Rep. Barragán Votes for The Presidential Election Reform Act

Legislation would reform the Electoral Count Act to help prevent future attacks to Presidential Election results

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
22 September 2022
Contact: Kevin McGuire, 202-538-2386 (mobile) [email protected]

WASHINGTON, DC - Yesterday, Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44) voted to pass H.R. 8873, the Presidential Election Reform Act, legislation that would prevent future attempts to subvert presidential election results.

This bill is a response to the attempts by former President Trump and his allies to challenge the 2020 election results that led to the January 6^th Capitol attack. Introduced by Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Liz Cheney (R-WY), two members of the January 6^th Committee, the bill will help safeguard our election system against attacks on future presidential election results.

"After the 2020 election, we saw attempts across the country to invalidate the results of the election, culminating in the January 6^th attack. We must strengthen the procedure surrounding our Presidential Election results and ensure that bad actors, including sitting Presidents and other elected officials, cannot overturn the votes of any state's citizens." said Rep. Barragán. "Voting is the most important thing we can do as citizens in a democracy, and it is essential that our votes are counted and that the results of our elections are honored."

"Republicans across the country continue to intensify their attacks on our system of free and fair elections and threaten the safety and security of election officials. We need to update our certification processes and procedures to prevent any future attempts to interfere with the integrity of our election or our electoral system. It is now up to the Senate to pass this critical piece of legislation."

The Presidential Election Reform Act would reform the Electoral Count Act by:

• Reaffirm that a Vice President cannot reject or delay counting presidential election results,
• Raise the threshold for objection to a state's electors to one-third of both chambers of Congress,
• Set a deadline by which governors need to transmit their states' electoral appointments to Congress,
• Provide a federal judicial remedy should a state's governor refuse to certify results,
• Prohibit election officials from willfully refusing to certify ballots,
• And confirm that the rules of an election, including how electors are selected, cannot change after an election has occurred.

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Nanette Diaz Barragán is proud to represent California's 44th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Carson, Compton, Florence-Firestone, Lynwood, North Long Beach, Rancho Dominguez, San Pedro, South Gate, Walnut Park, Watts, Willowbrook and Wilmington. She serves as chairwoman of the House Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Border Security, and on the House Energy and Commerce Health, Energy, and Environment & Climate Change Subcommittees.