January 3, 2023 – FairVote, a nonpartisan organization seeking better elections, celebrated the signing of the Electoral Count Reform Act as part of the congressional omnibus spending bill. The vagueness of the existing Electoral Count Act was at the heart of efforts to illegally undermine and nullify the 2020 presidential election. FairVote, along with other pro-democracy organizations, provided suggestions and analysis to both Senate staffers and testifying experts in the development of the Electoral Count Reform Act.

David Daley, Senior Fellow at FairVote, said: 

“The Electoral Count Reform Act will protect Americans’ votes and prevent future attempts to overturn presidential elections. The reforms make it crystal-clear that no one person – whether a member of Congress or the Vice President – can overrule a state’s certified election results and with it, the will of the American people. 

“These reforms are absolutely necessary in the wake of January 6, and the nomination and election of election-denying candidates to Congress as well as governorships and state secretary of state positions. Though many of these candidates lost their contests in 2022, not all did – and the threat to free, fair, and secure elections has remained. 

“The Electoral Count Reform Act is an important step forward, but it’s the beginning of protecting the freedom to vote, not the end. Congress and the states must do more to ensure better elections for all – including passing legislation like the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and ultimately the Fair Representation Act that affirm the power of every American’s vote.”

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FairVote is a nonpartisan organization seeking better elections for all. We research and advance voting reforms that make democracy more functional and representative for every American.