House GOP seeks tighter voting rules in DC, which Democrats warn is model for national restrictions

By AYANNA ALEXANDER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans who control the U.S. House of Representatives are making a pitch to overhaul how elections are run in the District of Columbia. They are employing a conservative playbook to tighten voting rules that has been used in Georgia, Texas and other GOP-controlled states. Democrats characterized the effort as an abuse of the authority Congress has over the District and a first step in imposing voting restrictions and stripping voter protections nationwide if Republicans regain full political power in Washington during next year’s elections. The D.C. attorney general says there has been no evidence of widespread election irregularities or voter fraud in the district.