House readies vote on Electoral Count Act reform bill

A bill to reform and strengthen the Electoral Count Act that aims at heading off future attempts to subvert presidential elections is expected to be considered by the House as soon as Wednesday. 

The bill, spearheaded by Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren and Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, is meant to prevent a recurrence of what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters overran the Capitol, causing an hours-long delay in Congress' affirmation of the electoral votes. 

The purpose of the amended Presidential Election Reform Act is to ensure Congress receives an electoral certificate from each state that accurately reflects the vote of the people and that Congress counts electoral votes as required by the Constitution. It also reaffirms that the role of the vice president of the United States is merely ministerial — after then-President Trump pressured Vice President Mike Pence to reject electoral votes and overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.