Washington News Bureau

Congressional hearings focus on voting integrity for upcoming election

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today on Capitol Hill, lawmakers heard about preparations for the November election in two separate hearings which focused on voting integrity.

Election officials downplayed the risk of voter fraud, but the head of the American Postal Workers union, said the work of the U.S. Postal Service is being undermined and used for political purposes.

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“The postal service has ample resources to safely and securely accept and deliver every mail ballot it receives, provided the states who run the elections do their very challenging jobs,” said Mark Dimondstein.

Another House committee looked at voting safely during the pandemic. 

Julie Wise, director of elections in King County, Washington, addressed concerns about mail-in voting and tried to ease fears.

“Voter fraud is almost non-existent. While we’ve seen lots of claims, often fueled by speculation and with little evidence, the reality is that we have many safeguards to prevent fraud,” she said.

Lawmakers are exploring what changes are needed between now and election day, including additional funding for states.

“We want the system to be secure and protected against any threats, foreign or domestic, and we want every citizen to have full faith that the election results are a complete and accurate reflection of the will of the people,” said Jocelyn Benson, Michigan Secretary of State.