Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos

The top Democrats on three Senate committees on Thursday demanded their Republican counterparts hold hearings examining the impact of COVID-19 on elections following chaos at the polls in Georgia this week.

Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) sent a letter to Senate Rules Committee Chairman Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Homeland Security Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) asking that they examine election vulnerabilities after several coronavirus-related challenges.

“Nobody should have to choose between their health and their right to vote, and Americans deserve accurate information about our democracy,” the Senate Democrats wrote. “Primary voters across Georgia and Wisconsin can attest to the fact that failure to enact reforms and provide assistance to states will result in widespread chaos, the disenfranchisement of voters, and even voters and election workers becoming sick.”

Voting reform advocates and congressional Democrats called on Congress to step in to make election reforms and send funding to states to address new election challenges following confusion at polling precincts in Atlanta during the primary elections in Georgia this week.

The issues occurred two months after a Supreme Court ruling forced many Wisconsin voters to cast their ballots in person, with dozens of COVID-19 cases subsequently traced to the election.

Congress appropriated $400 million to states to address election concerns as part of the stimulus bill signed into law by President Trump in March, but experts estimate a total of $4 billion is needed to ensure elections can move forward this year.