{"id":2339844,"date":"2024-09-11T16:02:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-11T20:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/state-officials-grilled-on-election-integrity-as-fraud-claims-persist-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-11T16:07:41","modified_gmt":"2024-09-11T20:07:41","slug":"state-officials-grilled-on-election-integrity-as-fraud-claims-persist-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/state-officials-grilled-on-election-integrity-as-fraud-claims-persist-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"State officials grilled on election integrity as fraud claims persist &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fstate-officials-grilled-on-election-integrity-as-fraud-claims-persist-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2339844&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>During a recent hearing, House Republicans \u200dgrilled state election officials about measures to ensure \u200cthe integrity of upcoming elections,\u200b particularly in \u2064light of \u200congoing\u200c claims of voter \u200bfraud stemming from the 2020 election.\u2064 Secretaries of State from various states, including Arizona and Michigan, presented\u200c varying perspectives; \u200bRepublican officials emphasized existing procedures to\u200c secure elections, while their Democratic counterparts highlighted the risks of perpetuating false\u2062 fraud claims and\u200d the importance of protecting\u200d election workers.<\/p>\n<p>Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose noted a disconnection between Republicans&#8217; focus on securing funding \u200cfrom Washington and the necessity\u2063 of improving \u2063both the security \u200dand convenience of elections. The hearing followed former President Donald Trump&#8217;s \u2063controversial comments about the 2020 election, which have been \u2064criticized by various Republicans.<\/p>\n<p>Election integrity measures like\u2064 the \u2063Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, \u2063aimed at preventing noncitizen voting, were discussed, although \u200battempts to attach it to \u200ca government spending bill faced challenges in \u2062Congress. Officials \u2062like \u2062LaRose and\u2064 Michigan\u2019s Secretary of\u2062 State\u200d Jocelyn \u2062Benson offered\u200b differing\u2064 views on the necessity of using background checks via the SAVE database to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wisconsin-election-bill-trades-security-for-speed-lawmaker-says\/\" title=\"Wisconsin election bill prioritizes speed over security, lawmaker claims\">verify voter eligibility<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Republican lawmakers expressed concerns \u2064over state partnerships with federal agencies, suggesting they could undermine confidence\u2062 in elections, while Democratic officials argued against the\u200b narrative of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-delays-trial-for-trump-and-other-defendants-in-georgia-2020-election-prosecution\/\" title=\"Trial for Trump and other defendants in Georgia 2020 election prosecution postponed by judge.\">widespread\u2063 voter fraud<\/a>, insisting \u2063that \u2063there\u2019s no substantive evidence of noncitizen voting. The hearing underscored a \u200bpartisan divide over election processes and the \u2062future of electoral integrity in the face of\u200b the \u200cupcoming 2024 elections.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Republicans grill state officials on election integrity as 2020 fraud claims persist<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1748571\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/house-republicans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>House Republicans<\/a> grilled a bipartisan panel of state officials on Wednesday on how they will ensure safe and secure elections as concerns about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/voter-fraud\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>voter fraud<\/a> in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2020-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>2020 election<\/a> persist into <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2024-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>2024<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Secretaries of state from Arizona, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, New Mexico, and West Virginia appeared before the House Administration Committee for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Eif2zfII1X8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>hearing<\/a> titled &ldquo;American Confidence in Elections: Looking Ahead to the 2024 General Election.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> in an interview after the hearing that he believes he and his Democratic counterparts are &ldquo;speaking two different languages.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It seemed like my minority colleagues were focusing exclusively on why they need more money from Washington to do this job,&rdquo; LaRose said. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s necessarily where the focus needs to be, but the fact is that we can run elections that are both secure and convenient.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>During opening statements, Republican secretaries of state focused on what procedures are already in place to ensure confidence, as well as arguing instances of election interference in the 2020 election. On the other side, Democratic secretaries of state focused on the safety of election workers and how perpetuating false fraud claims could be dangerous and damaging to election integrity.<\/p>\n<p>The hearing comes just one day after former President Donald Trump walked back his admission that he lost the 2020 election &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3141854\/trump-lex-fridman-podcast-interview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"by a whisker\">by a whisker<\/a>&rdquo; during the presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. Several Republicans on and off Capitol Hill have urged the former president to steer away from debunked claims that the last presidential election was stolen, a controversial opinion that led to the GOP underperforming in the 2022 midterm elections.<\/p>\n<p>Many of the secretaries noted that they have worked hard to make sure voter registration is accurate, removing anywhere from 500 noncitizens in Ohio to up to 800,000 ineligible voters in Michigan from voter rolls.<\/p>\n<p>Hovering over the hearing and mentioned by a few of the GOP secretaries was the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE, Act &mdash; a messaging bill championed by hard-line Republicans that would bar noncitizens from voting in federal elections, which is already illegal. However, GOP lawmakers have argued the SAVE Act can help boost state election divisions&rsquo; abilities to keep elections free from fraud.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Republican leadership had to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3150854\/house-gop-scraps-vote-government-spending-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>pull a continuing resolution with the SAVE Act attached from the House floor<\/a> on Wednesday afternoon after it was clear the measure would not have enough votes to pass the lower chamber.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>One aspect of voting integrity mentioned was the use of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/save\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>SAVE database<\/a>, which is a Department of Homeland Security service used to verify immigration statuses and acquired U.S. citizenship. LaRose confirmed in the hearing that using the database and cross-referencing with the state motor vehicle database helped the election division find and remove noncitizens from Ohio&rsquo;s voter rolls.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, argued that using the SAVE database in the way used by Ohio is unnecessary due to the audits that her team conducts to verify voters &mdash;&nbsp; a comment House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil (R-WI) took issue with, particularly when she said that voters are &ldquo;essentially verified&rdquo; at registration because they have to provide some form of identification.<\/p>\n<p>Benson took several hits from Republicans on Wednesday over a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3089138\/republicans-threaten-subpoena-biden-administration-voter-outreach-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>voter registration program<\/a> partnership between Michigan and the Small Business Administration. GOP lawmakers have blasted the outreach program as a political ploy to garner support for President Joe Biden in a battleground state that could decide who takes the White House in November.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;These agencies are using our taxpayer dollars to put forward a partisan get-out-the-vote effort, and they won&rsquo;t provide the strategic plan,&rdquo; Steil said. &ldquo;This administration, the Biden administration, continues to hide the strategic plan from every taxpayer in this country, and I think that does not encourage people to have more confidence in their elections.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) asked the Republican secretaries of state whether they had been contacted to participate in any federal agency get-out-the-vote programs.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We have not, and we have not had any evidence or reports of federal agencies in Florida doing that,&rdquo; Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd said. &ldquo;And if they were to request, we wouldn&rsquo;t allow them.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>LaRose responded and said that he led an effort to sue the Biden administration over the executive order, &ldquo;so I think they know better than to ask me.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Anthony D&rsquo;Esposito (R-NY) noted the millions of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-press-secretary-forgets-biden-signed-executive-order-to-resume-catch-and-release\/\" title=\"White House press secretary forgets Biden signed executive order to resume \u2018catch and release\u2019\">illegal immigrants crossing<\/a> into the United States from the southern border, arguing that &ldquo;we would be lying to ourselves to think that some of them are not going to take the opportunity to vote.&rdquo; All of the secretaries said that, with their states often having razor-thin margins in their elections, every vote counts and there is &ldquo;zero tolerance&rdquo; for noncitizen voting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In 2000, 537 votes separated President [George W.] Bush from Sen. [Al] Gore,&rdquo; Byrd said. &ldquo;Small numbers matter in elections. Our current speaker of the House lost his first race by two votes. If there were three illegal votes, that is overwhelming to his race.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>While agreeing with her counterparts, Benson pushed back on claims that there is widespread fraud in every election.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s no evidence that noncitizens are voting,&rdquo; Benson said. &ldquo;If they were, it would be easy to prove since voting records are public, and despite numerous organizations and money to try to convince people that noncitizens are voting, none of these groups have actually been able to provide any evidence of it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Ohio secretary of state acknowledged in the interview with the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that there is &ldquo;broad agreement&rdquo; across the political spectrum that noncitizens shouldn&rsquo;t vote in U.S. elections, but &ldquo;the question comes down to enforcement.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;So, this is, I guess, where we disagree,&rdquo; LaRose said. &ldquo;I hear people say all the time, &lsquo;Why are you still talking about noncitizen voting? That&rsquo;s already illegal.&rsquo; OK, we&rsquo;re not talking about making it illegal. It&rsquo;s already illegal. We&rsquo;re talking about enforcing the law.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I made the quip in committee that it is illegal to hijack airplanes. That doesn&rsquo;t mean we abolish the TSA,&rdquo; the Ohio secretary continued on the anniversary of the 9\/11 attacks. &ldquo;Of course, we have to have mechanisms in place to make sure that the law is enforced.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1748571\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1748571\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republicans question state officials on election integrity as 2020 fraud allegations continue House Republicans interrogated a bipartisan group of state officials on Wednesday regarding their plans to maintain safe and secure elections, amid ongoing concerns about voter fraud from the 2020 election leading into 2024. Secretaries of state from Arizona, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, New Mexico, and West Virginia testified before the House Administration Committee during a hearing titled \u201cAmerican Confidence in Elections: Looking Ahead to the 2024 General Election.\u201d Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, expressed in an interview after the hearing that he feels he and his Democratic colleagues are \u201cspeaking two different languages.\u201d He noted that his minority counterparts seemed primarily focused on requesting more federal funding for their roles. LaRose emphasized that elections can be both secure and convenient without solely relying on additional financial support. During their opening remarks, Republican secretaries highlighted existing procedures designed to foster confidence in elections while also discussing alleged instances of interference during the 2020 election. Conversely, Democratic secretaries concentrated on ensuring the safety of election workers and warned that spreading false claims about voter fraud could harm electoral integrity. This hearing followed former President Donald Trump\u2019s recent retraction of his statement acknowledging he lost the 2020 election &#8220;by a whisker&#8221; during a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. Many Republicans have urged Trump to avoid promoting discredited assertions regarding electoral theft\u2014an issue believed to have contributed to poor GOP performance in the 2022 midterms. Several secretaries reported efforts made to ensure accurate voter registration by removing noncitizens from rolls\u2014ranging from around 500 in Ohio to up to 800,000 ineligible voters in Michigan. The discussion also touched upon the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act\u2014a proposal supported by hardline Republicans aimed at preventing noncitizens from voting in federal elections (which is already prohibited). GOP lawmakers argue this act would enhance states&#8217; abilities to prevent electoral fraud; however, Republican leadership had to withdraw a continuing resolution linked with it due to insufficient support for passage through Congress.<\/p>\n<p>One topic raised was utilizing the SAVE database\u2014a Department of Homeland Security tool for verifying immigration status\u2014to identify noncitizens within voter rolls; LaRose confirmed its effectiveness when cross-referenced with state motor vehicle records for identifying noncitizen voters removed from Ohio&#8217;s lists. In contrast, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson argued against using this database as unnecessary given her team&#8217;s auditing processes for verifying voters\u2014an assertion met with skepticism by House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil (R-WI), especially when she claimed voters are &#8220;essentially verified&#8221; at registration through identification requirements.<\/p>\n<p>Benson faced criticism over a partnership between Michigan&#8217;s voter registration program and Small Business Administration outreach efforts perceived as politically motivated attempts supporting President Joe Biden ahead of crucial battleground elections. Steil accused these agencies of misusing taxpayer funds for partisan initiatives without transparency regarding strategic planning.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) questioned whether any federal agencies had contacted Republican secretaries about participation in get-out-the-vote programs; Florida Secretary Cord Byrd responded negatively while asserting they would refuse such requests if made.<\/p>\n<p>LaRose mentioned leading legal action against Biden\u2019s executive order related to voting rights enforcement as evidence that federal agencies likely wouldn\u2019t approach him either.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Anthony D\u2019Esposito (R-NY) pointed out issues surrounding illegal immigration across U.S.-Mexico borders suggesting some individuals might attempt voting illegally; all attending secretaries agreed every vote counts significantly given narrow margins often seen within their states\u2019 elections\u2014with zero tolerance towards noncitizen participation emphasized repeatedly.<\/p>\n<p>While agreeing there should be no allowance for illegal votes based on historical close races like Bush vs Gore or local contests decided by mere votes apart\u2014Benson countered claims alleging widespread fraudulent activity among noncitizen populations stating no evidence supports such assertions despite extensive investigations into voting records being publically accessible.<\/p>\n<p>LaRose acknowledged broad consensus exists across political lines opposing noncitizen voting but stressed enforcement remains key: \u201cWe\u2019re not debating legality\u2014it\u2019s already illegal\u2014we\u2019re discussing how we enforce it,\u201d he stated likening it humorously yet seriously backtracking onto security measures akin TSA protocols post-9\/11 attacks emphasizing necessity behind maintaining law adherence mechanisms effectively throughout electoral processes moving forward!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2648,"featured_media":2339845,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/frank-larose.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32644,40672,40671,32076],"class_list":["post-2339844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-election-integrity","tag-fraud-claims","tag-state-officials","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/frank-larose.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2339844","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2648"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2339844"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2339844\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2339845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2339844"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2339844"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2339844"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}