The Anti-Voter Suppression Act introduced by the Congressional Black Caucus and other lawmakers aims to rollback President Donald Trump's executive order establishing the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity that drew criticism for requesting a trove of voter information from states, most of which have refused to fully comply.
"Now, President Trump is requesting invasive and unwarranted personal information from voters," Rep. Cedric L. Richmond, D-La., chairman of the CBC, said when the bill was introduced.
Opponents of the commission fear the data gathered will be used to suppress votes. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., one of the lawmakers who introduced the bill, vowed the U.S. "not go back to a time when millions of people – most of them poor and minorities – were silenced through disenfranchisemen."
Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, assailed the commission for being "based on a lie," that widespread voter fraud plagued the 2016 U.S. presidential election. “In Hawaii, we have a word to describe this sham effort—shibai, or as it's more widely known, B.S. "
Only one state, Arkansas, complied with the commission's request for information, including names, partial social security numbers, voting history, and data regarding felonies.
The commission has temporarily put a halt to its data collection until a court can rule on a request for a temporary restraining order filed by EPIC, an opponent of the commission.
