No balance in Dems' voting rights positions

We now see Biden, Pelozzi and Schumer aggressively pushing for an end to Senate filibuster rules motivated by a desire to push their "voter rights" agenda.

While in 2005, Schumer argued that eliminating the filibuster rules would "spell doomsday for democracy," he now sees it the other way? No balance, just like the Democrats push to stack the Supreme Court, all designed to have their way at any cost.

What should concern voters are details of their proposed voter legislation. The media should report details of these proposed bills and voters should become familiar and develop informed positions. Disturbing bill details include changes designed to reduce state-level authority, increase mail-in and early voting and to prevent voter ID requirements, all positioned as if without these voting and filibuster rule changes, "our democracy would turn to autocracy," to quote Biden?

Forty-six of 47 democratic European countries require photo identification to vote. Seventy-four percent of European countries ban absentee voting for citizens who reside domestically. Another 6% limit it to those hospitalized or in the military and require third-party verification with photo IDs. Another 15% require a photo ID for absentee voting.

Similarly, photo IDs are required to vote by 33 nations in the 37-member Organization for Economic Co-operation & Development.

As a result of voter fraud, Mexico in 1991 mandated voter photo IDs with biometric information, banned absentee ballots and required in-person voter registration. Voter participation rates rose after Mexico implemented the new rules.

In three presidential elections following the 1991 reforms, an average of 68% of eligible citizens voted, compared with only 59% in three elections prior to these changes. So much for voter suppression.

Despite the record of Europe and the vast majority of the rest of the developed world, congressional Democrats are pushing to remove identification requirements for voting. Why? Again, no balance.

Vincent J. Heaton

Wheaton