With 9 months remaining before the midterm elections, CNN En Español joined their English-language counterparts in their scramble to demonize the “new restrictive voting laws” put in place by 19 States, depicting them as power-grabbing Republican chicanery. The rhetoric was heard over and over again. Directo USANewscasts on integrity in voting featured a report by The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law.
This exchange that aired on February 18, 2022, features the sole opinion of liberal CNN contributor Roberto Izurieta, a professor at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., who dismisses laws that protect election integrity and ban ballot harvesting as “anti-democratic”:
JUAN CARLOS LÓPEZ: In the midst of the looming electoral process in the United States, there are Republican-controlled states that have taken steps to, they say, protect election integrity. But analysts and experts in the field say that they have another goal; to stay in power.
ISABEL Moradas: The new rules in these states include restrictions for voting by mail and sending out ballots via mail. There are also restrictions about who can vote through mail.
ROBERTO IZURIETA: Many of these illegal electoral actions are meant to lower the participation rate of certain sections of the population. Or in ci– places where it isn´t politically expedient for them. It’s not democratic.
MORALES: It is a question of how much impact restrictions on mail voting could have on November’s elections, if these states make them law.
In his introduction, Lopez quickly establishes a link between election integrity and the Republicans’ lust for power: “Republican-controlled states … have taken steps to, according to them, protect the integrity of the election. However, experts and analysts in the field believe that there is another goal. To remain in power.”
And who exactly are the “analysts and experts in the field? Michael Waldman, for one, President of the ´non-partisan´ Brennan Center for Justice, who worked for Bill Clinton as speechwriter. He also wrote several books on voting rights including The Fight for Vote where he details “the new wave of restrictive voting bills.” Hardly non-partisan.
Add to that, the biased statements from CNN contributor Izurieta, calling voter integrity laws illegal and the Electoral College a power grab in politically unfavorable cities – “Most of these illegal electoral moves are intended to decrease the participation of certain segments of the population. Or in cities where it isn´t easier for them politically. In short, it is not democratic and does not encourage where we should go to make it easier for people to vote and participate.”
Most telling is reporter Isabel Morales´ closing statement: “The question is how big an impact the restrictions on postal voting could have on the upcoming November elections if those states sign them into law.”
CNNEE is expecting biased reporting like this as the midterm elections near. Are we able to look forward and hear the other side, those who fight for voting integrity? Estaremos pendientes: we´ll be watching.
CNN En Español’s electoral fearmongering was brought to you by Rocket Mortgage. You can find their information here.
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