipartisan potential yet criticizes the GOP for attempting to limit voting access. Meanwhile, Republicans defend the necessity of stringent registration processes to prevent noncitizen voting.

(With inputs from agencies.)