A group of state attorney generals have warned the Justice Department not to go ahead with plans that claim, Attorney General Merrick Garland hinted to “intrude” on their states’ authority to hold elections.
The group of 16 GOP prosecutors, led by Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita of Indiana, penned a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday. In it, they derided his comments at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Selma, Alabama, on March 10.
Garland’s “Bloody Sunday” Visit
Garland, with Vice President Kamala Harris, went to the historic city to remember the 59th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday.”
This event in 1965 saw Selma police officers attack demonstrators crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge during the African American civil rights movement. At the Tabernacle Baptist Church, Garland talked about how “the right to vote is still being threatened.”
Attorney General Criticized For Election Comments
He had said in his address that “democracy” is under siege from “discriminatory, burdensome, and unnecessary restrictions on access to the ballot.”
“The DOJ has no authority to dictate to the states in matters that concern their sovereign right to ensure safe, secure, and free elections,” the letter says.
Garland Bolsters Voting Rights Efforts Amid Concerns Of Restrictions
Back in March, Garland initiated the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. He also said that he doubled the number of lawyers in the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division.
“The right to vote is still under attack,” Garland said last month. “That is why we are challenging efforts by states and jurisdictions to implement discriminatory, burdensome, and unnecessary restrictions on access to the ballot, including those related to mail-in voting, the use of drop boxes, and voter ID requirements.”
Garland’s Actions Will Cause ‘Weaponization’ Against States, AGs Say
He stated that their efforts include preventing the implementation of discriminatory redistricting plans that diminish the voting power of Black voters and other voters of color. Also, they are ensuring accountability for jurisdictions that do not offer accessible vote centers for voters with disabilities.
In their letter, the AGs wrote that Garland’s actions would lead to a “weaponization” against the states and that his “views about elections are not only a serious threat to the principles of federalism and separation of powers but also to democracy and the rule of law.”
State Attorneys Vow To Protect Election Laws
They wrote that even though they’re unsure of the DOJ’s plan with its many election lawyers, they’re determined to strongly protect their election laws. They won’t let intimidation and fear take over what the people want.
Rokita told Fox News Digital, “The Biden administration is weaponizing the U.S. Department of Justice against the states.” He said this endangers democracy, election fairness, and the law. They’ll “stand up and defend” their authority within American federalism.
AGs Challenge Garland’s Stance On Voter ID
He said that with “voter confidence at an all-time low”, the U.S. Department of Justice ought to support voter security measures rather than deriding states that enforce them. He also suggested that the DOJ should also respect the “constitutional provisions that grant states the responsibility of regulating elections.”
The AGs said that Garland’s opinion on voter ID—that it is an “unnecessary restriction on access to the ballot”—is just plain wrong. “On the contrary, voter ID laws prevent voter fraud by stopping those who attempt to impersonate others at the polls,” they wrote.
Voter ID Not A Problem
The AGs mentioned that the U.S. Supreme Court has okayed the use of voter ID laws and declared them constitutional. They also do not make voting any more difficult for voters. They also wrote that “voter fraud and voter impersonation is very real and occurs frequently.”
The AGs also disagreed with Garland’s claim that some states have enforced “unnecessary restrictions” regarding absentee voting, including “mail-in voting” and “the use of drop boxes.”
Mail-In Voting And Drop Boxes Not Secure, AGs Say
In the letter, they noted that there are lots of security risks that come with the use of mail-in voting and drop boxes and that these voting methods have led to the “proliferation of election fraud.”
Garland has also claimed that the Voting Rights Act has been “drastically weakened” with an “increase in legislative measures that make it harder for millions of eligible voters to vote and to elect the representatives of their choice.” And yet again, they countered this statement in their letter.
The Voting Rights Act Is Not Under Attack!
“This statement is factually incorrect,” the AGs wrote. “The Voting Rights Act is not under attack. Election security measures passed by state governments do not ‘make voting more difficult,’ nor are they dismantling the right to vote.
They wrote that rather, common sense election laws give credence to the electoral process and help ensure that free and fair elections are held among the states, with voter fraud an actual problem.
DOJ’s Actions Could Lead To Increased Distrust In Electoral System
They also made reference to the last elections held in 2020 and mentioned that it “generated mass confusion and distrust in the system,”
“Public confidence in our election system is at a record low with more than 30% of the electorate believing that the 2020 election was stolen due to voter fraud. By using the DOJ against the states, you continue to sow the seeds of distrust among the American electorate,” they wrote.
Garland’s Methods Faces Criticisms From MAGA
All of those methods of expanding voting access listed by Garland—mail-in voting, drop boxes, Voter ID requirements—have very often faced scrutiny from Republican-led governments.
Their later attempts to limit them have been criticized for trying to make it harder for mainly marginalized communities to vote.
Trump Blames Election Methods For Loss
Former President Donald Trump has piled in with more criticism for these methods more recently, falsely claiming that his opponents used them to commit widespread voter fraud, which he blames as the reason for his loss to President Joe Biden in the last elections.
Despite being widely debunked by Democrats and independent experts, these ideas have been embraced by supporters of his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement, who reacted angrily to Garland’s comments from Sunday.
Social Media Reactions To Garland’s Comments
“Merrick Garland makes it clear the Biden regime intends to cheat in the 2024 election,” former Fox News producer Kyle Becker wrote in a post to X, formerly Twitter.
“The Biden AG said election integrity measures like voter IDs & dropbox bans are ‘discriminatory, burdensome & unnecessary.’ This is how cheaters talk. The fix is in.”
