Election Day has long passed. In some states, legislatures are working to undermine the results
Source: AP
Updated 12:04 AM EST, December 7, 2024
WASHINGTON (AP) — While the election was over a month ago, voters in some parts of the country are discovering that having their say at the ballot box is not necessarily the final word.
Lawmakers in several states have already initiated or indicated plans to alter or nullify certain results. Republican lawmakers in North Carolina are moving to undercut the authority of the incoming Democratic governor, Republicans in Missouri are taking initial steps to reverse voter-approved abortion protections, and Democrats in Massachusetts are watering down an attempt by voters to hold the Legislature more accountable.
The actions following the Nov. 5 election continue a pattern that has accelerated in recent years and has been characterized by critics as undemocratic. “I think certainly when you’re a voter and you’re voting on the issue, you’re not thinking about whether someone’s then going to overturn or just ignore the things that you voted on,” said Anne Whitesell, an assistant professor of political science at Miami University in Ohio.
The strategies range from outright reversals to “slow walking” the implementation of voter-approved ballot initiatives, such as lawmakers refusing to provide funding. Whitesell said that was a prevalent strategy for some Republican governors and lawmakers after voters in their states approved expanding Medicaid coverage following the passage of the Affordable Care Act. The matter ultimately had to be settled in the courts, extending the lag time between vote and implementation.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/ballot-initiatives-election-democrats-republicans-lawmakers-d6d9807d3ef2c40b9aaa484057e77e2c
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