Who Can Propose Laws For Voting?

The chief function of the US Congress is to make laws. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of the US Senate or House of Representatives, be proposed during their election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or citizen groups. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, then put before that chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. Once both chambers vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Then both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president. The president does not have the power to unilaterally rewrite election laws.

The President can't create voting laws

The President of the United States of America is elected to hold office for a term of four years. The President does not have the power to create voting laws. The U.S. Constitution's Elections Clause states that only states and Congress may set the rules for federal elections. The President has no role in this constitutional scheme beyond signing or vetoing federal legislation. The President's role in the legislative process is to consider a bill presented to them by Congress and decide whether to approve and sign it into law or to veto it.

The idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives or be proposed during their election campaign. Bills can also be petitioned by people or citizen groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before that chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Then both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the president.

The President can approve the bill and sign it into law, or they can refuse to approve a bill, which is called a veto. If the President chooses to veto a bill, in most cases, Congress can vote to override that veto, and the bill becomes a law. However, if the President does not sign off on a bill and it remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default. This action is called a pocket veto, and it cannot be overridden by Congress.

While the President has the power to veto a bill, they cannot create voting laws. The power to create and alter voting laws lies with Congress and the states, as outlined in the U.S. Constitution.

Congress can override a presidential veto

While the president can issue an executive order on elections, this does not amount to presenting a law for voting. The president's role in the constitutional scheme is limited to signing or vetoing federal legislation. The chief function of Congress, on the other hand, is to make laws.

Article I, section 7 of the US Constitution grants the President the authority to veto legislation passed by Congress. This is a significant tool for the President to prevent the passage of legislation. The Constitution provides the President with 10 days (excluding Sundays) to act on legislation, after which it automatically becomes law. There are two types of vetoes: the "regular veto" and the "pocket veto."

A regular veto is a qualified negative veto. The President returns the unsigned legislation to the originating house of Congress within 10 days, usually with a memorandum of disapproval or a "veto message." Congress can override the President's decision if it musters a two-thirds vote in each house. The Constitution requires the yeas and nays on a vote overriding a Presidential veto.

A pocket veto occurs when the President does not return the legislation to Congress but simply takes no action. This can only happen when Congress has adjourned before the 10 days are up, preventing a possible return with a veto. In this case, the legislation does not become law, and Congress cannot override it.

In conclusion, while the president can issue executive orders on elections, the power to make laws lies with Congress. Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in each house, except in the case of a "pocket veto," where Congress has adjourned before the President's 10-day deadline.

The President can't force changes to election rules

The President of the United States does not have the power to unilaterally change election laws. While the President can issue executive orders on elections, these are subject to legal review and can be challenged in court. The U.S. Constitution's Elections Clause states that only states and Congress may set the rules for federal elections. The President has no formal role in this process beyond signing or vetoing federal legislation.

The President's role in the legislative process is limited to signing or vetoing bills passed by Congress. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. It can be proposed by a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, during their election campaign, or by citizen groups who petition a member of Congress. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee, which researches, discusses, and makes changes. The bill is then put before the chamber to be voted on. If it passes one body of Congress, it goes through a similar process in the other body. If both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions, and then both chambers vote on the same version. If it passes, they present it to the President.

The President has ten days, excluding Sundays, to sign or veto the bill. If the President signs the bill within this period, it becomes law. If the President does not act on the bill within the ten-day period, it can become law without their signature, except when Congress has adjourned under certain circumstances. If the President vetoes the bill, it is returned to the congressional chamber in which it originated. This chamber can attempt to override the veto, but it requires a two-thirds majority vote. If this attempt is successful, the other chamber decides whether to hold its own override vote, which also requires a two-thirds majority.

Executive orders on elections issued by the President can attempt to force changes to election rules and practices, such as requiring citizens to present a passport or similar document to register to vote. However, such orders can be challenged in court as violations of federal law and the Constitution. The President cannot unilaterally control the election system or impose conditions on the disbursement of congressionally appropriated funds for law enforcement.

The President can't control the Election Assistance Commission

The President of the United States cannot control the Election Assistance Commission (EAC). The EAC is an independent, bipartisan agency created by Congress in 2002 through the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). It is charged with administering payments to states, developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, and creating and maintaining voluntary voting system guidelines. The EAC also accredits voting system test laboratories and certifies voting equipment, as well as audits the use of HAVA funds.

The EAC supports state and local election officials in their efforts to ensure accessible, accurate, and secure elections. It serves as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration, providing resources and tools to assist officials in effectively running elections. The EAC also works to promote personal, cyber, and physical safety practices for elections.

The EAC is composed of members appointed by various organizations, including the National Governors Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Association of Secretaries of State, and the National Association of State Election Directors, among others. The Board also includes representatives from the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense.

While the President may issue executive orders related to elections, these orders cannot override federal law or the Constitution. The President's role in the election process is limited to signing or vetoing federal legislation. The U.S. Constitution's Elections Clause states that only states and Congress may set the rules for federal elections, and the EAC operates independently of the President's control.

The President can't impose conditions on the disbursement of appropriated funds

In the United States, the chief function of Congress is to make laws. A bill is a proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. The idea for a bill can come from a sitting member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, be proposed during their election campaign, or be petitioned by citizens or groups who recommend a new or amended law to a member of Congress that represents them. Once a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee whose members will research, discuss, and make changes to the bill. The bill is then put before that chamber to be voted on. If the bill passes one body of Congress, it goes to the other body to go through a similar process of research, discussion, changes, and voting. Once both bodies vote to accept a bill, they must work out any differences between the two versions. Then both chambers vote on the same version of the bill. If it passes, they present it to the President.

The President does not have the power to impose conditions on the disbursement of appropriated funds. The President can choose to veto a bill, in which case Congress can vote to override that veto and the bill becomes a law. If the President does not sign off on a bill and it remains unsigned when Congress is no longer in session, the bill will be vetoed by default, known as a "pocket veto", and cannot be overridden by Congress. However, if the President declines to either sign or veto a bill, it becomes law without their signature.

While the President can issue executive orders, these do not allow the President to unilaterally rewrite election laws. The U.S. Constitution's Elections Clause states that only states and Congress may set the rules for federal elections. The President has no authority over the Election Assistance Commission, an independent bipartisan agency created by Congress, and cannot force it to alter federal voter registration forms or change how it certifies voting systems. Multiple lawsuits have been filed challenging the legality of executive orders on elections, as they may violate federal law and the Constitution and risk preventing millions of eligible American citizens from voting.

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