Members of Connecticut’s federal delegation say they’re concerned about election integrity ahead of the November midterms. They held a shadow hearing on the issue this week.
Shadow hearings are convened by the minority party, most often to bring attention to issues they feel are being ignored by the majority, or to shift the narrative on the issue. It was co-hosted by Rep. Joe Morelle (NY-25), Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration.
Election integrity is an issue that’s top of mind for both Republicans and Democrats — but in different ways.
Republicans, led by President Trump, have been trying to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. It would change how voter registration works, requiring them to present a passport or birth certificate to register.
Supporters have said it’s needed to keep non-citizens from voting, which is already illegal and rare.
U.S. Repr. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said the proposal is evidence that the president is trying to suppress the vote.
“He claims, loudly, repeatedly and with no evidence, that our elections are rampant with fraud and illegal immigrants voting,” DeLauro said. “The truth is that there are none. And he knows that. President Trump wants to limit access to the ballot box to keep himself and Republicans in power.”
Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas (D) was a witness at the hearing. Thomas said the SAVE Act would burden local election officials.
“There are only 17 towns in Connecticut out of 169 that have full-time registrars of voters, and the SAVE America Act would require in-person voter registration and any change to your voter registration, whether it's address, name, or party,” Thomas said. “So already, your municipal costs, your taxes, are going up because they now have to hire a full-time workforce.”
Democrats at the forum said that if they control the House come January, they’ll immediately begin pushing for election reform. That could include rooting out dark money, exploring public financing options like Connecticut has for state races, and imposing a broader ban on stock trading for administration officials.
