STATEMENT: KEN BLACKWELL, AFPI’S CHAIRMAN OF THE CENTER FOR ELECTION INTEGRITY, ON HR

Ken Blackwell offered the following statement: 

“HR 4 is simply another unconstitutional effort to take power away from the states and federalize our elections. It is truly unfortunate that the bill uses the name of a legendary civil rights leader in this way - especially when you consider HR 4 would destroy integrity in our election system - the very thing John Lewis spent so much of his life fighting for. The U.S. Constitution is clear, giving state legislatures the right and responsibility to set the laws for their electoral process. There is no question state legislators are in the best position to set election laws and procedures because they are closer to the people who can and will hold them accountable. This federal legislation poses a great threat to our election system by stripping away security measures and protections against fraud, and it would put all aspects of elections, even down to the printed materials that are used, under the control of the federal government. The Center for Election Integrity at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) believes Americans deserve laws, created at the state level, that make it easy to vote but hard to cheat. This one-size fits all federal legislation poses a serious threat to that principle and ignores the fact that one fraudulent vote is one too many. AFPI is proud to stand on the front lines to educate Americans about the threat that these policies pose and the critical importance of policies that put America first.”