WASHINGTON, D.C. (Michigan News Source) – Democratic lawmakers, including several from Michigan, are warning that President Donald Trump’s reported interest in imposing federal election standards amounts to an unprecedented attempt to “nationalize” elections. But critics note there’s some political déjà vu here.
In 2019, House Democrats passed H.R. 1, better known as the For the People Act – a sweeping federal rewrite of election law spanning more than 700 pages. The legislation would have created nationwide rules governing voter registration, early voting, mail-in ballots, redistricting, campaign finance and more.
A federal blueprint for state elections.
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This wasn’t minor housekeeping. Division A of the bill alone required automatic voter registration nationwide, mandated early voting periods, set federal standards for online registration, limited certain voter roll maintenance practices, and required independent commissions for drawing congressional maps. It also outlined technical standards for ballots and election infrastructure – placing Washington firmly in the middle of election administration traditionally handled by states.
Democrats yes, Republicans no – this time around.
When the bill resurfaced in the 117th Congress in 2021, it again passed the House along party lines. Michigan Democrats Debbie Dingell, Elissa Slotkin, Rashida Tlaib, and Haley Stevens voted in favor. Republicans, including Michigan’s GOP delegation, opposed it.
The measure ultimately stalled in the Senate when it failed to reach the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema refused to back changes to Senate rules that would have lowered the threshold and allowed the bill to move forward.
Trump floats federal election oversight in interview.
Now the political script appears flipped with Trump wanting changes in how Americans vote. Trump said during a February 2 interview with former FBI Deputy Director and host of the Dan Bongino Show podcast, “The Republicans should say, we want to take over, we should take over the voting, the voting in at least many, 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later clarified Trump’s remarks as support for the SAVE Act, a Republican-backed bill to impose national voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements.
Democrats argue that having national rules for elections would undermine state control and disrupt the constitutional balance – something they didn’t seem to consider when voting for H.R. 1. Republicans counter that federal standards tied to citizenship verification and election integrity are legitimate concerns.
Michigan Democratic politicians push back against Trump.
Gary Peters, one of Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senators, said about Trump’s comments, “The Constitution is crystal clear that states determine when, where, and how elections occur. This ensures the American people determine who wins our elections, not one small, powerful group at the top. This isn’t about making elections more secure, it’s about Republicans and Trump trying to tip the scales in their favor.”
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Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer posted on Instagram on February 4: “Let me be clear: any attempt by the federal government to take over Michigan elections should be viewed as an attempt to take away Michiganders’ constitutional right to vote.”
In the end, the broader debate appears to be less about whether Washington should have a role in elections – and more on who defines that role, and why.
