Republican Party (United States)

==== Voting rights ====
{{See also|Voter identification laws in the United States}}

Virtually all restrictions on voting have in recent years been implemented by Republicans. Republicans, mainly at the state level, argue that the restrictions (such as the purging of [[Electoral roll|voter rolls]], limiting voting locations, and limiting [[early voting|early]] and [[Postal voting|mail-in]] voting) are vital to prevent [[voter fraud]], saying that voter fraud is an underestimated issue in elections. Polling has found majority support for early voting, automatic voter registration and [[Voter identification laws in the United States|voter ID laws]] among the general population.<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 22, 2016|title=Four in Five Americans Support Voter ID Laws, Early Voting|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/194741/four-five-americans-support-voter-laws-early-voting.aspx|access-date=April 7, 2021|website=Gallup.com|archive-date=April 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406165231/https://news.gallup.com/poll/194741/four-five-americans-support-voter-laws-early-voting.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Rakich|first=Nathaniel|date=April 2, 2021|title=Americans Oppose Many Voting Restrictions — But Not Voter ID Laws|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/americans-oppose-many-voting-restrictions-but-not-voter-id-laws/|access-date=April 7, 2021|website=[[FiveThirtyEight]]|archive-date=April 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406171627/https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/americans-oppose-many-voting-restrictions-but-not-voter-id-laws/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2021/02/05/republicans-target-ballot-access-after-record-turnout|publisher=Pew Trusts|work=Stateline|first=Matt|last=Vasilogambros|title=Republicans Target Ballot Access After Record Turnout|date=February 5, 2021|access-date=April 25, 2021|archive-date=April 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425034413/https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2021/02/05/republicans-target-ballot-access-after-record-turnout|url-status=live}}</ref>

In defending their restrictions to voting rights, Republicans have made false and exaggerated claims about the extent of voter fraud in the United States; all existing research indicates that it is extremely rare,<ref name="WaPo_voter_fraud_2014">{{cite web |author=Bump, Philip |date=October 13, 2014 |title=The disconnect between voter ID laws and voter fraud |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/10/13/the-disconnect-between-voter-id-laws-and-voter-fraud/ |access-date=July 26, 2016 |work=The Fix |publisher=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Levitt |first=Justin |date=August 6, 2014 |title=A comprehensive investigation of voter impersonation finds 31 credible incidents out of one billion ballots cast |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/08/06/a-comprehensive-investigation-of-voter-impersonation-finds-31-credible-incidents-out-of-one-billion-ballots-cast/?arc404=true |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028232347/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/08/06/a-comprehensive-investigation-of-voter-impersonation-finds-31-credible-incidents-out-of-one-billion-ballots-cast/?arc404=true |archive-date=October 28, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Hakim-2018" /><ref name="Linker-2018" /> and civil and voting rights organizations often accuse Republicans of enacting restrictions to influence elections in the party's favor. Many laws or regulations restricting voting enacted by Republicans have been successfully challenged in court, with court rulings striking down such regulations and accusing Republicans of establishing them with partisan purpose.<ref name="Hakim-2018">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/us/politics/voting-suppression-elections.html|title='They Don't Really Want Us to Vote': How Republicans Made it Harder|newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 3, 2018 |access-date=November 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104152125/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/us/politics/voting-suppression-elections.html|archive-date=November 4, 2018|url-status=live|last1=Hakim |first1=Danny |last2=Wines |first2=Michael }}</ref><ref name="Linker-2018">{{cite magazine|url=https://theweek.com/articles/803156/big-conservative-lie-voter-fraud|title=The big conservative lie on 'voter fraud'|date=October 23, 2018|magazine=The Week|access-date=December 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181228130912/https://theweek.com/articles/803156/big-conservative-lie-voter-fraud|archive-date=December 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

After the Supreme Court decision in ''[[Shelby County v. Holder]]'' rolled back aspects of the [[Voting Rights Act of 1965]], Republicans introduced cuts to early voting, purges of voter rolls and imposition of strict voter ID laws.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Hakim|first1=Danny|last2=Wines|first2=Michael|date=November 3, 2018|title='They Don't Really Want Us to Vote': How Republicans Made It Harder|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/us/politics/voting-suppression-elections.html|access-date=April 7, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=November 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104152125/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/us/politics/voting-suppression-elections.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The 2016 Republican platform advocated proof of citizenship as a prerequisite for registering to vote and photo ID as a prerequisite when voting.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mali |first=Meghashyam |date=July 19, 2016 |title=GOP platform calls for tough voter ID laws |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/288302-gop-platform-calls-for-tough-voter-id-laws/ |access-date=April 7, 2021 |website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |archive-date=April 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418183438/https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/288302-gop-platform-calls-for-tough-voter-id-laws |url-status=live }}</ref>

After Donald Trump and his [[Republican reactions to Donald Trump's claims of 2020 election fraud|Republican allies made false claims of fraud]] during the 2020 presidential election, Republicans launched a nationwide effort to [[Republican efforts to restrict voting following the 2020 presidential election|impose tighter election laws at the state level]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wines|first=Michael|date=February 27, 2021|title=In Statehouses, Stolen-Election Myth Fuels a G.O.P. Drive to Rewrite Rules|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/27/us/republican-voter-suppression.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/27/us/republican-voter-suppression.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|first=Kelly|last=Mena|title=More than 100 bills that would restrict voting are moving through state legislatures|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/02/politics/voting-rights-state-legislation/index.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203013507/https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/02/politics/voting-rights-state-legislation/index.html|archive-date=February 3, 2021|access-date=February 3, 2021|website=[[CNN]]|date=February 2, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Gardner|first1=Amy|date=March 26, 2021|title=After Trump tried to intervene in the 2020 vote, state Republicans are moving to take more control of elections|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/republicans-election-control/2021/03/26/064fffcc-8cb4-11eb-a730-1b4ed9656258_story.html|access-date=April 7, 2021|archive-date=June 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614185326/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/republicans-election-control/2021/03/26/064fffcc-8cb4-11eb-a730-1b4ed9656258_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Such bills are centered around limiting mail-in voting, strengthening voter ID laws, shortening early voting, eliminating [[Voter registration in the United States#Automatic|automatic]] and [[Voter registration in the United States#Election Day / same-day|same-day voter registration]], curbing the use of [[ballot drop box]]es, and allowing for increased purging of voter rolls.<ref name="Bill-Tracker">{{Cite web |date=February 24, 2021 |title=State Voting Bills Tracker 2021 |url=https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/state-voting-bills-tracker-2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611232034/https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/state-voting-bills-tracker-2021 |archive-date=June 11, 2022 |website=[[Brennan Center for Justice]]}}</ref><ref name="NYT-practices">{{Cite web |last1=Corisaniti |first1=Nick |last2=Epstein |first2=Reid J. |date=March 23, 2021 |title=G.O.P. and Allies Draft 'Best Practices' for Restricting Voting |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/23/us/politics/republican-voter-laws.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611081640/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/23/us/politics/republican-voter-laws.html |archive-date=June 11, 2022 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Republicans in at least eight states have also introduced bills that would give lawmakers greater power over election administration, after they were unsuccessful in their attempts to overturn election results in [[swing state]]s won by Biden.<ref name="Corasaniti-2021">{{Cite news |last=Corasaniti |first=Nick |date=March 24, 2021 |title=Republicans Aim to Seize More Power Over How Elections Are Run |website=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/24/us/politics/republicans-election-laws.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611230735/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/24/us/politics/republicans-election-laws.html |archive-date=June 11, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Gardner |first=Amy |date=March 26, 2021 |title=After Trump tried to intervene in the 2020 vote, state Republicans are moving to take more control of elections |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/republicans-election-control/2021/03/26/064fffcc-8cb4-11eb-a730-1b4ed9656258_story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614185326/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/republicans-election-control/2021/03/26/064fffcc-8cb4-11eb-a730-1b4ed9656258_story.html |archive-date=June 14, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kalmbacher |first=Colin |date=May 26, 2021 |title=Arizona GOP Bill Would Allow GOP-Controlled State Legislature to Strip Key Election Powers from Democratic Secretary of State |url=https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/arizona-gop-bill-would-allow-gop-controlled-state-legislature-to-strip-key-election-powers-from-democratic-secretary-of-state/ |work=Law & Crime |access-date=October 20, 2022 |archive-date=May 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531061200/https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/arizona-gop-bill-would-allow-gop-controlled-state-legislature-to-strip-key-election-powers-from-democratic-secretary-of-state/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Gardner |first1=Amy |date=May 29, 2021 |title=Texas Republicans finalize bill that would enact stiff new voting restrictions and make it easier to overturn election results |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/texas-voting-restrictions/2021/05/29/86923248-be25-11eb-9c90-731aff7d9a0d_story.html |access-date=October 20, 2022 |archive-date=July 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714230135/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/texas-voting-restrictions/2021/05/29/86923248-be25-11eb-9c90-731aff7d9a0d_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Supporters of the bills argue they would improve election security and reverse temporary changes enacted during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]; they point to false claims of significant election fraud, as well as the substantial public distrust of the integrity of the 2020 election those claims have fostered,{{Efn|According to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, while more than 60% of Americans believe the 2020 election was secure, a large majority of Republican voters say they do not trust the results of the 2020 election.<ref name="NPR-poll">{{Cite web|last=Montanaro|first=Domenico|date=December 9, 2020|title=Poll: Just A Quarter Of Republicans Accept Election Outcome |access-date=June 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611233203/https://www.npr.org/2020/12/09/944385798/poll-just-a-quarter-of-republicans-accept-election-outcome |archive-date=June 11, 2022 |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/12/09/944385798/poll-just-a-quarter-of-republicans-accept-election-outcome|url-status=live|website=[[NPR]]}}</ref> According to a poll by [[Quinnipiac University|Quinnipiac]], 77% of Republicans believe there was widespread voter fraud.<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 10, 2020|title=December 10, 2020 – 60% View Joe Biden's 2020 Presidential Victory As Legitimate, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; 77% Of Republicans Believe There Was Widespread Voter Fraud|url=https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=3685|website=[[Quinnipiac University]]|access-date=October 20, 2022|archive-date=March 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321131057/https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=3685|url-status=live}}</ref>}} as justification.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Inskeep |first=Steve |date=February 28, 2021 |title=Why Republicans Are Moving To Fix Elections That Weren't Broken |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/02/28/970877930/why-republicans-are-moving-to-fix-elections-that-werent-broken |website=[[NPR]] |access-date=October 20, 2022 |archive-date=March 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328143539/https://www.npr.org/2021/02/28/970877930/why-republicans-are-moving-to-fix-elections-that-werent-broken |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Steinhauser |first=Paul |date=February 17, 2021 |title=Republican Party launching new election integrity committee |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republican-party-launching-new-election-integrity-committee |website=[[Fox News]] |access-date=October 20, 2022 |archive-date=March 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210315121016/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republican-party-launching-new-election-integrity-committee |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Montellaro |first=Zach |date=January 24, 2021 |title=State Republicans push new voting restrictions after Trump's loss |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/24/republicans-voter-id-laws-461707 |website=[[Politico]] |access-date=October 20, 2022 |archive-date=March 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210329192348/https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/24/republicans-voter-id-laws-461707 |url-status=live }}</ref> Political analysts say that the efforts amount to [[voter suppression]], are intended to advantage Republicans by reducing the number of people who vote, and would disproportionately affect [[Race and ethnicity in the United States|minority]] voters.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=Davita|last1=Glasberg|first2=William|last2=Armaline|first3=Bandana|last3=Purkayastha|title=I Exist, Therefore I Should Vote: Political Human Rights, Voter Suppression and Undermining Democracy in the U.S.|url=https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/swb/vol16/iss1/2|journal=Societies Without Borders|date=January 1, 2022|issn=1872-1915|pages=20–47|volume=16|issue=1|access-date=October 28, 2022|archive-date=October 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221028052113/https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/swb/vol16/iss1/2/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|first1=Lydia|last1=Hardy|title=Voter Suppression Post-Shelby: Impacts and Issues of Voter Purge and Voter ID Laws|url=https://digitalcommons.law.mercer.edu/jour_mlr/vol71/iss3/10|journal=Mercer Law Review|date=May 1, 2020|issn=0025-987X|volume=71|issue=3|access-date=October 28, 2022|archive-date=October 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221028052111/https://digitalcommons.law.mercer.edu/jour_mlr/vol71/iss3/10/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Brewster |first1=Adam |last2=Huey-Burns |first2=Caitlin |date=February 25, 2021 |title=Proposals to restrict voting gain traction in Republican states |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/voting-restriction-proposals-republican-states/ |website=[[CBS News]] |access-date=October 20, 2022 |archive-date=March 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330114129/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/voting-restriction-proposals-republican-states/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Skelley |first=Geoffrey |date=May 17, 2021 |title=How The Republican Push To Restrict Voting Could Affect Our Elections |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-the-republican-push-to-restrict-voting-could-affect-our-elections/ |access-date=November 28, 2022 |website=[[FiveThirtyEight]] |language=en-US |archive-date=October 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231021064741/https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-the-republican-push-to-restrict-voting-could-affect-our-elections/ |url-status=live }}</ref>