China News Service, March 8th. According to a report by the US Chinese website, US President Biden signed an executive order on the 7th to use federal resources to protect and increase the chances of voters.
The executive order will instruct agencies to increase access for voters to obtain registration materials and reduce barriers to voting for certain groups, including military agencies, overseas voters, aboriginals, and the disabled.
Government officials said that the executive order was intended to directly respond to the riots in the Capitol on January 6, the allegations of vote fraud by former President Trump and his allies in the 2020 election, and the subsequent restrictions on voting rights by the legislatures of many states.
Biden’s executive order will prompt federal agencies to use websites and social media platforms to share information about voter registration and promote applications for mailing ballots in the course of their regular services.
The order also aims to revamp Vote.gov, the official voter registration website operated by the federal government, to improve accessibility and enhance user experience.
The rest of the order will focus on increasing the participation of specific groups facing barriers to voting.
For example, the order will direct the Attorney General to establish procedures to provide educational materials about voting to eligible voters under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The order will also establish a steering group for indigenous peoples’ voting rights.
But Biden's measures to improve voting channels will not replace state laws, because elections are managed by state and local officials.
After the surge in mail-in votes during the epidemic, Republican-controlled states are quickly moving to restrict mail-in votes.
Up to now, 43 states have proposed more than 250 bills seeking to restrict voting channels.
The swing states Georgia and Arizona have passed initiatives to limit absentee ballots and early voting.
On the other hand, Congressional Democrats have also begun to adopt reform measures to strengthen voting rights.
The House of Representatives previously passed a bill requiring states to provide the option of mailing ballots, opening early voting at least 15 days before the general election, and requiring the creation of online and same-day voter registration.
The bill also calls for the establishment of an independent committee to divide congressional districts to stop improper division of districts for one-party private parties.
But Republicans have united to oppose the bill. If all Democrats in the Senate vote for the bill, it will also require at least 10 Republican senators to pass the bill.
Biden has urged the Senate to pass the bill.