Senator Baldwin Votes for Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act to Safeguard Presidential Elections

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of the second anniversary of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) voted to pass the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022, legislation that reforms and modernizes the outdated Electoral Count Act of 1887 to ensure that the electoral votes tallied by Congress accurately reflect each state’s vote for President. The bipartisan legislation passed late last year as part of the Omnibus Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2023, which President Biden signed into law last week.

“Two years ago, a violent mob attacked our nation’s capitol in an effort to disrupt the democratic process and overturn the will of the people,” said Senator Baldwin. “We must never forget that dark day in our nation’s history, especially as threats to our free and fair elections continue. The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act is a necessary step to safeguard future elections and restore the American people’s faith in our democratic process.”

The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act reforms and modernizes the outdated Electoral Count Act of 1887 to ensure that electoral votes tallied by Congress accurately reflect each state’s vote for President. It replaces ambiguous provisions of the 19th-century law with clear procedures that maintain appropriate state and federal roles in selecting the President and Vice President of the United States as set forth in the U.S. Constitution.

The legislation clarifies language in the Electoral Count Act of 1887 that was used on January 6, 2021 to encourage officials to interfere with the democratic process. Among other provisions, the legislation will ensure Congress receives a single, conclusive slate of electors from each state, clarifies that the role of the Vice President is solely procedural and that they do not have the power to determine, accept, reject, or decide disputes over electors, and raises the threshold to challenge votes during the joint session of Congress where electoral college votes are counted.

More info on the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act can be found here.