Us Congress Senate Bill SB3588

Us Congress 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/11/24
• Refer: 1/11/24

Caption

Constitutional Election Integrity Act

Impact

This bill has significant implications for election administration across the states, as it centralizes the jurisdiction for adjudicating disputes related to ballot eligibility of presidential candidates solely within federal district courts. Consequently, state courts and officials will be stripped of any authority to resolve such issues, potentially leading to a more standardized federal approach while raising concerns about the autonomy of state election processes.

Summary

SB3588, titled the 'Constitutional Election Integrity Act', seeks to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002. The primary objective of this legislation is to prohibit the use of federal funds for administering elections in states that misuse the Fourteenth Amendment for political purposes. Specifically, it targets situations where state executives or officials may prevent eligible presidential candidates from appearing on ballots, utilizing section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Contention

Debate surrounding SB3588 may center on concerns regarding the balance of power between state and federal jurisdictions in election laws. Opponents might argue that limiting state control over election administration undermines local governance and the ability to respond to specific regional challenges. Additionally, the prohibition of federal funding for states that fail to adhere to these stipulations could result in financial pressure and access disparities across different states, particularly affecting lower-resource jurisdictions.