Westerman Introduces Voter ID Act

Press Release

Today, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) introduced the Verification and Oversight for Transparent Elections, Registration, and Identification (VOTER ID) Act. U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers (R-AL), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Brian Mast (R-FL), Randy Weber (R-TX), and Rick Crawford (R-AR) joined the bill as original cosponsors.

"The right to vote is a hard-won freedom that must be protected at all costs. The American people deserve to be confident in their election systems and assured that their votes count," Westerman said. "The VOTER ID Act ensures states run transparent, fair elections, abiding by all applicable state and federal election laws, and empowers residents of each state to hold their elected leaders accountable. Every American has a vested interest in election security, regardless of political affiliation. I am confident that increased election transparency will help heal today's partisan climate."

"I am proud to cosponsor this important bill," Rogers said. "While House Democrats try and take over our elections federally, we've introduced a bill to actually solve problems with our elections. States should be empowered to continue our American tradition of free and fair elections."

"The VOTER ID Act is a commonsense solution that will provide transparency in federal elections, instill confidence in voters and hold states accountable to their citizens so we can bring back voter confidence in our elections," said Mast.

"The legitimacy of our republic--soon to celebrate two and a half centuries as a beacon of freedom--rests on the foundation that our elections are transparent, fairly administered, and above board," said Weber. "Just as Americans from either side of the aisle are losing faith in our electoral process, the VOTER ID Act implements transparency and audit procedures that aim to restore the trust of our citizens in the integrity of THEIR ballots while honoring the constitution."

"The 2020 election demonstrated that our electoral system needs reform to ensure fairness and transparency, with each person having the right to cast their ballot as they choose," said Crawford. "As it stands, the Democrats' plan is unconstitutional and would permit the federal government to hijack our current electoral system. In contrast, the VOTER ID Act upholds our Constitution by requiring standardized post-election audits in each state - a measure that would instill confidence in the outcome of all federal elections."

Background:

The VOTER ID Act requires states to conduct post-election audits and publicly share the results before key election certification dates. Currently, only 38 states conduct audits, and there is large variation in practice and accountability. The VOTER ID Act also requires states to submit attestations ensuring the integrity and security of their voter identification methods and maintenance of voter rolls.

States shall submit the audit to the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) as part of the Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) and post on states' websites. The audit shall include information about the accuracy of voting systems and the extent to which states complied with applicable laws, rules, and procedures related to administering an election. To help states conduct these audits, the VOTER ID Act instructs the EAC to develop a list of best practices -- including recommendations that the audits are bipartisan and completed within 30 days following an election.